پيش پا

English translation: before; in front of

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Persian (Farsi) term or phrase:پيش پا
English translation:before; in front of
Entered by: Ryan Emami

15:47 Oct 8, 2009
Persian (Farsi) to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Persian (Farsi) term or phrase: پيش پا
Greetings,

Today I specifically wish to ask about the word پيش پا.

As previously established, it appears in this proverb:

چراغ پيش پای خودش را نمی بیند

I would have thought that پيش پا was something found e.g. on a horse, contrasting with the back legs (پشت پا?).

But do lamps really have front and back legs in Iran?

Best

Simon
SeiTT
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:07
before; in front of
Explanation:
Hi Simon,

Such interesting ideas! But unfortunately they're not right!

پیش simply means "in front of" or "before" as in:

He can't see what's in front of him.
She was speaking before a large audience.

پیش پا means the spot right in front of you, probably not farther than a foot as the word پا indicates.

It doesn't at all have to do with the "legs" of a lamp! It's just an expression or idiom meaning the spot right before your eyes or within your eyesight.
Selected response from:

Ryan Emami
Canada
Local time: 14:07
Grading comment
many thanks excellent
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2before; in front of
Ryan Emami
5 +1by, near, close, in front of
Hossein Abbasi Mohaghegh
5 +1forefront
Habib Shariati


  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
before; in front of


Explanation:
Hi Simon,

Such interesting ideas! But unfortunately they're not right!

پیش simply means "in front of" or "before" as in:

He can't see what's in front of him.
She was speaking before a large audience.

پیش پا means the spot right in front of you, probably not farther than a foot as the word پا indicates.

It doesn't at all have to do with the "legs" of a lamp! It's just an expression or idiom meaning the spot right before your eyes or within your eyesight.

Ryan Emami
Canada
Local time: 14:07
Native speaker of: Native in Persian (Farsi)Persian (Farsi)
PRO pts in category: 27
Grading comment
many thanks excellent

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mohebi
4 hrs
  -> Thank you very much.

agree  smina
4 hrs
  -> Thank you very much.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
by, near, close, in front of


Explanation:
پيش پا‌ here means near, close, by, in front of and is not related to foot or leg at all.

Hossein Abbasi Mohaghegh
Local time: 21:37
Native speaker of: Native in Persian (Farsi)Persian (Farsi)
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mohebi
4 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
forefront


Explanation:
immediate forward position

Habib Shariati
Iran
Local time: 21:37
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in Persian (Farsi)Persian (Farsi), Native in KurdishKurdish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Farokh Bastan
2 hrs
  -> Thanks
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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