The Persian word مجروح (pronounced as maj-rooh) is a sophisticated and formal adjective used primarily to describe a person who has sustained physical injuries. Derived from the Arabic root j-r-h (جرح), which pertains to wounding or cutting, it follows the maf'ool (مفعول) grammatical pattern, signifying a passive state—literally meaning 'one who has been wounded.' While in casual conversation Iranians might opt for the simpler word زخمی (zakhmi), مجروح is the standard term in news reports, medical documentation, and formal literature. Its use implies a certain level of gravity; you would hear it on the evening news when reporting on a car accident or a natural disaster. It is not merely a scratch but suggests a condition requiring attention or recovery. Interestingly, while its primary use is physical, Persian poets and writers often employ it metaphorically to describe a 'wounded soul' or a 'broken heart,' though this is less common in modern administrative Persian. Understanding this word requires recognizing its role as a passive participle; it describes the result of an external force acting upon an individual. In the context of Iranian history, specifically the Iran-Iraq war, the term took on a profound social weight, often appearing in the phrase مجروحین جنگی (war wounded), referring to those who sacrificed their physical well-being for the country. To use it correctly, one must pair it with the auxiliary verb shodan (to become) for the passive 'to be injured' or kardan (to do/make) for the active 'to injure.'
Grammatical Category
Adjective (Passive Participle)
Register
Formal / Semi-formal
Common Association
Medical emergencies and news broadcasts
در این حادثه رانندگی، سه نفر به شدت مجروح شدند و به بیمارستان انتقال یافتند.
پزشکان تمام تلاش خود را برای درمان مجروحین انجام میدهند.
او با قلبی مجروح از شهر خود مهاجرت کرد.
تعداد مجروحان زلزله هنوز به طور دقیق مشخص نیست.
سرباز مجروح به پشت جبهه منتقل شد.
Synonym Comparison
While 'Zakhmi' is used for any cut, 'Majrouh' implies a medical or official status of being injured.
Using مجروح correctly involves understanding its role as an adjective that can also function as a noun (the injured person). In most cases, it is combined with 'shodan' (to become) to indicate the act of getting hurt. For example, 'Man majrouh shodam' means 'I got injured.' When talking about multiple people, you have two options for pluralization: the Persian plural مجروحها (majrouh-ha) or the Arabic-style plural مجروحین (majrouhin). The latter is extremely common in news reports. If you want to describe someone being 'severely injured,' you use the adverb به شدت (be sheddat) before the word. For example, 'Anha be sheddat majrouh shodand' (They were severely injured). It is also important to note the word order. In Persian, the adjective usually follows the noun it modifies with an 'ezafe' (the short 'e' sound), as in koodak-e majrouh (the injured child). However, when functioning as the predicate of a sentence, it stands alone before the verb. Another nuance is the distinction between 'majrouh' and 'masdoom.' While often used interchangeably, 'masdoom' (مصدوم) is frequently used for victims of accidents or gas poisonings, whereas 'majrouh' specifically implies a wound or physical trauma. In writing, you might encounter the phrase مجروح ساختن (majrouh sakhtan), which is a very formal way to say 'to injure someone.' This is often found in police reports or high literature. When speaking to a doctor, you might use 'majrouh' to sound more precise about the nature of an injury. It is also common to see this word in the context of sports, though 'asib-dideh' (آسیبدیده) is more frequent for athletic strains.
آیا کسی در آن انفجار مجروح شد؟ (Was anyone injured in that explosion?)
او دستِ مجروح خود را با پارچه بست. (He tied his injured hand with a cloth.)
Common Collocation
مجروحِ بدحال (Critically injured patient)
بسیاری از مجروحین به کمکهای فوری نیاز دارند. (Many of the injured need immediate help.)
سگ مجروح در گوشه خیابان افتاده بود. (The injured dog was lying in the corner of the street.)
پلیس اعلام کرد که هیچکس در این درگیری مجروح نشده است. (Police announced that no one was injured in this conflict.)
You will encounter مجروح most frequently in the Iranian media landscape. If you turn on the news (like IRIB) or read a news agency like ISNA or Fars, any report on a traffic accident, an earthquake, or a conflict will use this word. It is the 'anchor's word' for casualties. In a hospital setting, specifically in the 'Emarzhan-si' (Emergency Room), doctors and nurses use it to categorize patients. You might hear a nurse say, 'Yek majrouh-e jadid darim' (We have a new injured person). Beyond the physical, you will hear this word in historical documentaries about the 1980s. The term جانباز (Janbaz) is the official title for disabled war veterans, but 'majrouh' is the descriptive word for their state at the time of injury. In cinema, especially in the 'Sacred Defense' genre (films about the Iran-Iraq war), the word is ubiquitous. Characters will shout 'Majrouh! Majrouh!' to call for a medic. In modern urban life, you might hear it during discussions about street safety or protests. If someone falls off a motorcycle, a bystander might ask, 'Majrouh shodi?' (Did you get injured?). It also appears in legal contexts; if you are involved in a lawsuit regarding a fight or an accident, the court documents will use 'majrouh' to describe the physical harm. In literature, particularly in the works of 20th-century authors like Sadegh Hedayat or Bozorg Alavi, the word might be used to describe a character's psychological state—someone 'wounded' by society or by life's hardships. Even in modern pop music, lyrics occasionally use 'majrouh' to describe the pain of a lost love, though 'zakhmi' is perhaps more common in that informal, emotional register.
News Context
Reports on casualties and accidents.
Legal Context
Official descriptions of physical harm in court.
اخبار ساعت نه: بیست نفر در تصادف اتوبوس مجروح شدند. (9 o'clock news: Twenty people were injured in a bus accident.)
One of the most frequent mistakes learners make is using مجروح for inanimate objects. In English, you might say a 'damaged' car or a 'hurt' reputation, and sometimes people translate 'injured' literally. However, in Persian, you cannot say 'mashin-e majrouh' (an injured car). For objects, you must use words like صدمهدیده (sadameh-dideh) or خسارتدیده (khosarat-dideh). 'Majrouh' is strictly for living beings, primarily humans and occasionally animals. Another mistake is confusing 'majrouh' with 'masdoom.' While they are close, 'masdoom' is often used for victims of non-bleeding trauma, like a fall or gas poisoning, while 'majrouh' usually implies a visible wound or something that could bleed. A grammatical error often seen is the misuse of the plural. While 'majrouhin' is correct, some learners try to apply the Persian plural '-ha' to the Arabic plural, creating 'majrouhin-ha,' which is redundant and incorrect. Use either 'majrouh-ha' or 'majrouhin.' Additionally, learners sometimes forget the 'shodan' (to become) and just say 'man majrouh' to mean 'I am injured.' In Persian, you need the verb to complete the thought: 'Man majrouh hastam' or 'Man majrouh shodam.' Another subtle mistake is using 'majrouh' for very minor things, like a paper cut. For a tiny scratch, 'majrouh' sounds overly dramatic; 'zakhmi' or even just 'dastam borideh' (I cut my hand) is much more natural. Finally, ensure you don't confuse the pronunciation with 'majrooh' (the word for 'hollow' in some dialects, though rare); the 'h' at the end of مجروح is a deep, breathy sound (ح) that should be audible in formal speech.
Wrong Usage
دیوار مجروح است (The wall is injured) - INCORRECT
Correct Usage
دیوار صدمه دیده است (The wall is damaged) - CORRECT
To truly master Persian, you need to know the spectrum of 'hurt' words. مجروح sits in the middle-to-high formality range. Here are its neighbors:
زخمی (Zakhmi)
This is the most common word for 'injured.' It comes from 'zakhm' (wound). It is used for everything from a scraped knee to a battle wound. It is less formal than 'majrouh.'
مصدوم (Masdoom)
Often used in the context of accidents (car crashes, workplace mishaps). It implies being a 'victim' of an event. In sports news, a player who is out for th
