Beginner course · Lesson 15
Food is at the heart of Iranian life, and a meal out is one of the easiest places to start using Persian food words. This lesson gives you the phrases you need at the table, the words you will see on most Tehran menus and the polite things to say after you have eaten, whether in a restaurant, a café or someone’s home.
You already know the most useful pattern from Lesson 12: … mikhâm (I want …). Put any dish in front of it and you can order. For somewhere to practise, try our guide to cafés in north Tehran.
At the table
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| یه میز برای دو نفر | ye miz barâye do nafar | a table for two |
| منو لطفاً | menu lotfan | the menu, please |
| چی پیشنهاد می‌کنید؟ | chi pishnahâd mikonid? | what do you recommend? |
| من گیاهخوارم | man giâhkhâram | I’m vegetarian |
| گوشت نمی‌خورم | gusht nemikhoram | I don’t eat meat |
| خیلی خوشمزه بود | kheyli khoshmaze bud | it was delicious |
| صورتحساب لطفاً | surat-hesâb lotfan | the bill, please |
| برای من … | barâye man … | for me, … |
| بدون گوشت | bedun-e gusht | without meat |
| می‌خوام ببرم | mikhâm bebaram | I want to take it away |
To order, name the dish and add mikhâm or lotfan: یه جوجه کباب لطفاً ye juje kabâb lotfan (a chicken kebab, please). When several people are ordering, barâye man … (for me, …) makes it clear whose plate is whose.
On the menu
Iranian menus are usually short and built around rice, kebabs and stews. Many restaurants in Tehran have no English menu, so these words go a long way.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| کباب | kabâb | kebab |
| جوجه کباب | juje kabâb | chicken kebab |
| خورش | khoresh | stew |
| برنج / پلو | berenj / polo | rice / rice dish |
| نان / نون | nân / nun | bread |
| ماست | mâst | yoghurt |
| سبزی | sabzi | fresh herbs |
| مرغ | morgh | chicken |
| ماهی | mâhi | fish |
| گوشت | gusht | meat |
| دوغ | dugh | yoghurt drink |
| چای | châi | tea |
| قهوه | ghahve | coffee |
| آب | âb | water |
| چلوکباب | chelow kabâb | kebab served with plain rice |
| کوبیده | kubide | minced-meat kebab |
| قرمه‌سبزی | ghorme sabzi | herb stew with beans and meat |
| کشک بادمجون | kashk-e bâdemjun (written: bâdemjân) | aubergine dip with whey |
| ته‌دیگ | tahdig | the crispy rice from the bottom of the pot |
| بستنی | bastani | ice cream |
In a café, add شیر shir (milk) and شکر shekar (sugar). Bedun-e shekar means “without sugar”.
Grammar note: Persian uses khordan (to eat) for drinks too: چای می‌خورم châi mikhoram means “I’m having tea” and âb mikhoram means “I’m drinking water”. The negative is nemikhoram, so gusht nemikhoram is “I don’t eat meat” and ghahve nemikhoram is “I don’t drink coffee”. The past form bud (was) in kheyli khoshmaze bud comes up again in Lesson 16.
Saying thank you for food
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| دستتون درد نکنه | dastetun dard nakone | thank you (literally “may your hand not hurt”), said to whoever cooked or paid |
| نوش جان | nush-e jân | enjoy your meal; the reply when someone thanks you for food |
You will hear nush-e jân from waiters and hosts alike, sometimes as you start eating and almost always when you thank them. Use dastetun dard nakone with a host, or with a friend who has paid the bill.
Tehran tip: If you are invited to an Iranian home, expect to be offered seconds and thirds. Saying dastetun dard nakone, kheyli khoshmaze bud is the best compliment you can pay the cook.
Dialogue: lunch for two
Waiter: سلام، خوش اومدید. چند نفرید؟
Salâm, khosh umadid. Chand nafarid?
Hello, welcome. How many of you are there?
Leilâ: دو نفر. منو لطفاً.
Do nafar. Menu lotfan.
Two. The menu, please.
Mark: من گیاهخوارم. چی پیشنهاد می‌کنید؟
Man giâhkhâram. Chi pishnahâd mikonid?
I’m vegetarian. What do you recommend?
Waiter: کشک بادمجون خیلی خوبه.
Kashk-e bâdemjun kheyli khube.
The aubergine dip is very good.
Mark: باشه. یه کشک بادمجون و یه دوغ لطفاً.
Bâshe. Ye kashk-e bâdemjun-o ye dugh lotfan.
OK. An aubergine dip and a doogh, please.
Leilâ: برای من جوجه کباب، لطفاً.
Barâye man juje kabâb, lotfan.
Chicken kebab for me, please.
Mark: خیلی خوشمزه بود. صورتحساب لطفاً.
Kheyli khoshmaze bud. Surat-hesâb lotfan.
That was delicious. The bill, please.
Waiter: نوش جان.
Nush-e jân.
Enjoy (glad you liked it).
Chand nafarid? (“how many people are you?”) is the first thing you will be asked in most restaurants; answer with a number and nafar (person). Notice how “and” between two items shrinks to -o, just as it does in numbers.
Practise
- Ask for a table for three and the menu.
- Tell the waiter you are vegetarian and ask what they recommend.
- Order a chicken kebab and a doogh.
- Say “I don’t eat fish”.
- What do ghahve, mâst and sabzi mean?
- Your host has just served a huge dinner. What do you say when you have finished?
- Someone thanks you for the tea you made. How do you reply?
Show answers
- Ye miz barâye se nafar. Menu lotfan.
- Man giâhkhâram. Chi pishnahâd mikonid?
- Ye juje kabâb-o ye dugh lotfan.
- Mâhi nemikhoram.
- Coffee, yoghurt, fresh herbs.
- Dastetun dard nakone, kheyli khoshmaze bud.
- Nush-e jân.
Flashcards
Test yourself
Summary
- Ask for a table with ye miz barâye … nafar, the menu with menu lotfan and the bill with surat-hesâb lotfan.
- Order by naming the dish and adding lotfan or mikhâm; use barâye man for “for me”.
- Key Persian food words: kabâb, khoresh, polo, nun, mâst, dugh and châi.
- Persian “eats” drinks: châi mikhoram.
- Thank the cook with dastetun dard nakone; the reply is nush-e jân.