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Essential Farsi phrases
for travellers (printable)
how to say hello in farsi
سلام — sa-LAAM — is how you say hello in Farsi. It works at any hour, anywhere the language is spoken, with anyone. Pair it with ممنون (mam-NOON) for thank you and you already have the two words you will use most.
Below are 36 phrases worth knowing before you land, grouped by the situation you will need them in. Every one has a plain-English respelling — stressed syllable in capitals — because IPA is no use to anyone standing at a pharmacy counter. Iran, and closely related to the Dari of Afghanistan and the Tajik of Tajikistan — around 80 million speakers. Also searched as Persian, Iran, Iranian.
take it with you
The whole card, on one page
All 36 phrases on a single sheet — print it, fold it into a passport, or keep it on your phone. Free, no signup, no watermark.
The essentials
The six words that carry most of a trip.
| English | Farsi |
|---|---|
| Hello | سلامsa-LAAM |
| Goodbye | خداحافظkho-daa-HAA-fez |
| Please | لطفاlot-FAN |
| Thank you | ممنونmam-NOONمرسی (mer-SEE), from the French, is just as common. |
| Yes / No | بله / نهba-LEH / na |
| Excuse me / Sorry | ببخشیدbeb-akh-SHEED |
Getting by
What to say when the conversation outruns you.
| English | Farsi |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | انگلیسی صحبت میکنید؟in-gi-lee-SEE soh-BAT mee-ko-NEED |
| I don't understand | نمیفهممne-mee-FAH-mam |
| Could you repeat that? | میشود تکرار کنید؟mee-SHA-vad tek-RAAR ko-NEED |
| Please speak slowly | لطفا آهسته صحبت کنیدlot-FAN aa-HES-teh soh-BAT ko-NEED |
| My name is… | اسم من … استES-me man … ast |
| Nice to meet you | خوشبختمkhosh-BAKH-tam |
Getting around
Streets, stations and the one question everyone needs.
| English | Farsi |
|---|---|
| Where is…? | … کجاست؟ko-JAAST |
| How do I get to…? | چطور به … بروم؟che-TOR be … be-ra-VAM |
| Where is the toilet? | دستشویی کجاست؟dast-SHOO-yee ko-JAAST |
| Left / Right | چپ / راستchap / raast |
| Straight ahead | مستقیمmos-ta-GHEEM |
| Is it far? | دور است؟DOOR ast |
Food and drink
Ordering, allergies, and asking for the bill.
| English | Farsi |
|---|---|
| A table for two, please | یک میز برای دو نفرyek meez ba-RAA-ye do NA-far |
| The menu, please | منو لطفاme-NOO lot-FAN |
| I would like… | من … میخواهمman … mee-KHAA-ham |
| Water, please | آب لطفاaab lot-FAN |
| I am allergic to… | من به … حساسیت دارمman be … has-saa-see-YAT DAA-ram |
| The bill, please | صورتحساب لطفاsoo-rat-he-SAAB lot-FAN |
Shopping and money
Prices, cards, and politely not buying anything.
| English | Farsi |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | چند است؟CHAND ast |
| That's too expensive | خیلی گران استKHEY-lee ge-RAAN ast |
| Do you take cards? | کارت قبول میکنید؟kaart gha-BOOL mee-ko-NEED |
| I am just looking | فقط نگاه میکنمfa-GHAT ne-GAAH mee-ko-nam |
| Do you have…? | … دارید؟DAA-reed |
| A receipt, please | رسید لطفاre-SEED lot-FAN |
Emergencies
Worth reading once before you need them.
| English | Farsi |
|---|---|
| Help! | کمک!ko-MAK |
| Call the police | به پلیس زنگ بزنیدbe po-LEES zang be-za-NEED |
| Call an ambulance | آمبولانس خبر کنیدaam-boo-LAANS kha-BAR ko-NEED |
| I need a doctor | به دکتر نیاز دارمbe dok-TOR nee-YAAZ DAA-ram |
| I am lost | گم شدهامgom sho-DE-am |
| Where is the hospital? | بیمارستان کجاست؟bee-maa-res-TAAN ko-JAAST |
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Four things that fix
most of the accent
Persian is not Arabic
It borrows the alphabet and a good deal of vocabulary, but the grammar is Indo-European — a distant cousin of English, not of Arabic. Salaam is shared; almost nothing else below is.
Stress almost always falls on the last syllable
A reliable rule with very few exceptions, which is why so many of the respellings below capitalise the ending.
kh and gh are both throat sounds
kh is the rasp of "loch". gh is deeper and voiced, made further back still. Neither exists in English; approximating them is fine.
Taarof will confuse you, pleasantly
Shopkeepers may say the goods are worthless and refuse payment. This is ritual politeness, not a gift — insist gently and pay. It is the single most disorienting thing about a first visit.
Spotted a mistake in the Farsi? Tell us and we will fix it.
You will not remember
all 36
Nobody does. OmniTalk speaks Farsi for you in real time — point the camera at a menu, or put the phone between you and let it translate both sides of the conversation as you talk. It works offline once you download the language, so it keeps going when your roaming does not.