Hasht

Hasht is the Persian word for the number eight. It is written هشت in Persian script and transliterated as hasht or hesht. In Persian, the term is used across dialects for counting, ages, hours, and dates, and it appears in compound numbers, such as بیست و هشت for 28. Persian numerals use the Eastern-Arabic digit ۸ to represent eight.

The word hasht also appears in other Iranic languages with cognate forms, including Kurdish heşt and Balochi hešt, reflecting a shared Indo-Iranian heritage of the numeral eight. Its etymology is traced to the Indo-Iranian branch of the language family, with cognates that illuminate historical developments of numerals for eight across related languages.

In toponymy and geographic terms, the element hasht can appear in expressions within place names, often conveying a sense related to eight parts or divisions in historical or administrative contexts. However, as a standalone term, hasht is primarily a numeral used in everyday language, formal writing, and education.

Hasht is distinct from terms in other languages that resemble it in spelling but refer to different concepts, such as English-language hashtags or unrelated loanwords. It remains a basic building block of counting in Persian and is encountered regularly in literature, media, and daily communication within Persian-speaking communities.