خونریزی کردن

The Persian verb خونریزی کردن (khunrizi kardan) is a compound verb that translates literally to 'to do blood-shedding' or 'to perform blood-pouring.' In a clinical and everyday sense, it is the standard way to express that someone is bleeding, especially when the bleeding is significant, persistent, or medically noteworthy. While the simpler phrase خون آمدن (khun āmadan)—literally 'blood coming'—is often used for minor scratches or a small prick, خونریزی کردن carries a slightly more formal or serious weight. It is the term you will encounter in medical reports, news broadcasts discussing casualties, and when describing internal or heavy external bleeding. Understanding this word requires an appreciation for the Persian 'light verb' system, where the noun خونریزی (bleeding/bloodshed) is combined with the auxiliary verb کردن (to do/make) to create a functional action.

Medical Context

In a hospital setting, doctors use this to describe hemorrhaging. For example, 'بیمار دچار خونریزی داخلی شده است' (The patient has developed internal bleeding).

Historical/Political Context

It is used to describe periods of war or conflict where there is significant loss of life, often referred to as 'خونریزی‌های شدید' (heavy bloodshed).

The nuances of this word also extend into the realm of literature and epic storytelling. In the Shahnameh or other classical texts, the concept of shedding blood is central to the themes of justice, revenge, and sacrifice. However, in modern conversational Persian, if you cut your finger while chopping onions, you might say 'انگشتم دارد خون می‌آید' (My finger is bleeding), but if the cut is deep and won't stop, you would tell the doctor 'انگشتم شدیداً خونریزی می‌کند.' This distinction is vital for B1 learners who are moving from basic survival Persian to more descriptive and accurate communication. It is also important to note that the word خونریزی itself is a noun, and can be used with other verbs like بند آوردن (to stop bleeding), making خونریزی کردن the active verbal form of the condition.

Furthermore, the term is frequently used in the context of women's health to describe menstrual cycles or complications during pregnancy. In these cases, it is a neutral, clinical term that is preferred over more colloquial or potentially stigmatized language. By mastering خونریزی کردن, a learner demonstrates an ability to discuss health, safety, and history with the precision required for intermediate-level fluency. The word is composed of 'Khun' (Blood) + 'Riz' (the present stem of 'Rikhtan' meaning to pour/spill) + 'i' (a suffix forming a noun) + 'Kardan' (to do). This transparent structure is common in Persian and helps learners build their vocabulary by recognizing the root 'Riz' in other words like اشک‌ریزان (shedding tears) or برگریزان (falling leaves/autumn).

Using خونریزی کردن correctly involves understanding its placement in various tenses and its relationship with adverbs of intensity. Because it is a compound verb, the 'light verb' کردن bears the burden of all grammatical markers such as tense, aspect, and person. The noun part, خونریزی, remains static. To say 'I am bleeding,' you would use the present continuous: 'دارم خونریزی می‌کنم.' To say 'It will bleed,' you use the future: 'خونریزی خواهد کرد.' This consistency makes it a relatively easy verb to conjugate once you have mastered the auxiliary verb کردن.

Present Continuous

لثه‌هایم هنگام مسواک زدن دارند خونریزی می‌کنند. (My gums are bleeding while brushing.)

Past Simple

زانویش بعد از زمین خوردن خونریزی کرد. (His knee bled after falling down.)

One of the most common ways to modify this verb is with the adverb شدیداً (severely) or به شدت (intensely). In emergency situations, you might hear 'او دارد به شدت خونریزی می‌کند!' (He is bleeding heavily!). Conversely, for internal bleeding, the adjective داخلی is placed before the verb, though technically it modifies the noun part: 'خونریزی داخلی کردن.' However, it is more common to use the construction 'دچار خونریزی داخلی شدن' (to suffer from internal bleeding). As a B1 learner, you should practice using the verb in the subjunctive mood to express possibility or necessity, such as 'نباید اجازه دهیم زخم خونریزی کند' (We must not let the wound bleed).

In more complex sentences, خونریزی کردن can be the subject of a causal relationship. For instance, 'کمبود ویتامین سی باعث می‌شود لثه‌ها خونریزی کنند' (Vitamin C deficiency causes the gums to bleed). Here, the verb is in the plural to match the subject 'لثه‌ها' (gums). It is also worth noting that in Persian, body parts often take the third person singular or plural depending on the speaker's focus, but the verb کردن must always agree with the noun that is performing the action of bleeding. When describing a scene from a movie or a book, you might use the imperfect tense to set the stage: 'او در گوشه‌ای افتاده بود و بدنش خونریزی می‌کرد' (He was lying in a corner and his body was bleeding).

You will encounter خونریزی کردن in a variety of real-world settings, ranging from the sterile environment of a clinic to the dramatic narratives of Iranian cinema. In Iran, pharmacies (داروخانه) and doctor's offices (مطب) are the most frequent places where this word is used with precision. If you are describing symptoms to a pharmacist, using this word rather than the simpler 'khun āmadan' signals that the issue is persistent or significant. For instance, 'از دیشب جای بخیه‌ها دارد خونریزی می‌کند' (The stitches have been bleeding since last night).

Television News

News reports regarding accidents or regional conflicts often use the noun form 'خونریزی' to describe the severity of events, but the verbal form appears when describing the condition of survivors.

Cinematic Drama

In Iranian 'Sacred Defense' (war) films, this verb is used to emphasize the sacrifice of soldiers. It heightens the emotional stakes of a scene.

Another common place to hear this word is in the context of sports, particularly contact sports like wrestling (کشتی), which is the national sport of Iran. If a wrestler’s eyebrow is cut, the referee might pause the match if the wound خونریزی کند. You will hear commentators say, 'کشتی‌گیر دچار خونریزی شده است' (The wrestler has started bleeding). Beyond physical bleeding, the word is used metaphorically in social commentary. A writer might say 'قلب جامعه دارد خونریزی می‌کند' (The heart of society is bleeding) to describe a deep social wound or widespread suffering. This metaphorical use is quite common in Persian poetry and modern editorials.

In educational settings, such as biology classes or first-aid training, this verb is foundational. Students learn the types of bleeding: 'خونریزی سیاهرگی' (venous bleeding) and 'خونریزی سرخرگی' (arterial bleeding). Hearing the verb in these contexts helps reinforce the technical nature of the word. Even in children's stories, when a character gets hurt, the author might use this verb to add a layer of seriousness to the event. Therefore, while it is a B1 level word, its reach extends from the most specialized medical journals to the common vernacular of the Iranian street, making it an essential part of any serious learner's lexicon.

One of the most frequent mistakes English speakers make when learning خونریزی کردن is confusing it with the simpler خون آمدن. While both mean 'to bleed,' they are not always interchangeable. Using خونریزی کردن for a tiny paper cut can sound overly dramatic or clinical, much like saying 'I am hemorrhaging' instead of 'I'm bleeding' in English. Conversely, using 'khun āmadan' for a major surgical complication might sound too casual or minimize the severity of the situation. Another common error is in the conjugation of the compound verb, specifically where to place the negation 'ne-'. Learners often try to put it before 'khunrizi' instead of before 'mikonad'.

Wrong Negation

*نخونریزی کردن (Incorrect) vs. خونریزی نکردن (Correct)

Confusing Noun and Verb

Using 'خونریزی' alone when a verb is needed. For example: 'او خونریزی' instead of 'او خونریزی کرد.'

Another subtle mistake involves the use of prepositions. In English, we bleed 'from' a wound. In Persian, the wound itself is often the subject that 'does the bleeding.' If you want to specify the location, you use 'az' (from), but the structure remains 'Az [Location] khunrizi kardan.' For example, 'او از ناحیه شکم خونریزی می‌کرد.' Some learners also confuse خونریزی (bleeding) with خون‌آشام (vampire/blood-drinker) because of the shared 'khun' root, though this is less common at the B1 level. Lastly, remember that خونریزی is a noun; you cannot simply add 'am' (I am) to it to mean 'I am bleeding.' You must include the verb کردن.

Furthermore, learners sometimes struggle with the causative form. If you want to say 'The medicine made him bleed,' you shouldn't just use خونریزی کردن. You would use 'باعث خونریزی شد' (became the cause of bleeding) or 'او را به خونریزی انداخت' (threw him into bleeding). Misusing these collocations can make your Persian sound unnatural. To avoid these pitfalls, listen to how medical professionals speak in Iranian media or read health-related articles in Persian. Notice that خونریزی کردن is almost always used for a process that is ongoing or significant, rather than a momentary event. By paying attention to these distinctions, you will avoid the clunky 'translated' feel that many learners struggle with.

Persian has several ways to describe the loss of blood, each with its own register and specific meaning. The most common alternative to خونریزی کردن is خون آمدن (khun āmadan). As mentioned before, this is the go-to phrase for minor injuries. If you prick your finger or have a small scratch, 'khun āmadan' is much more natural. Another related term is جراحت برداشتن (jerāhat bardāshtan), which means 'to sustain an injury' or 'to be wounded.' While it implies bleeding, it focuses more on the wound itself than the act of losing blood. For very formal or poetic contexts, you might see خون ریختن (khun rikhtan), which usually means 'to shed blood' in the sense of killing or sacrifice.

خون آمدن vs. خونریزی کردن

'Khun āmadan' is casual and for minor bleeding. 'Khunrizi kardan' is clinical, serious, or for significant bleeding.

خون ریختن

Usually implies an intentional act of violence or sacrifice (e.g., 'They shed the blood of the innocent').

There is also the term خون‌مردگی (khun-mordegi), which refers to a bruise or internal hematoma where the blood stays under the skin. This is the opposite of خونریزی where the blood is actively flowing. In a medical context, you might also hear هموراژی (hemorrhage), which is a direct loanword from French/English used by doctors among themselves, though they would still use خونریزی when talking to patients. Another specific verb is فصد کردن (fasd kardan), an archaic term for bloodletting in traditional medicine. While not used in modern first aid, it appears in historical texts and discussions about 'Teb-e Sonnati' (Traditional Medicine).

Finally, consider the antonyms or 'healing' words. لخته شدن (lakhte shodan) means 'to clot,' which is what happens when bleeding stops. بند آمدن (band āmadan) is the general verb for 'to stop' or 'to be blocked,' used specifically for blood: 'خونش بند آمد' (His bleeding stopped). Knowing these alternatives allows you to navigate a medical situation or a story with much more nuance. Instead of just knowing that someone is losing blood, you can describe how much, why, and whether it has stopped, using the full spectrum of Persian verbs related to the circulatory system and injury.