The Formal "Consists Of"
To formally state what an object is made of, or to define a concept, use the fixed prepositional predicate عبارت است از. Derived from the infinitive عبارت بودن از, it translates to "consists of," "comprises," or "is defined as." The structure is simple: state your subject, follow it with عبارت است از, and then list the components.
In this lesson, we will practice this formal structure by breaking down the anatomy of a handwoven (دستبافت) carpet, pointing out its borders and its central medallion (ترنج).
| This handwoven carpet consists of a border and a background. | این فرش دستبافت عبارت است از حاشیه و زمینه.in farsh dast-bâft ebârat ast az hâshiye va zamine. |
| The main design consists of a medallion and a border. | طرح اصلی عبارت است از ترنج و حاشیه.tarh-e asli ebârat ast az toranj o hâshiye. |
Defining Details
When describing the finer points of a rug's anatomy, you will encounter terms like corner pieces (لچک) and individual motifs (نگاره). You can use عبارت است از to give formal definitions for these elements, detailing what sits at the perimeter (پیرامون) of the rug's background.
| A corner piece is defined as a motif in the corners of the rug. | لچک عبارت است از یک نگاره در گوشههای قالی.lachak ebârat ast az yek negâre dar gushe-hâ-ye qâli. |
| The border consists of a frame around the background of the carpet. | حاشیه عبارت است از یک قاب پیرامون زمینهی فرش.hâshiye ebârat ast az yek ghâb pirâmun zamine-ye farsh. |
Symmetry and Arabesque Motifs
Traditional Persian carpets are famous for their breathtaking symmetry (تقارن) and curvilinear, floral arabesque patterns (اسلیمی).
| The area around the medallion is full of arabesque motifs. | پیرامون ترنج پر از نگارههای اسلیمی است.pirâmun-e toranj por az negâre-hâ-ye eslimi ast. |
| The symmetry in the corner pieces of this small rug is unique. | تقارن در لچکهای این قالیچه بینظیر است.taqârun dar lachak-hâ-ye in qâliche bi-nazir ast. |
The Weaver's Craft
Finally, bringing all these elements together requires the incredible skill and patience of a weaver (بافنده), who spends countless hours working at the rug loom (دار قالی).
| In addition to this, weavers sit at the rug loom for hours. | علاوه بر این، بافندگان ساعتها پشت دار قالی مینشینند.elâve bar in, bâfandegân sâ'at-hâ posht-e dâr-e qâli minshinand |
| This weaver shows his skill in handwoven carpets. | این بافنده مهارت خود را در فرشهای دستبافت نشان میدهد.in bâfande mahârat khod râ dar farsh-hâ-ye dast-bâft neshân midahad. |