Lessons for English speakers

Learn to read Farsi

A short, active path into reading Farsi: learn the Persian script in useful groups, decode words before revealing their pronunciation, follow the verb to the end, and read a small story before opening your first book.

13 core sections · ≈ 31 min + 4 optional lookups · ≈ 44 min with everything

How sentences work

1 section

First sentences: people and “to be”

≈ 3 min

What you'll learn

منman“I”, توto“you” and اوu“he; she” are the first three person words.
Farsi does not distinguish he from she: اوu covers both.
The verb usually comes at the end of the sentence.
Books often write استast“is” as a separate word. In everyday speech it usually attaches to the word before it: after a consonant it is often heard as -e, while after a vowel an -st sound is common, as in کجاستkojâst“where is it?”.
A short ending on the verb tells you who it describes: هستمhastam“I am” ends in -am, while هستیhasti“you are” ends in -i.

Words for I, you, he or she, we, and they

English	Farsi
I	منman“I”
you — one person, familiar	توto“you”
you — plural or respectful	شماshomâ“you”
he or she	اوu“he; she”
we	ماmâ“we”
they	آن‌هاânhâ“they”

The useful forms of “to be”

English	Farsi
I am	هستمhastam“I am”
you are	هستیhasti“you are”
he / she / it is	استast“is”
we are	هستیمhastim“we are”
they are	هستندhastand“they are”

I am Mina.

من مینا هستم.

man Minâ hastam.

The verb waits at the end.

The cat is in the house.

گربه در خانه است.

gorbe dar khâne ast.

درdar“in” comes before the place; استast“is” comes at the end.

A minimal greeting exchange

English	Farsi
hello	سلامsalâm“hello”
how are you? — familiar, as spoken	حالت چطوره؟hâlet chetore?“how are you?”
how are you? — formal or plural	حال شما چطور است؟hâl-e shomâ chetor ast?“how are you?”
I am well, thank you	خوبم، ممنون.khubam, mamnun.“I am well, thanks”
goodbye	خداحافظkhodâhâfez“goodbye”

The familiar line shows spoken Farsi: استast“is” has shrunk to -e on چطورهchetore.

Read the sentence before revealing it

من مینا هستم.
Find منman“I” and the final verb.
Show answer +Hide answer −
من مینا هستم.man Minâ hastam“I am Mina”
گربه در خانه است.
cat · in · house · is
Show answer +Hide answer −
گربه در خانه است.gorbe dar khâne ast“The cat is in the house”

Three words from earlier—without their hints

These words first appeared several sections ago. Try to recall them before revealing.

آب
Show answer +Hide answer −
آبâb“water”
سگ
Show answer +Hide answer −
سگsag“dog”
خانه
Show answer +Hide answer −
خانهkhâne“house”