Intermediate course · Intermediate lesson 7
Is the metro cheaper than a taxi? Which flat is closer to work? Where is the best kebab in Tehran? Comparing things is part of everyday life, and Persian comparatives are among the easiest grammar you will learn: one ending for “-er”, one for “-est” and one little word for “than”.
You already know two comparatives from the beginner course: arzuntar in the bazaar (arzuntar nadârid?) and ârumtar when asking someone to slow down.
Bigger: the -tar ending
Add تر -tar to any adjective to make the comparative. It is usually written with a non-joining space: بزرگتر bozorgtar (bigger), though you will also see it joined (بزرگتر). There are very few exceptions to the form.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| بزرگتر | bozorgtar | bigger |
| کوچیک‌تر | kuchiktar | smaller |
| ارزون‌تر | arzuntar (written: arzântar) | cheaper |
| گرون‌تر | geruntar (written: gerântar) | more expensive |
| نزدیک‌تر | nazdiktar | nearer |
| دورتر | durtar | further |
| گرم‌تر | garmtar | warmer, hotter |
| سردتر | sardtar | colder |
| شلوغ‌تر | sholughtar | busier, more crowded |
| آروم‌تر | ârumtar | slower, quieter, calmer |
| تمیزتر | tamiztar | cleaner |
| زودتر | zudtar | earlier, sooner |
| بدتر | badtar | worse |
Than: az
“Than” is از az, the same word as “from”. The thing you compare with comes before the adjective, because the verb, here the spoken -e (is), stays at the end.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| مترو از تاکسی ارزون‌تره. | Metro az tâksi arzuntare. | The metro is cheaper than a taxi. |
| تهران از اصفهان بزرگ‌تره. | Tehrân az Esfahân bozorgtare. | Tehran is bigger than Isfahan. |
| شمال تهران از جنوب خنک‌تره. | Shomâl-e Tehrân az jonub khonaktare. | North Tehran is cooler than the south. |
| این یکی از اون یکی بهتره. | In yeki az un yeki behtare. | This one is better than that one. |
| کیف من از کیف تو سنگین‌تره. | Kif-e man az kif-e to sangintare. | My bag is heavier than yours. |
To say “much” or “a bit”, add خیلی kheyli or یه کم ye kam: kheyli behtar (much better), ye kam arzuntar (a bit cheaper).
Better, more and less
Only one common adjective is irregular: خوب khub (good) becomes بهتر behtar (better). For “more” and “less”, Persian uses the comparatives of ziâd (a lot) and kam (little).
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| خوب ← بهتر ← بهترین | khub → behtar → behtarin | good → better → best |
| زیاد ← بیشتر ← بیشترین | ziâd → bishtar → bishtarin | a lot → more → most |
| کم ← کمتر ← کمترین | kam → kamtar → kamtarin | little → less → least |
| یه کم بیشتر | ye kam bishtar | a bit more |
| بیشتر از صد هزار تومن | bishtar az sad hezâr toman | more than 100,000 tomans |
| بهتره بریم. | Behtare berim. | We’d better go. (literally: it’s better we go) |
Grammar note: Bishtar also means “mostly”: بیشتر با مترو می‌رم bishtar bâ metro miram (I mostly go by metro). And remember from Lesson 3 that behtare followed by the subjunctive means “had better”.
Biggest: the -tarin ending
Add ترین -tarin for the superlative. Unlike other adjectives, the superlative goes before the noun, with no ezafe.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| بزرگ‌ترین بازار | bozorgtarin bâzâr | the biggest bazaar |
| بهترین کباب تهران | behtarin kabâb-e Tehrân | the best kebab in Tehran |
| برج میلاد بلندترین برج ایرانه. | Borj-e Milâd bolandtarin borj-e Irâne. | The Milad Tower is the tallest tower in Iran. |
| یکی از بهترین کافه‌های تهران | yeki az behtarin kâfehâ-ye Tehrân | one of the best cafés in Tehran |
| از همه بهتره. | Az hame behtare. | It’s the best of all. |
Two patterns are worth learning. Yeki az + superlative + plural noun gives “one of the best …”. And in conversation, از همه az hame (than all) + comparative is a very common way to say “the most”: in az hame arzuntare, this one is the cheapest.
Dialogue: choosing a flat
Mark is looking at flats with an estate agent, مشاور املاک moshâver-e amlâk, in western Tehran.
Âghâ-ye Karimi: این آپارتمان از اون یکی بزرگ‌تره.
In âpârtemân az un yeki bozorgtare.
This flat is bigger than the other one.
Mark: آره، ولی گرون‌تره. اجاره‌ش چنده؟
Âre, vali geruntare. Ejârash chande?
Yes, but it’s more expensive. How much is the rent?
Âghâ-ye Karimi: از اون یکی ده میلیون بیشتره.
Az un yeki dah milyun bishtare.
It’s ten million more than the other one.
Mark: کدوم به مترو نزدیک‌تره؟
Kodum be metro nazdiktare?
Which one is closer to the metro?
Âghâ-ye Karimi: این یکی. پنج دقیقه پیاده.
In yeki. Panj daghighe piâde.
This one. Five minutes on foot.
Mark: کدوم ساکت‌تره؟
Kodum sâkettare?
Which one is quieter?
Âghâ-ye Karimi: اون یکی. این خیابون از همه شلوغ‌تره.
Un yeki. In khiâbun az hame sholughtare.
The other one. This street is the busiest of all.
Mark: به نظرم این یکی بهتره، ولی اول باید با همسرم حرف بزنم.
Be nazaram in yeki behtare, vali avval bâyad bâ hamsaram harf bezanam.
I think this one is better, but first I have to talk to my wife.
Âghâ-ye Karimi: حتماً. بهترین انتخاب همینه!
Hatman. Behtarin entekhâb hamine!
Of course. This is the best choice!
New words: آپارتمان âpârtemân (flat), اجاره ejâre (rent), دقیقه daghighe (minute), پیاده piâde (on foot), ساکت sâket (quiet), به نظرم be nazaram (I think, in my opinion), همسر hamsar (spouse: wife or husband), حرف زدن harf zadan (to talk) and انتخاب entekhâb (choice). Hamine means “it’s this very one”.
Tehran tip: Tehranis talk about the city in terms of up and down: بالای شهر bâlâ-ye shahr (north Tehran; literally “the top of the city”) sits higher on the mountain slopes and is cooler, greener and pricier, while پایین شهر pâyin-e shahr (south Tehran; literally “the bottom of the city”) is older, busier and cheaper. For current rents and everyday costs, check our Iran prices tracker.
Practise
- Make the comparative and superlative of bozorg, arzun and khub.
- Say “The metro is faster than the bus” (tond, otobus).
- Ask a shopkeeper for something a bit cheaper.
- Say “Tajrish is the best bazaar” (using -tarin).
- Say “one of the biggest squares in Tehran”.
- What does in az hame geruntare mean?
- Tell a friend “I mostly drink tea.”
Show answers
- bozorgtar, bozorgtarin; arzuntar, arzuntarin; behtar, behtarin.
- مترو از اتوبوس تندتره Metro az otobus tondtare.
- یه کم ارزون‌تر ندارید؟ Ye kam arzuntar nadârid?
- تجریش بهترین بازاره Tajrish behtarin bâzâre.
- یکی از بزرگ‌ترین میدون‌های تهران yeki az bozorgtarin meydunâ-ye Tehrân.
- This one is the most expensive (of all).
- بیشتر چای می‌خورم Bishtar châi mikhoram.
Flashcards
Test yourself
Summary
- Add -tar for comparatives: bozorgtar, arzuntar; “than” is az, placed before the adjective.
- khub becomes behtar and behtarin; bishtar and kamtar mean more and less.
- Add -tarin for superlatives, placed before the noun: behtarin kabâb.
- az hame + comparative and yeki az + superlative are everyday patterns.