The following is a list of commonly used words/phrases/constructions in Persian (not ordered by frequency), which I will endeavor to update frequently. Examples are provided for most entries, but not their English transliterations (the words themselves have English transliterations, which will hopefully aid pronunciation in the absence of vowel marks). Verbs are listed in their infinitive forms along with their present stem. Be sure to acquaint yourself with basic pronouns/verbs/prepositions before going through this list.
Note: In the transliteration scheme I use, 'a' denotes the short-vowel while 'aa' denotes the long vowel.
| Transliteration | Meaning | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| همیشه
(shortened to همیش) |
hamashe (shortened to hamash) | always/all of that | من همیشه فراموش می کنم (I always forget)
من همیشه را یاد می گیرم (I am learning all of it) |
| هنوز | hanuz | still/yet | من هنوز یاد می گیرم (I am still learning) |
| مردم | mardam | people | مردم بیمار می شوند (People are getting sick) |
| (شو) بیمارشدن | bimaar shodan (present stem: shav) | to become sick | |
| روز | ruz | day | دیروز کار بودم ، امروز من نیستم (Yesterday I was sick, today I am not) |
| دیروز | diruz | yesterday | |
| امروز | emruz | today | |
| دیدن (بین) | didan (present stem: bin) | to see | من تو را می بینم (I am seeing you) |
| جدید | jadid | new | من هر روز یک چیز جدید یاد می گیرم
(Every-day I learn a new thing) |
| هر | har | every | |
| چیز | chiz | thing | |
| یاد گرفتن (گیر) | yaad gereftan (present stem: gir) | to learn | |
| هم | ham | too | من هم روز تمرین می کنم
(I too practice everyday) |
| تمرین کردن | tamrin kardan | to practice | |
| دشوار/سخت | dushvaar/sakht (dushvaar is more formal, less common) | difficult | من سعی می کنم یاد بگیرم ، اما خیلی دشوار/سخت است
(I am trying to learn, but it is very difficult) |
| سعی کردن | saee kardan | to try | |
| خیلی | kheyli | very | |
| آواز خواندن | aawaaz khaandan | to sing | آواز خواندن را دوست دارم
از آواز خواندن خیلی خوشم می آید (I really like singing) |
| دوست دارم ...
... دوست دارم از ... خوشم می آید |
1) (infinitive/noun) + ra (optional) + doost daram
2) doost daram + (infinitive/noun) 3) az + (infinitive/noun) + khosham mi aayad |
1) and 2): to like/love something
3) means the same, but literally means "my happiness comes from something" | |
| فکر کردن | fekr kardan | to think | فکر/حس می کنم خوشحالم
(I think/feel I am happy) |
| حس کردن | hes kardan | to feel | |
| نیاز داشتن | niaaz daashtan (present stem: dar) | to need | نیاز دارم که بخوابم
(I need to sleep) آب نیاز دارم (I need water) (note: 'water' can be preceded by 'be') |
| مهم | maham | important | مهمترین چیز این است که شما اینجا هستید ، یعنی او زنده است
(The most important thing is that you are here, meaning she is alive) |
| معنی | yani | meaning | |
| زنده | zendeh | alive | |
| فقط | faqat | only, simply | من فقط بیدار شدم ،بنابراین من فقط آب می خواهم
(I just woke up, so I only want water) |
| تازه | taazeh | just (very recently) | |
| بنابراین | binaabarin | so (conjunction) | |
| امیدوار | umidvaar | hopeful (to be used in place of "I/You/We/They hope") | امیدوارم که او فوراً به آنجا برود
(I hope that he goes there immediately) |
| فوراً | fouran | immediately/instantly | |
| به همین دلیل | be hameen daleel | for this reason/that's why (the equivalent of the Hindi isliye) | او حقیقت را به من گفت ، به همین دلیل من به او کمک کردم
(He told me the truth, so I helped him) |
| کمک کردن | komak kardan | to help | |
| حقیقت | haqeeqat | truth | |
| زیبا | zibaa | beautiful (the adjective form takes the -yi suffix) | این شهر زیبایی است
(This is a beautiful city) |
| کجا | kejaa | where (the question word) | کجا کار می‌کنید؟ همینجا/همانجا
(Where do you work? Right here/there) |
| همینجا/همانجا | haminja/hamaanja | right here/there (formed from اینجا/آنجا by combining with هم) | |
| کم | kam | little, small | لطفاً کمی جلوتر بروید
(Please go a little further) |
| جلوتر | jalutar | further | |
| لطفاً | lotfan | please | |
| چند | chand | how many | ساعت چند است؟
الان ساعت پنج است. (What time is it? It's 5 o'clock right now) |
| ساعت | saa-at | clock | |
| الان | alaan | now | |
| واقعا | waaq-an | really | واقعا اونجا رفتی؟
(Did you really go there?) |
Miscellaneous notes edit
- را is often pronounced as رو, which itself becomes و when speaking fast (and is often attached to the direct object, rather than following it).
- The Persian subjunctive is used where English (or even Romance languages like Spanish or French) would use the infinitive. For example: "I try to learn" uses the subjunctive form of the verb "learn".
- The Persian infinitive is used where English would use the gerund. For example: "I like singing" uses the infinitive form of the verb "sing". In such cases the infinitive can act like a noun and take suffixes/prefixes as well. You could, of course, say "I like to sing" and use the subjunctive of the verb "sing", as noted above.
- For constructions of the type "(noun phrase) is that...", you use "(noun phrase) + in ast ke..." rather than just "(noun phrase) + ast ke...".
- The unstressed suffix -i (ی) is added to the noun (or noun phrase) that is modified by the relative clause. This rule is not followed for possessive pronouns (independent or suffixed).
- Example 1: "in ketāb, ke pānsad safhe dārad, kheyli sakht ast" (this book, which has 500 pages, is very difficult). Here the suffix isn't needed.
- Example 2: "in ketābi ke pānsad safhe dārad kheyli sakht ast" (this book that has 500 pages is very difficult). Here the suffix is needed since the relative clause modifies the noun.