Persian phrases | Most common phrases for everyday life

Persian phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Persian with translation. | Free & useful

Persian phrases - Most common phrases for everyday life

Persian phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.

They are an important part of Persian culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.

Persian phrases you should know

OUR TIP: If you want to learn these phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn Persian phrases and dialogues today.

*

Greet someone in Persian

If you want to greet someone in Persian, it’s actually quite easy:

English Persian IPA
Welcome! in Persian خوش آمدید! [xoʃ ɑːmɒˈdiːd]
Good day to you! in Persian روز خوبی داشته باشید! [ruːz-e xuːbi dɑʃte bɑʃid]
Good morning to you! in Persian صبح بخیر! [sobh beˈxeːr]
Good evening! in Persian عصر بخیر! [ʔæsr beˈxeːr]
Good to see you. in Persian خوشحالم که می‌بینمت. [xoʃhɑːlɑm ke miːbiːnæmæt]
I’m glad to see you. in Persian خوشحالم که دیدمت. [xoʃhɑːlɑm ke didæmæt]

If you are greeted in Persian, the best way to respond is as follows:

English Persian IPA
Have a nice day too! in Persian روز خوبی داشته باشید! [ruːz-e xuːbi dɑʃte bɑʃid]
Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. in Persian ممنون، خوشحالم که می‌بینمت. [mæmˈnuːn, xoʃhɑːlɑm ke miːbiːnæmæt]

How is my dialogue partner?

As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:

English Persian IPA
How are you doing? in Persian چطور هستید؟ [t͡ʃeˈtoːɾ hɑːsˈtɪd]
Are you doing well? in Persian آیا حالتان خوب است؟ [ʔɑːjɑː hɑːlɒn ˈxuːb ɛst]

If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:

English Persian IPA
Thank you for asking, I am fine. in Persian ممنون که پرسیدید، خوبم. [mæmˈnuːn ke pærˈsiːdɪd, xuːbæm]
Thank you, I am fine. in Persian ممنون، خوبم. [mæmˈnuːn, xuːbæm]
Thank you, I am not doing so well. in Persian ممنون، حال من خوب نیست. [mæmˈnuːn, hɒːl-e mæn xuːb nist]
Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing? in Persian ممنون، خوبم. شما چطورید؟ [mæmˈnuːn, xuːbæm. ʃomɒː t͡ʃeˈtoːɾɪd]

Free book: ‘How to learn any language in just 7 weeks’

Learn all the tricks that will help you learn any language quickly and efficiently – much faster than you could ever have dreamed possible.

Book how to learn any language in just 7 weeks

*

More information about the Persian Language Course.

How do I say goodbye to someone in Persian?

Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Persian is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:

English Persian IPA
Goodbye! in Persian خداحافظ! [xodɒːˈhɑːfɛz]
Take care of yourself! in Persian مراقب خودت باش! [moɾɒːˈɡeːb xodæt bɒʃ]
See you tomorrow in Persian فردا می‌بینمت [fæɾdɒː miːˈbiːnæmæt]
See you soon in Persian زود می‌بینمت [zuːd miːˈbiːnæmæt]
See you later in Persian بعداً می‌بینمت [bæːdæn miːˈbiːnæmæt]
Good night in Persian شب بخیر [ʃæb beˈxeːr]
Sleep well in Persian خوب بخواب [xuːb beˈxɒːb]
Talk to you later. in Persian بعداً با شما صحبت می‌کنم. [bæːdæn bɒʃomɒː soːbæt miːˈkɔnæm]
Nice to have met you! in Persian خوشحال شدم که ملاقاتت کردم! [xoʃˈhɑːl ʃodæm ke molɒˈkɒːtæt kærˈdæm]

How do I introduce myself in Persian?

When travelling in Iran or Afghanistan, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Persian and know who you’re talking to.

English Persian IPA
My name is Jonas. نام من جوناس است. [nɒːm-e mæn d͡ʒoˈnɑːs æst]
What is your name? in Persian نام شما چیست؟ [nɒːm-e ʃomɒː t͡ʃist]
What is your surname? in Persian نام خانوادگی شما چیست؟ [nɒːm-e xɒːnɒːvɑːdɛgi-ye ʃomɒː t͡ʃist]
What is your first name? in Persian نام کوچک شما چیست؟ [nɒːm-e kuˈt͡ʃæk-e ʃomɒː t͡ʃist]

If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:

English Persian IPA
Where do you come from? in Persian شما از کجا آمده‌اید؟ [ʃomɒː ɑz kʊˈd͡ʒɑː ʔɒːmɑːdə-ɪd]
I am from London. من از لندن هستم. [mæn ɑz lænˈdæn hæstæm]
Are you from Birmingham? آیا شما از برمنگام هستید؟ [ʔɑːjɑː ʃomɒː ɑz bɛɾmɪnˈɡɑːm hæstɪd]
No, I’m from Madrid. نه، من از مادرید هستم. [næ, mæn ɑz mɑːˈdɾid hæstæm]
Great, I’m from Madrid too. عالی، من هم از مادرید هستم. [ʔɒːliː, mæn hɑːm ɑz mɑːˈdɾid hæstæm]
Where do you live? in Persian شما کجا زندگی می‌کنید؟ [ʃomɒː kʊˈd͡ʒɑː zendeɡi miːˈkɔːnɪd]
I live in Berlin. من در برلین زندگی می‌کنم. [mæn dær bɛrˈliːn zendeɡi miːˈkɔːm]

If you have problems with your Persian, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:

English Persian IPA
Do you speak English? آیا شما انگلیسی صحبت می‌کنید؟ [ʔɑːjɑː ʃomɒː ænɡlɪˈsi soːbæt miːˈkɔːnɪd]
Yes, I speak English. بله، من انگلیسی صحبت می‌کنم. [bæˈle, mæn ænɡlɪˈsi soːbæt miːˈkɔːm]
Yes, I speak some English. بله، من کمی انگلیسی صحبت می‌کنم. [bæˈle, mæn kæmi ænɡlɪˈsi soːbæt miːˈkɔːm]
No, I do not speak any English. نه، من هیچ انگلیسی صحبت نمی‌کنم. [næ, mæn hiːtʃ ænɡlɪˈsi soːbæt nɛˈmiːkɔːm]
I only speak English. من فقط انگلیسی صحبت می‌کنم. [mæn fæɡæt ænɡlɪˈsi soːbæt miːˈkɔːm]
I understand some Persian. من کمی فارسی می‌فهمم. [mæn kæmi fɑːˈɾsi miːˈfæhmæm]

Useful sentences with ‘I am…’

The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Persian and express your wishes and concerns:

English Persian IPA
I am English. من انگلیسی هستم. [mæn ænɡlɪˈsi hæstɪm]
I am injured. in Persian من زخمی هستم. [mæn zæxˈmi hæstɪm]
I am here. in Persian من اینجا هستم. [mæn inʤɑː hæstɪm]
I am hungry. in Persian من گرسنه هستم. [mæn ɡoɾəsˈnɛ hæstɪm]
I am thirsty. in Persian من تشنه هستم. [mæn tæʃˈnɛ hæstɪm]
I am a single person. in Persian من تنها هستم. [mæn tænhɑː hæstɪm]
I need help! in Persian من به کمک نیاز دارم! [mæn be kʊmæk niaz dɑːræm]
I am tired. in Persian من خسته هستم. [mæn xæstɛ hæstɪm]
I am happy. in Persian من خوشحال هستم. [mæn xoʃˈhɑːl hæstɪm]
I am sad. in Persian من ناراحت هستم. [mæn nɑːrɒˈhæt hæstɪm]
I am in love. in Persian من عاشق هستم. [mæn ʔɒːʃeɡ hæstɪm]
I am ill. in Persian من بیمار هستم. [mæn biːˈmɑːr hæstɪm]
I am ready. in Persian من آماده هستم. [mæn ʔɑːmɑːde hæstɪm]
I am busy. in Persian من مشغول هستم. [mæn mæʃˈɡul hæstɪm]
I am lost. in Persian من گم شده هستم. [mæn ɡom ʃode hæstɪm]
I am a tourist. in Persian من توریست هستم. [mæn tuːˈɾist hæstɪm]
I am new here. in Persian من اینجا جدید هستم. [mæn inʤɑː d͡ʒæˈdiːd hæstɪm]
I am confident. in Persian من مطمئن هستم. [mæn mʊtˈmæːn hæstɪm]
I am proud. in Persian من مغرور هستم. [mæn mʊɡˈɾuːr hæstɪm]
I am a teacher. in Persian من معلم هستم. [mæn mʊʔælˈlɛm hæstɪm]
I am late. in Persian من دیر کرده‌ام. [mæn diːɾ kɛɾdæm]
I am 30 years old. in Persian من ۳۰ ساله هستم. [mæn 30 sɒːlɛ hæstɪm]
I am in a hurry. in Persian من عجله دارم. [mæn ʔæd͡ʒæˈlɛ dɑːræm]
I am happy. in Persian من خوشحال هستم. [mæn xoʃˈhɑːl hæstɪm]
I am surprised. in Persian من شگفت‌زده هستم. [mæn ʃeˈɡeft zæˈde hæstɪm]
I am angry. in Persian من عصبانی هستم. [mæn ʔæsˈbɑːni hæstɪm]

Apologising in Persian

Here’s how to apologise to a Persian speaker:

English Persian IPA
I apologise. in Persian ببخشید. [bæˈbæxʃid]
Sorry, that was not the intention. in Persian ببخشید، این قصد من نبود. [bæˈbæxʃid, in ɣæsˈtæ mæn næbud]
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose. in Persian ببخشید، این کار را عمداً نکردم. [bæˈbæxʃid, in kɒːɾ rɑː ʔæmˈdæn nækæɾdæm]
Sorry, that was very clumsy of me. in Persian ببخشید، این خیلی بی‌دقتی از من بود. [bæˈbæxʃid, in xeːliː biːdæɡætti ɑːz mæn bud]

Learn Persian much faster than conventional learning methods – and with only 17 minutes of learning time a day!

Test the Persian online language course for two days completely free of charge:

*

More information about the Persian Intermediate Course.

Useful signs and notices in Persian

Useful signs and messages in Persian that you will often see.

English Persian IPA
Entrance in Persian ورود [vɒːˈɾud]
Toilet in Persian دستشویی [dæstʃuːˈi]
Exit in Persian خروج [xoɾuːʒ]
Attention! in Persian توجه! [tævæˈd͡ʒo]
Police in Persian پلیس [pəˈliːs]
Emergency services in Persian خدمات اورژانس [xədɑːˈmɑːt-e ʔɔːɾʒɒːns]
Fire brigade in Persian آتش‌نشانی [ɒːtæʃneʃɒːni]
Passage forbidden. in Persian عبور ممنوع است. [ʔobʊˈɾ mænˈnuː ɒst]
Caution! in Persian احتیاط! [ʔɛʃtɪˈɒːt]
This building is under video surveillance. in Persian این ساختمان تحت نظارت تصویری است. [in sɒːxtæˈmɑːn tæxtæ nɛzɒˈɾæt-e tæsvɪˈɾiː ɒst]

Numbers to 25 in Persian

Counting in Persian is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Persian from 1 to 25.

English Persian IPA
1 in Persian یک [jek]
2 in Persian دو [do]
3 in Persian سه [se]
4 in Persian چهار [tʃʰɑːr]
5 in Persian پنج [pænd͡ʒ]
6 in Persian شش [ʃæʃ]
7 in Persian هفت [hæft]
8 in Persian هشت [hæʃt]
9 in Persian نه [næ]
10 in Persian ده [dæ]
11 in Persian یازده [jɒːzˈdæ]
12 in Persian دوازده [dævɒːzˈdæ]
13 in Persian سیزده [siːzˈdæ]
14 in Persian چهارده [tʃʰɑːrˈdæ]
15 in Persian پانزده [pɒːnzˈdæ]
16 in Persian شانزده [ʃɒːnzˈdæ]
17 in Persian هفده [hæfˈdæ]
18 in Persian هجده [hɪʒˈdæ]
19 in Persian نوزده [nʊzˈdæ]
20 in Persian بیست [bist]
21 in Persian بیست و یک [bist o jek]
22 in Persian بیست و دو [bist o do]
23 in Persian بیست و سه [bist o se]
24 in Persian بیست و چهار [bist o tʃʰɑːr]
25 in Persian بیست و پنج [bist o pænd͡ʒ]

The colours in Persian

The most common colours in Persian with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.

English Persian IPA
Red in Persian قرمز [qærˈmæz]
Blue in Persian آبی [ɒːbi]
Green in Persian سبز [sæbz]
Yellow in Persian زرد [zærd]
Black in Persian سیاه [siːɒːh]
White in Persian سفید [sefid]
Brown in Persian قهوه‌ای [qæhveˈi]
Orange in Persian نارنجی [nɒːɾenˈd͡ʒi]
Purple in Persian بنفش [bæˈnæfʃ]
Pink in Persian صورتی [suːˈɾæti]

Days of the week, months and seasons in Persian

Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Persian and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Persian.

English Persian IPA
Monday in Persian دوشنبه [duːʃænˈbe]
Tuesday in Persian سه‌شنبه [seːʃænˈbe]
Wednesday in Persian چهارشنبه [tʃʰɑːrʃænˈbe]
Thursday in Persian پنج‌شنبه [pænd͡ʒˈʃænˈbe]
Friday in Persian جمعه [d͡ʒomɛ]
Saturday in Persian شنبه [ʃæmbɛ]
Sunday in Persian یک‌شنبه [jekʃænˈbe]
January in Persian ژانویه [ʒɒːnˈviːe]
February in Persian فوریه [foˈɾiːe]
March in Persian مارس [mɑːrs]
April in Persian آوریل [ɒːˈviːl]
May in Persian مه [mæ]
June in Persian جون [d͡ʒuːn]
July in Persian جولای [d͡ʒuːˈlɑːj]
August in Persian اوت [ɒːt]
September in Persian سپتامبر [seftæmˈbɛr]
October in Persian اکتبر [ʔæktæbɛr]
November in Persian نوامبر [nɔːvæmˈbɛr]
December in Persian دسامبر [dɛsæmˈbɛr]
Spring in Persian بهار [bæˈhɒːr]
Summer in Persian تابستان [tɒːbɛsˈtɒːn]
Autumn / Fall in Persian پاییز [pɒːiz]
Winter in Persian زمستان [zɛmɛsˈtɒːn]

OUR TIP: If you want to learn these Persian phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn Persian phrases and dialogues.

*

More information about the Persian Business Course.

Additional links

More information about the Persian Course for Children.