Conversational Farsi (Persian) for English speakers: everyday Tehran Persian
with your partner, family and in-laws.
The book
A beginner's course in the Persian an Iranian family actually speaks at
home, the Tehran colloquial, written in English and romanized, so you can talk from the
first chapter and learn the alphabet later.
26 chapters · dialogues with Sara's family, exercises with answers
568 pages · glossaries, verb tables, taarof, a pocket guide
The Persian alphabet in chapters 24 and 25, when you're ready
Coming soon to AmazonKindle · Paperback
Already have the book? This is your companion material: flashcards
for every chapter's vocabulary, Persian audio for the words, the pocket guide to print,
and the glossary, on your phone.
About the recordings. Recordings are computer-generated (Persian
text-to-speech); they read the written forms, so where the book teaches a spoken Tehran form
(khune for khâne) trust the book and your family's speech. A voice needs Persian
script to read from, so only the 154 words the book also prints in script have a recording;
the other 449 are flashcards without sound. Your best recording is still a Farsi speaker
in your family: ask them to say each chapter's words, and copy them.
Chapter by chapter: vocabulary and flashcards
Pick a chapter. These are the words of its last table, Chapter
vocabulary. Tap the card to turn it, and ▶ to hear it when it has a recording.
Tap to see the meaning
Pocket guide
The phrases of Appendix E, for the front door, the table, the phone and
the goodbye. Open it and point, or print this page: only the guide prints.
Greeting the family
salâm
hello
salâm aleykóm
hello (respectful, to elders)
sobh bekhéyr
good morning
chetórin?
how are you? (polite)
chetóri?
how are you? (familiar)
hâletun chetóre?
how are you? (respectful, to elders)
khúbin?
are you well? (polite)
che khabár?
what's new?
salâmatí
nothing much, all well
khúbam, mersí
I'm fine, thanks
shokr-e khodâ
thank God, fine
shomâ chetórin?
and you?
khoshbákhtam
nice to meet you
man ham hamintór
likewise
Parvin khânúm
Mrs. Parvin
âghâ-ye Hamid
Mr. Hamid
mâmân jun, bâbâ jun
Mom (dear), Dad (dear)
jânam?
yes, dear? (when someone calls you)
At the door
khosh umadín!
welcome! (polite)
khosh bâshin
may you be well (reply to welcome)
befarmâ’íd tu
please come in
befarmâ’íd béshinin
please sit down
míshe bíyâm tu?
may I come in?
avvál shomâ
after you
shomâ befarmâ’íd
please, you (go first)
bebakhshíd dir kárdim
sorry we're late
kafshâmo dar bíyâram?
shall I take off my shoes?
ghâbéli nádâre
it's nothing (giving a gift)
chérâ zahmát keshídin!
why did you go to the trouble!
khâhésh míkonam
you're welcome; please, I insist
befarmâ’íd bâlâ
please, sit at the top (of the room)
dastshuyí kojâst?
where is the toilet?
khasté nábâshin
may you not be tired (to someone who has worked)
salâmát bâshin
may you be well (the reply)
At the table
befarmâ’íd sar-e sofré
please, come to the table
befarmâ’íd
please, help yourself
bâz ham befarmâ’íd
have some more
na, mersí
no, thank you
zahmát míshe
I'm putting you to trouble
zahmát nákeshin
please, don't trouble yourself
mersí, síram
thank you, I'm full
sir shódam
I'm full
kâfí-e, mersí
it's enough, thank you
nush-e jân
enjoy! (to anyone eating)
khéyli khoshmazé-st
it's very tasty
dastpokhtetún khéyli khúbe
your cooking is wonderful
dastetún dard nákone
thank you for the meal (to the cook)
ghâbél nádâre
it's nothing (the cook's modest reply)
lotfán namako bédin
please pass the salt
míshe ye kam âb bókhoram?
could I have some water?
mítunam komák konam?
can I help?
giyâhkhâr hástam
I'm vegetarian
gusht dâre?
does it have meat in it?
be … hassâsiyát dâram
I'm allergic to…
ta’ârof nákon!
don't be polite! (stop the taarof)
Compliments
che khuné-ye ghashángi!
what a beautiful house!
che farsh-e ghashángi!
what a lovely carpet!
mâshâllâ!
God has willed it! (admiring)
che khub!
how nice!
khéyli dústesh dâram
I really like it
che khoshgél shódi!
how lovely you look!
che bozórg shodí!
how big you've got! (to a child)
âfarín!
bravo! well done!
lotf dârin
you're very kind
ghorbúnet béram
bless you, you sweetheart, thank you so much
omret derâz bâshe
may you live long (a blessing, often as thanks)
Small talk and the in-laws' questions
esmetun chí-e?
what's your name? (polite)
esmam Daniel-e
my name is Daniel
ahl-e kojâ-in?
where are you from? (polite)
âmrikâyí-am
I'm American
ye kam fârsí baládam
I speak a little Farsi
dâram fârsí yâd mígiram
I'm learning Farsi
chikâré-in?
what do you do? (polite)
mohandésam
I'm an engineer
chand sâlete?
how old are you?
si sâlame
I'm thirty
khâhar-barâdár dâri?
do you have brothers and sisters?
chetóri âshnâ shódin?
how did you meet?
se sâle ke bâ hámim
we've been together for three years
ghazâ-ye irâní dúst dâri?
do you like Iranian food?
key ezdevâj míkonin?
when are you getting married?
bachché némikhâin?
don't you want children (yet)?
be-zudí, ishâllâ
soon, God willing
har chi ghesmát bâshe
whatever fate brings
key míyâin Irân?
when are you coming to Iran?
barâye eyd míyâin?
are you coming for Nowruz?
havâ chetóre?
how's the weather?
vaght dârin?
are you free? (polite)
bâ kamâl-e meyl
with great pleasure
Feelings and endearments
… jân
[name] dear
dústet dâram
I love you
dústetun dâram
I love you (polite, to a grandparent)
manam!
me too!
délam barât tang shodé
I've missed you
délam barâtun tang shodé
I've missed you (polite)
jâtun khâli
we missed you (lit. your place is empty)
chet shodé?
what's wrong?
nârâhat nábâsh
don't be upset
negarân nábâsh
don't worry
hamé chi doróst míshe
everything will be fine
man injâm
I'm here
hâlam khub nist
I don't feel well
behtár shódin?
are you better? (polite)
ishâllâ zud khub shin
get well soon (polite)
On the phone
aló?
hello?
bebakhshíd, shomâ?
who is it, please?
unjâ sâ’át chand-e?
what time is it there?
bidâret kárdam?
did I wake you?
sedâ-mo dâri?
can you hear me?
sedât némiyâd
I can't hear you
sedât ghat’ o vasl míshe
you keep cutting out
gushí-ro béde be Mâmân-bozórg
give the phone to Mâmân-bozorg
dâram míyâm
I'm on my way
ba’dán behet zang mízanam
I'll call you later
kâri nádârin?
anything else? (polite)
na, ghorbúnet, khodâféz
no, dear, bye
salâm béresun be Mâmân
give my regards to Mom
Celebrations and condolences
sâl-e no mobârák!
Happy New Year!
eydetún mobârák!
Happy holiday! (polite)
shomâ ham mobârák!
the same to you!
tavallódet mobârák!
Happy birthday!
tavallodetún mobârák!
Happy birthday! (polite)
sad sâl be in sâl-hâ!
may you have a hundred more!
yaldâ mobârák!
Happy Yalda!
mobârák bâshe!
congratulations! (any good news)
tabrík!
congratulations! (an exam, a new job)
khoshbákht bâshin!
may you be happy! (to the couple)
sar-e shomâ salâmát
my condolences
salâmát bâshin
thank you (the reply)
khodâ rahmátesh kone
may God have mercy on him / her
gham-e âkharetún bâshe
may this be your last sorrow
khodâ bad náde!
God forbid! (on bad news)
When you don't understand
némifahmam
I don't understand
bebakhshíd, némifahmam
sorry, I don't understand
bebakhshíd?
sorry? pardon?
ye bâr digé, lotfán
again, please
míshe dobâré bégin?
could you say it again?
yavâshtár, lotfán
slower, please
lotfán yavâshtár bégin
please say it more slowly
ya’ní chi?
what does it mean?
… be fârsí chi míshe?
how do you say … in Farsi?
míshe bénevisin?
could you write it down?
némidunam
I don't know
âhân!
I see!
Goodbyes
bâyad béram
I have to go
digé zahmáto kam konim
we'll be on our way (lit. let us lessen your trouble)
hâlâ zúde!
it's still early! (the hosts)
bâ ejâzé
excuse me (standing up, leaving the table)
bebakhshíd, mozâhem shódim
sorry for the trouble we've been
mersí barâye hamé chi
thank you for everything
mersí, khéyli khosh gozásht
thank you, it was wonderful
bâz ham bíyâin!
come again! (the hosts)
shomâ ham bíyâin pish-e mâ!
you come to us too!
be Mâmân-bozórg salâm béresunin
give my regards to Mâmân-bozorg
pas jom’é míbinamet
see you Friday, then
shab bekhéyr
good night
khodâhâféz
goodbye
khodâféz
bye
khodâ negahdâret
God keep you (from an elder)
How to read the romanization
The same as in the book.
a · â
Two different vowels: bad (bad) has the a of "cat"; âb (water) has the a of "father", lips slightly rounded.
á é í ó ú
The accent mark shows the stressed syllable: mersí, khúbam. Farsi usually stresses the last syllable, so watch the mark.
kh · gh
kh is the rough sound at the end of Scottish "loch"; gh is a deep g from the back of the throat.
Spoken, not written
The book spells Tehran speech: khuné (house), written khâne; míram (I go), written míravam.
Full glossary · 1,354 entries
Every word in the book, searchable in English or in the romanization
(accents optional).
The audio is synthetic speech (Microsoft Edge TTS, the Iranian Persian
voices Dilara and Farid). Always here: this same page, the same QR code.
