Beginner course · Lesson 18
Persian has two registers. Books, news and signs use the formal written language; conversation, especially in Tehran, uses spoken Persian, a relaxed form of the same language. They are not separate languages, and a few regular changes explain most of the difference.
You have been learning spoken forms throughout this course, so much of this lesson will feel familiar. Here we pull the rules together, so that you can recognise the written form behind what you hear, and the spoken form behind what you read.
The main changes
Each row shows a written form, the rule, and examples. Once you know the pattern, you can apply it to words you have never heard before.
| Written to spoken | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ان ← ون | ân becomes un | nân → nun (bread), khâne → khune (house), Tehrân → Tehrun (very informal) |
| آم ← اوم | âm often becomes um | âmadam → umadam (I came), tamâm → tamum (finished) |
| است ← ـه | ast becomes -e | khub ast → khube (it’s good) |
| را ← رو / و | râ becomes ro or o | ketâb râ → ketâbo (the book, as an object) |
| ـند ← ـن | -and becomes -an | dârand → dâran (they have) |
| ـد ← ـه | -ad becomes -e | mikonad → mikone (he/she does), dârad → dâre (he/she has) |
| می‌خواهم ← می‌خوام | verbs shorten | mikhâham → mikhâm, miravam → miram, miguyam → migam |
| او ← اون | u becomes un | he or she; ânhâ → unâ (they) |
| ها ← ا | plural -hâ becomes -â | ketâbhâ → ketâbâ (books) |
| در ← تو | dar (in) becomes tu | dar khâne → tu khune (at home) |
| اگر ← اگه | small words shorten | agar → age (if), digar → dige (other, any more), yek → ye (a, one) |
Putting it together
Here are some everyday sentences in their spoken form, with the written version after each. Several changes usually happen at once.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| من می‌رم خونه | man miram khune (written: man be khâne miravam) | I’m going home |
| نونو خریدم | nuno kharidam (written: nân râ kharidam) | I bought the bread |
| اون کتابا رو می‌خواد | un ketâbâ ro mikhâd (written: u ketâbhâ râ mikhâhad) | he/she wants the books |
| اونا تو تهرانن | unâ tu Tehrânan (written: ânhâ dar Tehrân hastand) | they’re in Tehran |
| این چیه؟ | in chiye? (written: in chist?) | what’s this? |
| اگه وقت داری، بیا | age vaght dâri, biâ (written: agar vaght dâri, biâ) | if you’ve got time, come over |
Grammar note: The object marker râ follows a definite object (“the book”, “this one”). In speech it becomes -o after a consonant and ro after a vowel: ketâbo, nuno, ino (this), but khune ro (the house) and un yeki ro (that one). After a plural in -â you will hear ro: ketâbâ ro. Notice too that spoken Persian often drops be (to) after verbs of going and puts the place after the verb: miram khune, “I’m going home”.
Which should you learn?
Both, eventually. Use the spoken forms in conversation, or you will sound like a newsreader; learn to recognise the written forms for signs, menus and forms. This course has given you the spoken form first wherever the two differ.
Don’t try to sound more Tehrani than you are. Speaking the standard language clearly is always understood and always respected.
Tehran tip: Text messages and social media posts are often written the way people speak, so you will see می‌خوام and خونه as often as می‌خواهم and خانه. If a word on your phone looks unfamiliar, try reading it with the rules above.
Dialogue: on the way home
Nâhid: سلام علی! کجا می‌ری؟
Salâm Ali! Kojâ miri?
Hi Ali! Where are you going?
Ali: دارم می‌رم خونه. نون می‌خوای؟
Dâram miram khune. Nun mikhâi?
I’m on my way home. Do you want some bread?
Nâhid: آره، دوتا بگیر. مرسی!
Âre, dotâ begir. Mersi!
Yes, get two. Thanks!
Ali: باشه. پولشو بعداً بده.
Bâshe. Pulesho ba’dan bede.
OK. Pay me later.
Nâhid: دستت درد نکنه!
Dastet dard nakone!
Thanks a lot!
Written, Ali’s first line would be be khâne miravam and Nâhid’s question kojâ miravi?. Dâram miram, with the present of dâshtan in front, means “I’m in the middle of going”, like dâshtam miraftam in Lesson 16. Âre is the casual “yes” (polite: bale), dotâ is “two (of them)”, begir is “get” and pulesho is pul (money) + -esh (its) + -o (the object marker): “the money for it”. Dastet dard nakone is the informal version of the thank-you from Lesson 15.
Where to go next
- Practise every day, even for five minutes: read signs, count change and greet people.
- Listen to Persian radio, podcasts and music, and watch Iranian films with subtitles.
- Find a language exchange partner: many Iranians want to practise English.
- Use our phrasebooks for taarof, emergencies and everyday admin.
Practise
- Turn these written forms into spoken ones: nân, khub ast, mikhâham.
- How would a Tehrani say “Tehran” in very casual speech?
- Make these spoken: dârand, mikonad, ketâbhâ.
- Add the spoken object marker: ketâb (the book), khune (the house), in (this).
- What is the written form of tu khune?
- Say “I’m going home” the way a Tehrani would.
- Which is the casual “yes”, bale or âre?
Show answers
- Nun, khube, mikhâm.
- Tehrun.
- Dâran, mikone, ketâbâ.
- Ketâbo, khune ro, ino.
- Dar khâne.
- Miram khune (or dâram miram khune, “I’m on my way home”).
- Âre; bale is the polite form.
Flashcards
Test yourself
Summary
- Written and spoken Persian are one language in two registers; a handful of regular rules connect them.
- Key changes: ân to un, ast to -e, râ to ro/-o, -and to -an, plural -hâ to -â, and shorter verbs such as mikhâm and miram.
- Use spoken Persian in conversation and learn to recognise the written forms on signs, menus and forms.
- Clear standard Persian is always understood, so don’t force a Tehrani accent.
You have now finished the beginner course. When you are ready to go further, with longer conversations, more tenses and everyday situations in more depth, carry on with the intermediate course.