40 basic Persian (Farsi) phrases for everyday conversation
For a first conversation with Iranian friends or family you do not need a new script. You need forty phrases you will actually say: greetings, introductions, family, numbers, tea and food. Here they are, with audio to copy.
Persian sounds softer than many people expect, and its grammar is kind to beginners: no articles, no grammatical gender, regular verbs. What slows people down is the script. So every phrase here is written in Latin letters, exactly as Bol teaches it and as the neural voice says it. The phrases follow the spoken Persian of Iran in a polite register that works with anyone.
A pronunciation key you can use immediately
Say kh like the sound in loch and gh similarly, a little further back. Sh is English "shoe," ch is "church." Stress usually falls on the last syllable. The small -e or -ye between two words links them, as in pedar-e man, "the father of me." And the -e at the end of In pedar-e mane is the spoken "is," which attaches to the word in everyday speech.
Greetings and the small words
Salam fits every time of day and every person. Hal-e shoma chetor ast? is the polite way to ask how someone is, Man khubam the answer. Mamnun and Bebakhshid will carry you through any day.
Introducing yourself
Shoma is the polite you, singular and plural at once. These six lines carry a first meeting: name, origin, where you live, and an honest 'a little Persian' that every listener appreciates.
Introducing your family
Family is the first big topic. In pedar-e mane is literally 'this father-of-me is': the -e after pedar links, the -e at the end is the spoken is. With this pattern you can introduce anyone.
Numbers from one to ten
You need numbers for prices, times and phone numbers. After a number the noun stays singular: do baradar, literally 'two brother'.
Tea, food and the bill
In Persian you 'eat' tea, and it is offered constantly. Kheyli khoshmazze ast is the compliment every host wants to hear. The bill is surat hesab.
Time and tomorrow
Saat chand ast? asks for the time. Farda is tomorrow, emruz today. With farda you can already arrange the next meeting.
Turn forty phrases into one conversation
- Listen once without reading. Catch the stress at the end of the words.
- Read and shadow. Speak just behind the voice, not on top of it.
- Retrieve the Persian. Look only at the English and say the line first.
- Join three turns. Salam. Hal-e shoma chetor ast? Man khubam, mamnun.
- Come back tomorrow. What you can still retrieve after a night's sleep is yours.
One note for real conversations: Iranians often offer food, tea and help several times, and a polite first refusal is part of the dance. That custom is called taarof. A smiling Mamnun is always right; how the game works is explained in our guide to taarof.
Frequently asked questions
Is Persian the same as Farsi?
Yes. Farsi is the Persian name of the language, Persian the English one. The phrases here follow the spoken Persian of Iran. See Farsi or Persian: what is the difference?
Do I need to learn the Persian script first?
No. Latin letters and audio are enough to start speaking. Add the Perso-Arabic script later, when reading becomes part of your goal.
Do people say Salam or Dorud?
In everyday life Salam is the normal greeting. Dorud is heard too and sounds deliberately Persian. Salam is always right.
Practice the answer before you hear it
Bol turns these phrases into listening practice, shadowing and short conversations, in one Persian that stays consistent from the first section to the last. The opening sections are free.
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