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زیان‌ده

B1 adjective #7,500 most common 6 min read

زیان‌ده

Q: How do I say 'This is a loss-making deal'?

You say: 'این یک معامله زیانده است' (In yek mo'āmele-ye ziyān-deh ast).

Q: Can I use it for a movie that didn't make money?

Yes! 'فیلم زیانده' is a perfectly correct way to describe a box-office bomb.

ziyandeh Top 7,500

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips زیان‌ده in 30 Seconds

Explanation زیان‌ده in your Level:

At the A1 level, you don't need to use 'زیان‌ده' often, but it's good to know it's about money. Think of it as 'bad for money'. If you have a shop and you lose money every day, your shop is 'ziyān-deh'. It comes from 'ziyān' (loss) and 'deh' (giver). It's the opposite of 'khub' (good) or 'por-sud' (profitable) in a business way. You might see it in simple news headlines about big companies. Just remember: زیان (loss) + ده (giver) = loss-making.

At the A2 level, you can start using 'زیان‌ده' to describe simple business situations. If you are talking about a job or a small project that didn't work out financially, you can say 'این کار زیان‌ده بود' (This work was loss-making). You should recognize that it's a compound word. It’s more specific than just saying 'bad'. It specifically means that the money going out is more than the money coming in. You will mostly use it with the verb 'budan' (to be) or 'shodan' (to become).

As a B1 learner, you should be able to use 'زیان‌ده' in discussions about the economy, investments, or career choices. You should understand the difference between 'ziyān' (the noun) and 'ziyān-deh' (the adjective). You can use it to explain why a company might close down or why the government is selling a factory. At this level, you should also be comfortable with the Ezafe construction: 'sherkat-e ziyān-deh'. You might encounter this word frequently if you read Iranian news or follow financial social media pages.

At the B2 level, you should use 'زیان‌ده' with nuance. You can discuss the causes of being loss-making, such as 'modiriyat-e za'if' (weak management) or 'sharāyet-e bāzār' (market conditions). You should also be able to use related terms like 'zarar-deh' and 'gheyr-e sud-āvar' to vary your speech. You’ll see this word in more complex sentence structures, such as 'bā vojude ziyān-deh budan...' (despite being loss-making...). You should be able to read a short financial report and identify which sectors are described as 'ziyān-deh'.

At the C1 level, 'زیان‌ده' is a standard part of your professional vocabulary. You should understand its implications in corporate restructuring and macroeconomics. You can use it in academic or formal writing to analyze the performance of state-owned enterprises. You should also understand its metaphorical extensions and how it contrasts with terms like 'bahre-var' (productive/efficient). You should be able to debate the pros and cons of subsidizing 'ziyān-deh' industries in a developing economy using sophisticated grammar and vocabulary.

At the C2 level, you have a complete mastery of 'زیان‌ده' and its place in the Persian lexicon. You can identify subtle differences in tone when a writer chooses 'ziyān-deh' over 'zarar-deh'. You can understand complex financial analyses that use this term in conjunction with 'tarāz-nāmeh' (balance sheet) and 'sud o ziyān' (profit and loss). You are capable of using it in high-level policy discussions or literary contexts where financial failure is used as a metaphor for broader societal or personal decline.

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips

زیان‌ده in 30 Seconds

Means 'loss-making' or 'unprofitable' in a financial context.
A compound adjective formed from 'ziyān' (loss) and 'deh' (giver).
Used mostly for businesses, factories, and investments.
The opposite of 'sud-āvar' (profitable) or 'bahre-var' (productive).

The Persian word زیان‌ده (pronounced 'ziyān-deh') is a compound adjective used primarily in economic, business, and formal contexts to describe an entity, project, or activity that does not generate profit and instead incurs financial loss. It is formed by the noun ziyān (meaning 'loss' or 'harm') and the present stem of the verb dādan (meaning 'to give' or 'to produce'), literally translating to 'loss-giving'. While its primary home is in the financial pages of newspapers, it carries a heavy weight of inefficiency and failure when applied to businesses or investments.

Core Meaning: Specifically refers to a business state where expenses exceed revenue over a sustained period.
Morphology: Compound: Noun (زیان) + Present Stem (ده). This is a common pattern for adjectives in Persian describing the output of a noun.

In everyday Persian, you might hear this word when people discuss the stock market (Bourse) or government-owned companies. For example, if a car manufacturing plant spends more on parts and labor than it earns from sales, it is labeled as ziyān-deh. It is the direct opposite of سودآور (sud-āvar), which means 'profitable'.

بسیاری از شرکت‌های دولتی در سال گذشته زیان‌ده بودند و نیاز به بودجه دولتی داشتند.

Translation: Many state-owned companies were loss-making last year and needed government funding.

Beyond finance, the word can occasionally be used metaphorically to describe a relationship or a habit that 'costs' you more emotionally or physically than it provides in benefits, though this is less common than its technical use. In a political context, identifying a sector as ziyān-deh is often a precursor to discussions about privatization or budget cuts. It implies a lack of sustainability.

سرمایه‌گذاری در این پروژه قدیمی کاملاً زیان‌ده است.

Synonym Usage: While 'ضررده' (zarar-deh) is almost identical, 'زیان‌ده' is considered slightly more formal and is the preferred term in official financial reporting.

Using زیان‌ده correctly requires understanding its role as an adjective. It most frequently follows the noun it describes, linked by the Ezafe vowel (-e). For instance, 'a loss-making factory' becomes kārkhāne-ye ziyān-deh. It can also function as a predicate adjective following the verb budan (to be).

این شعبه از فروشگاه به دلیل مدیریت ضعیف، زیان‌ده شده است.

This branch of the store has become loss-making due to poor management.

In complex sentences, you might see it paired with verbs like 'shodan' (to become), 'māndan' (to remain), or 'shenākhte shodan' (to be recognized as). Financial analysts often use it to categorize assets. If an analyst says an asset is ziyān-deh, they are advising you to sell or restructure it immediately.

Sentence Pattern 1: [Noun] + [Ezafe] + زیان‌ده + [Verb]. Example: بنگاه‌های زیان‌ده باید تعطیل شوند. (Loss-making enterprises must be closed.)
Sentence Pattern 2: [Subject] + زیان‌ده + است/بود. Example: این معامله برای ما زیان‌ده بود. (This deal was loss-making for us.)

It is important to note that ziyān-deh specifically refers to the *result* of an action or the *status* of an entity. It is not usually used to describe a person as 'harmful' (for which you would use mozer or ziyān-bār), but rather their business endeavors. If you say a person is ziyān-deh, it sounds like they are a business entity that is losing money.

دولت تلاش می‌کند تا از فعالیت واحدهای زیان‌ده جلوگیری کند.

You are most likely to encounter زیان‌ده in the following three environments: the evening news during the economic segment, financial newspapers like 'Donya-e-Eqtesad', and boardroom meetings. In Iran, the term is frequently linked to the 'Automotive Industry' (Khodrosāzi) and 'Banking Sector' (Bānkdāri), where many large institutions have been struggling with debt and inefficiency for years.

گزارش‌های مالی نشان می‌دهد که این بانک همچنان در زمره موسسات زیان‌ده قرار دارد.

Financial reports show that this bank still remains among the loss-making institutions.

When browsing the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) news, you will see lists of 'loss-making symbols' (namādhā-ye ziyān-deh). Investors use this word as a red flag. If a stock is described as ziyān-deh, it means the company’s earnings per share (EPS) is negative. It’s a word that signals caution and often precedes a drop in stock price.

Common Context: Privatization: Politicians often argue that 'ziyān-deh' state companies should be sold to the private sector to improve efficiency.
Common Context: Startups: In the tech world, many startups are 'ziyān-deh' in their early years as they focus on growth over immediate profit.

If you are watching a Persian-language business podcast, the host might ask a CEO, 'How do you plan to exit the loss-making stage?' (chegoune mikhāhid az marhale-ye ziyān-deh khārej shavid?). This highlights that the word describes a phase or a state that is undesirable and requires a strategy to overcome.

خروج از چرخه زیان‌ده بودن نیازمند تغییرات ساختاری است.

The most frequent mistake learners make with زیان‌ده is confusing it with other words for 'bad' or 'harmful'. While 'ziyān' means loss, not everything that is bad is 'ziyān-deh'. For example, you wouldn't call a poisonous plant ziyān-deh; you would call it sammi (poisonous) or mozer (harmful). Ziyān-deh is strictly for productive processes that fail to produce a surplus.

Mistake 1: Confusing with 'Ziyān-bār': 'Ziyān-bār' means 'disastrous' or 'catastrophic'. A flood is 'ziyān-bār', but a factory is 'ziyān-deh'. One implies destruction, the other implies financial deficit.
Mistake 2: Incorrect Ezafe: Learners often forget the 'e' sound when connecting the noun. It's 'Sherkat-e ziyān-deh', not 'Sherkat ziyān-deh'.

Another error is using it to describe a person's character. If you say 'U ziyān-deh ast', it sounds like you are analyzing their balance sheet. If you want to say someone is harmful to others, use 'mozer' or 'ziyān-resān'. Ziyān-deh is impersonal and transactional.

اشتباه: این دارو زیان‌ده است. (Incorrect: This medicine is loss-making.)
درست: این دارو مضر است. (Correct: This medicine is harmful.)

Finally, be careful with the spelling of the suffix '-deh'. It is written with a 'He' at the end (ده), which is the present stem of 'dādan'. Some learners confuse it with 'dah' (the number ten) or 'deh' (village), but in this context, it is purely a verbal suffix indicating the actor or producer of the noun.

To expand your vocabulary, it is helpful to look at words that occupy the same semantic space as زیان‌ده. The most common alternative is ضررده (zarar-deh). They are almost perfectly interchangeable, though 'ziyān-deh' is slightly more formal and 'Persian-sounding'.

غیرسودآور (Gheyr-e sud-āvar): Literally 'non-profitable'. This is a softer term. A project might be 'non-profitable' (breaking even) without being 'loss-making' (actively losing money).
ورشکسته (Var-shekasteh): 'Bankrupt'. This is the final stage of being 'ziyān-deh'. A company can be loss-making for years before it finally becomes bankrupt.
کم‌بازده (Kam-bāz-deh): 'Low-yield' or 'low-return'. This describes something that makes a profit, but not a very good one.

In a casual setting, people might just say be zarare māst (it's to our loss) or dārim zarar midim (we are giving/taking a loss). However, ziyān-deh remains the standard for describing the entity itself. In technical accounting, you might also see manfi (negative) used to describe margins or growth, which is a common synonym for a loss-making trend.

تفاوت بین زیان‌ده (actively losing) و غیرسودآور (not making profit) در تحلیل‌های مالی بسیار مهم است.

How Formal Is It?

Fun Fact

The suffix '-deh' comes from the verb 'dādan' (to give), so 'ziyān-deh' literally means 'the one who gives out losses'. It's a very logical way to build a financial term!

Pronunciation Guide

UK /ziːjɒːnˈdeh/

US /ziːjɑːnˈde/

The stress is on the final syllable '-deh'.

Rhymes With

بده (bedeh) نرده (nardeh) پرده (pardeh) خنده (khandeh) زنده (zendeh) بنده (bandeh) پاینده (pāyandeh) خواننده (khānandeh)

Common Errors

Pronouncing 'deh' as 'day'. It should be a short 'e' sound.
Making the 'zi' sound like 'zai'. It is always a long 'ee' sound.
Omitting the 'y' sound between the 'i' and 'a'. It should glide: Zi-yan.
Putting stress on the first syllable.
Confusing 'ziyān' with 'zin' (saddle).

Difficulty Rating

Reading 3/5

Easy to recognize in newspapers once you know the root 'ziyān'.

Writing 4/5

Requires correct use of the semi-space (Z-W-N) and Ezafe.

Speaking 3/5

Pronunciation is straightforward, but it's a specific vocabulary choice.

Listening 3/5

Common in news broadcasts, usually followed by numbers or company names.

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

زیان سود شرکت دادن پول

Learn Next

ورشکستگی ترازنامه سرمایه‌گذاری بهره‌وری خصوصی‌سازی

Advanced

تسهیلات نقدینگی تورم رکود ارزش افزوده

Grammar to Know

Compound Adjectives with Present Stems

زیان (Noun) + ده (Stem of دادن) = زیان‌ده

Ezafe Construction for Adjectives

شرکتِ زیان‌ده (The 'e' links noun and adj)

Pluralizing Adjectives used as Nouns

زیان‌ده‌ها (The loss-makers)

Position of Adjectives

Always follows the noun in Persian.

Compound Verbs with 'Shodan'

زیان‌ده شدن (To become loss-making)

Examples by Level

این شرکت زیان‌ده است.

This company is loss-making.

Simple Subject + Adjective + Verb.

او یک مغازه زیان‌ده داشت.

He had a loss-making shop.

Adjective follows noun with Ezafe.

آیا این کار زیان‌ده است؟

Is this work loss-making?

Question form.

من کار زیان‌ده نمی‌خواهم.

I don't want loss-making work.

Negative sentence.

آن رستوران زیان‌ده بود و بسته شد.

That restaurant was loss-making and was closed.

Compound sentence with 'and'.

پول زیاد در پروژه‌های زیان‌ده نگذارید.

Do not put much money in loss-making projects.

Imperative negative.

این بیزنس زیان‌ده نیست.

This business is not loss-making.

Negative 'is not'.

پدرم یک شرکت زیان‌ده را فروخت.

My father sold a loss-making company.

Past tense transitive verb.

بسیاری از کارخانه‌ها در این شهر زیان‌ده هستند.

Many factories in this city are loss-making.

Plural subject and verb.

چرا این پروژه هنوز زیان‌ده است؟

Why is this project still loss-making?

Use of 'hanuz' (still).

او از یک معامله زیان‌ده فرار کرد.

He escaped from a loss-making deal.

Preposition 'az' (from).

ما باید جلوی فعالیت‌های زیان‌ده را بگیریم.

We must stop loss-making activities.

Modal verb 'bāyad' (must).

این سرمایه‌گذاری برای من زیان‌ده بود.

This investment was loss-making for me.

Prepositional phrase 'barāye man'.

او فهمید که شرکتش زیان‌ده شده است.

He realized that his company has become loss-making.

Present perfect tense 'shodeh ast'.

دولت به شرکت‌های زیان‌ده کمک نمی‌کند.

The government does not help loss-making companies.

Negative present tense.

فروش این محصولات زیان‌ده است.

Selling these products is loss-making.

Gerund as subject.

به دلیل تورم، اکثر واحدهای تولیدی زیان‌ده شده‌اند.

Due to inflation, most production units have become loss-making.

Cause and effect with 'be dalil-e'.

او ترجیح می‌دهد شرکت زیان‌ده خود را تعطیل کند.

He prefers to close his loss-making company.

Verb 'tarjih dādan' (to prefer).

تحلیل‌گران می‌گویند این سهام زیان‌ده خواهد بود.

Analysts say this stock will be loss-making.

Future tense 'khāhad bud'.

مدیریت جدید سعی کرد شرکت را از حالت زیان‌ده خارج کند.

The new management tried to take the company out of the loss-making state.

Complex infinitive phrase.

سرمایه‌گذاری در طلا گاهی زیان‌ده می‌شود.

Investing in gold sometimes becomes loss-making.

Adverb 'gāhi' (sometimes).

او با خرید یک ملک زیان‌ده، تمام پولش را از دست داد.

By buying a loss-making property, he lost all his money.

Gerundive phrase with 'bā'.

شرکت‌های زیان‌ده دولتی بار سنگینی بر دوش اقتصاد هستند.

Loss-making state companies are a heavy burden on the economy.

Metaphorical language.

اگر طرح ما زیان‌ده باشد، آن را متوقف می‌کنیم.

If our plan is loss-making, we will stop it.

Conditional sentence Type 1.

خصوصی‌سازی بنگاه‌های زیان‌ده یکی از اولویت‌های دولت است.

Privatizing loss-making enterprises is one of the government's priorities.

Compound noun 'khosusi-sāzi'.

بسیاری از استارتاپ‌ها در سال‌های اول فعالیت خود زیان‌ده هستند.

Many startups are loss-making in their first years of activity.

Time phrase 'dar sāl-hāye avval'.

او با مهارت توانست بخش‌های زیان‌ده کارخانه را شناسایی کند.

He was able to identify the loss-making sectors of the factory with skill.

Ability with 'tavānestan'.

تداوم فعالیت واحدهای زیان‌ده به نفع اقتصاد ملی نیست.

The continuation of loss-making units' activities is not in the interest of the national economy.

Abstract noun 'tadavom' (continuation).

گزارش‌های حسابرسی نشان‌دهنده عملکرد زیان‌ده این موسسه است.

Audit reports indicate the loss-making performance of this institution.

Formal noun 'neshān-dahandeh'.

بانک مرکزی از اعطای وام به شرکت‌های زیان‌ده خودداری کرد.

The Central Bank refrained from granting loans to loss-making companies.

Verb 'khoddāri kardan' (to refrain).

ادغام دو شرکت زیان‌ده لزوماً به معنای سودآوری نیست.

Merging two loss-making companies does not necessarily mean profitability.

Adverb 'lozuman' (necessarily).

او معتقد است که سیستم فعلی مالیاتی برای تولیدکنندگان زیان‌ده است.

He believes that the current tax system is loss-making for producers.

Clause with 'mo'taqed ast ke'.

ساختار هزینه‌ای این سازمان به گونه‌ای است که آن را زیان‌ده کرده است.

The cost structure of this organization is such that it has made it loss-making.

Resultative clause with 'be goune-yi ke'.

اصلاحات اقتصادی بدون حذف یارانه‌های بخش‌های زیان‌ده ناممکن است.

Economic reforms are impossible without eliminating subsidies for loss-making sectors.

Prepositional phrase 'bedun-e hazf-e'.

تحلیل حساسیت نشان می‌دهد که پروژه در شرایط بحرانی زیان‌ده خواهد شد.

Sensitivity analysis shows that the project will become loss-making in critical conditions.

Technical term 'tahlil-e hassāsiyat'.

بسیاری از صنایع سنگین به دلیل تکنولوژی فرسوده، زیان‌ده هستند.

Many heavy industries are loss-making due to worn-out technology.

Adjective 'farsudeh' (worn-out).

دولت باید بین حمایت از اشتغال و تعطیلی واحدهای زیان‌ده تعادل برقرار کند.

The government must strike a balance between supporting employment and closing loss-making units.

Verb 'ta'ādol bargharār kardan'.

نرخ بهره بالا باعث شده است که وام‌های بانکی برای بسیاری از تجار زیان‌ده شود.

High interest rates have caused bank loans to become loss-making for many merchants.

Causative structure with 'bā'es shodan'.

در یک بازار رقابتی، بنگاه‌های زیان‌ده به سرعت حذف می‌شوند.

In a competitive market, loss-making enterprises are quickly eliminated.

Passive voice 'hazf mishavand'.

سیاست‌های قیمت‌گذاری دستوری عامل اصلی زیان‌ده شدن این صنعت است.

Mandatory pricing policies are the main factor in this industry becoming loss-making.

Noun phrase 'ziyān-deh shodan'.

واکاوی صورت‌های مالی حاکی از عمق فاجعه‌بار زیان‌دهی در این هلدینگ است.

Analysis of financial statements indicates the catastrophic depth of loss-making in this holding company.

Highly formal 'vākāvi' and 'hākī az'.

پارادایم حاکم بر اقتصاد دولتی، بستری برای بازتولید واحدهای زیان‌ده فراهم آورده است.

The paradigm governing the state economy has provided a platform for the reproduction of loss-making units.

Academic terms 'parādāym' and 'bāztolid'.

تداوم حیات نباتی شرکت‌های زیان‌ده، منابع ارزی کشور را به تاراج می‌برد.

The continued vegetative state of loss-making companies plunders the country's foreign exchange resources.

Metaphor 'hayāt-e nabāti' (vegetative life).

عدم شفافیت مالی، پوششی برای پنهان کردن ماهیت زیان‌ده برخی پروژه‌های ملی است.

Lack of financial transparency is a cover for hiding the loss-making nature of some national projects.

Complex noun phrase 'adam-e shaffāfiyat'.

برون‌رفت از بحران فعلی مستلزم جراحی دردناک و حذف غده‌های زیان‌ده از پیکره اقتصاد است.

Exiting the current crisis requires a painful surgery and removing loss-making tumors from the body of the economy.

Medical metaphor in economics.

سرمایه‌گذاری در حوزه‌هایی با بازدهی منفی، به مثابه خودکشی در دنیای تجارت است.

Investing in areas with negative returns is akin to suicide in the business world.

Simile 'be masābe-ye'.

رویکرد پوپولیستی در اقتصاد منجر به انباشت زیان در شرکت‌های زیان‌ده خدمات عمومی شده است.

A populist approach in the economy has led to the accumulation of losses in loss-making public service companies.

Term 'anbāsht-e ziyān'.

تبیین دقیق سازوکارهای زیان‌دهی، گام نخست در مسیر اصلاح ساختار پولی کشور است.

Precisely explaining the mechanisms of loss-making is the first step in the path of reforming the country's monetary structure.

Formal verb 'tabyin kardan'.

Common Collocations

شرکت زیان‌ده

بنگاه زیان‌ده

واحد زیان‌ده

پروژه زیان‌ده

سهام زیان‌ده

صنعت زیان‌ده

خروج از وضعیت زیان‌ده

انباشت زیان‌دهی

ساختار زیان‌ده

معامله زیان‌ده

Common Phrases

زیان‌ده بودن

— The state of being loss-making.

زیان‌ده بودن این شرکت ثابت شده است.

به مرحله زیان‌دهی رسیدن

— To reach the stage of making a loss.

بسیاری از طرح‌ها به مرحله زیان‌دهی رسیده‌اند.

شناسایی واحدهای زیان‌ده

— Identifying loss-making units.

شناسایی واحدهای زیان‌ده گام اول اصلاح است.

حذف بخش‌های زیان‌ده

— Removing loss-making sections.

او دستور حذف بخش‌های زیان‌ده را داد.

جلوگیری از زیان‌دهی

— Preventing loss-making.

راه‌های زیادی برای جلوگیری از زیان‌دهی وجود دارد.

تبدیل شرکت زیان‌ده به سودآور

— Turning a loss-making company into a profitable one.

او در تبدیل شرکت زیان‌ده به سودآور تخصص دارد.

زیان‌دهی انباشته

— Accumulated losses over time.

زیان‌دهی انباشته این بانک نگران‌کننده است.

در زمره زیان‌ده‌ها قرار گرفتن

— To be categorized among the loss-makers.

این موسسه در زمره زیان‌ده‌ها قرار گرفت.

بار مالی واحدهای زیان‌ده

— The financial burden of loss-making units.

بار مالی واحدهای زیان‌ده بر دوش دولت است.

تداوم زیان‌دهی

— Continuation of making losses.

تداوم زیان‌دهی باعث ناامیدی سهامداران شد.

Often Confused With

زیان‌ده vs زیان‌بار

Means 'harmful' or 'disastrous' (e.g., a flood), not specifically 'unprofitable'.

زیان‌ده vs ضرر

This is the noun 'loss'. You can't say 'The company is loss'; you must say 'The company is loss-making' (ziyān-deh).

زیان‌ده vs کم‌ارزش

Means 'low value'. A company can have low value but still be profitable, or high value and be loss-making.

Idioms & Expressions

"پول در چاه ریختن"

— To throw money down a well (referring to investing in a loss-making project).

سرمایه‌گذاری در آن شرکت مثل پول در چاه ریختن است.

Informal

"ضرر را از هر جا بگیری منفعت است"

— Stopping a loss at any point is a gain.

شرکت را بفروش؛ ضرر را از هر جا بگیری منفعت است.

Common Proverb

"کاسه چه کنم دست گرفتن"

— To not know what to do (often said of managers of loss-making companies).

بعد از زیان‌ده شدن شرکت، مدیر کاسه چه کنم دست گرفته است.

Informal

"آفتابه خرج لحیم کردن"

— Spending more to fix something than it is worth (often applied to loss-making repairs).

تعمیر این ماشین زیان‌ده، آفتابه خرج لحیم کردن است.

Informal

"دستش نمک ندارد"

— His hand has no salt (used for someone whose efforts/investments never result in gain).

هر چه می‌خرد زیان‌ده می‌شود؛ انگار دستش نمک ندارد.

Informal

"آب در هاون کوبیدن"

— To pound water in a mortar (futile work, like managing a permanently loss-making entity).

تلاش برای سودآوری این شرکت مثل آب در هاون کوبیدن است.

Literary/Common

"خشت بر آب زدن"

— To build on water (a futile and loss-making endeavor).

این بیزنس از اول خشت بر آب زدن بود.

Literary

"جیب خالی، پز عالی"

— Empty pockets but a grand appearance (describing loss-making companies that act successful).

شرکتشان زیان‌ده است اما جیب خالی و پز عالی دارند.

Informal

"از کیسه خلیفه بخشیدن"

— To give away from someone else's pocket (often said of government subsidies for loss-making firms).

دولت از کیسه خلیفه به شرکت‌های زیان‌ده می‌بخشد.

Common

"دود از کنده بلند می‌شود"

— Smoke rises from the log (sometimes used to hope an old loss-making company will finally succeed).

شاید این شرکت قدیمی دیگر زیان‌ده نباشد؛ دود از کنده بلند می‌شود.

Proverb

Easily Confused

زیان‌ده vs مضر

Both involve 'harm'.

'Mozer' is for things that harm health or society. 'Ziyān-deh' is for things that lose money.

سیگار مضر است، اما این کارخانه زیان‌ده است.

زیان‌ده vs خسارت

Both mean 'loss'.

'Khesārat' is usually compensation for damage. 'Ziyān-deh' is the state of a business.

باید خسارت بدهی چون شرکت زیان‌ده شد.

زیان‌ده vs بی‌فایده

Both mean 'useless'.

'Bi-fāyedeh' means no benefit at all. 'Ziyān-deh' means it actually costs you money.

این کلاس بی‌فایده است، اما این بیزنس زیان‌ده است.

زیان‌ده vs ارزان

Low money involved.

'Arzān' is cheap price. 'Ziyān-deh' is negative profit.

این جنس ارزان است اما فروش آن زیان‌ده است.

زیان‌ده vs بدهکار

Both involve financial trouble.

'Bedehkār' means you owe money. 'Ziyān-deh' means your business is failing to earn.

او بدهکار است چون شرکتش زیان‌ده بود.

Sentence Patterns

[Noun] + [Adj] + [Verb]

این شرکت زیان‌ده است.

[Subject] + [Noun-e] + زیان‌ده + [Verb]

او یک مغازه زیان‌ده داشت.

به دلیل [Reason], [Subject] زیان‌ده شد.

به دلیل مدیریت بد، شرکت زیان‌ده شد.

[Subject] باید از [Noun-e] زیان‌ده جلوگیری کند.

دولت باید از فعالیت‌های زیان‌ده جلوگیری کند.

با وجود [Noun-e] زیان‌ده، [Clause].

با وجود زیان‌ده بودن، آن‌ها به کار ادامه دادند.

[Abstract Noun] منجر به [Noun-e] زیان‌دهی شده است.

فقدان استراتژی منجر به زیان‌دهی مستمر شده است.

آیا [Subject] زیان‌ده است یا سودآور؟

آیا این معامله زیان‌ده است یا سودآور؟

لیست [Noun]های زیان‌ده منتشر شد.

لیست بانک‌های زیان‌ده منتشر شد.

Word Family

Nouns

زیان (loss)

زیان‌دهی (loss-making state)

ضرر (loss)

خسارت (damage)

Verbs

زیان دیدن (to suffer a loss)

زیان رساندن (to cause harm)

ضرر کردن (to lose money)

Adjectives

زیان‌ده (loss-making)

زیان‌بار (harmful/disastrous)

پرزیان (full of loss)

سودآور (antonym)

سود (profit)

هزینه (cost)

درآمد (income)

تراز (balance)

بودجه (budget)

How to Use It

frequency

High in news and business; Medium in daily life.

Common Mistakes

این غذا زیان‌ده است. → این غذا مضر است.
Food can be harmful to health (mozer), but it can't be 'loss-making' unless you are selling it at a loss.
شرکت زیان‌ده بودنش. → زیان‌ده بودنِ شرکت.
The noun form 'being loss-making' should come first in this construction.
Ziyan-dah → Ziyan-deh
The suffix is 'deh' (present stem of dādan), not 'dah' (ten).
من زیان‌ده شدم. → من ضرر کردم.
People 'make a loss' (zarar kardan); they aren't usually described as 'loss-making' themselves.
Ziyan-deh kardan → Ziyan-deh shodan
Use 'shodan' (to become) for the state. Use 'kardan' only if someone is actively making something loss-making.

Tips

Root Recognition

Learn the root 'Ziyān'. You will see it in many words like 'Ziyān-bār' (disastrous) and 'Ziyān-resān' (harmful).

The Ezafe

Don't forget the 'e' sound when you put 'ziyān-deh' after a noun. It's 'Sherkat-e ziyān-deh'.

Business Talk

Use this word when talking about the economy to sound more sophisticated than just saying 'bad'.

Semi-space

Use the ZWNJ (Shift+Space on many Persian keyboards) to write زیان‌ده correctly.

The 'Giver' Suffix

Remember that '-deh' means 'giver'. So it's a 'loss-giver'. This helps you remember other words like 'sud-deh' (profit-giving).

News Keywords

When you hear 'ziyān-deh', look for the word 'dolat' (government) nearby, as they often go together in Iranian news.

Tone

Use a serious tone when saying this word; it's rarely used for happy topics.

Ziyān vs Zarar

Use 'Ziyān' for formal writing and 'Zarar' for talking with friends.

Loss vs Harm

Remember: 'Ziyān-deh' is about money. 'Mozer' is about health.

Antonym Pairing

Always learn 'ziyān-deh' alongside 'sud-āvar'. They are a natural pair.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'Zillion' dollars going 'Down' the 'Deh' (drain). Ziyān-deh = Zillion Down the Drain.

Visual Association

Imagine a factory chimney that instead of smoke, is puffing out burning dollar bills. That factory is 'ziyān-deh'.

Word Web

Money Loss Business Negative Unprofitable Company Economy Debt

Challenge

Try to find one 'ziyān-deh' habit in your life and write a sentence about why you should stop it using the word.

Word Origin

From Middle Persian 'ziyān' (harm/loss). The root is shared with other Indo-European languages involving the concept of 'taking away' or 'harming'.

Original meaning: Originally meant 'harm' or 'physical damage' in Old Persian/Avestan contexts.

Indo-European -> Indo-Iranian -> Iranian -> West Iranian -> Persian.

Cultural Context

Be careful when describing a family member's business as 'ziyān-deh'; it can be seen as an insult to their competence.

The closest equivalent is 'loss-making' or 'in the red'. While English speakers use 'unprofitable', Persians prefer the active 'loss-giving' (ziyān-deh).

Used frequently in the 'Donya-e-Eqtesad' newspaper. Commonly heard in parliamentary debates (Majlis) regarding the national budget. Featured in economic documentaries about the 1990s privatization era.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Stock Market

نماد زیان‌ده
کاهش قیمت سهام
گزارش میان‌دوره
توقف نماد

Government Policy

یارانه دولتی
بودجه عمومی
خصوصی‌سازی
اصلاح ساختار

Banking

مطالبات معوق
نرخ بهره
تراز منفی
وام بانکی

Startups

جذب سرمایه
نرخ رشد
نقطه سر به سر
هزینه عملیاتی

Manufacturing

خط تولید
مواد اولیه
هزینه کارگر
فروش پایین

Conversation Starters

"آیا فکر می‌کنی سرمایه‌گذاری در بورس الان زیان‌ده است؟"

"چرا بعضی از شرکت‌های بزرگ دولتی همیشه زیان‌ده هستند؟"

"اگر یک رستوران زیان‌ده داشته باشی، چه کار می‌کنی؟"

"به نظر تو کدام صنایع در آینده زیان‌ده خواهند شد؟"

"آیا تا به حال در یک معامله زیان‌ده شرکت کرده‌ای؟"

Journal Prompts

درباره زمانی بنویسید که یک تصمیم مالی زیان‌ده گرفتید و چه درسی از آن آموختید.

تحلیل کنید که چرا برخی استارتاپ‌ها با وجود زیان‌ده بودن، همچنان محبوب هستند.

اگر مدیر یک شرکت زیان‌ده بودید، اولین تغییری که ایجاد می‌کردید چه بود؟

تفاوت بین یک زندگی زیان‌ده و یک زندگی سودآور از نظر معنوی چیست؟

چرا دولت‌ها به حمایت از صنایع زیان‌ده ادامه می‌دهند؟

Frequently Asked Questions

10 questions

Usually no. It describes businesses or projects. To say a person causes trouble, use 'ziyān-resān' or 'mozer'.

Yes, they are synonyms. 'Ziyān-deh' is slightly more formal and preferred in literature and high-level news.

You say: 'این یک معامله زیان‌ده است' (In yek mo'āmele-ye ziyān-deh ast).

The most common opposite is 'sud-āvar' (profitable).

It is a compound word. In modern Persian, it is written with a semi-space (ZWNJ) between 'ziyān' and 'deh'.

Rarely. It is almost exclusively for financial or productive contexts. For emotions, use 'آزاردهنده' (annoying) or 'مخرب' (destructive).

No. A company can be loss-making for a long time before it actually goes bankrupt (var-shekasteh).

Very common, especially because many state-owned companies in Iran are frequently in the news for being loss-making.

Yes! 'فیلم زیان‌ده' is a perfectly correct way to describe a box-office bomb.

In formal speech, slightly. In casual speech, it sounds more like 'de'.