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
14
A few verbs that appear again and again in stories
≈ 3 min
What you'll learn
- Past-tense story verbs often appear as compact words at the end of the sentence.
- بودbud“was”, رفتraft“went”, دیدdid“saw” and گفتgoft“said” do much of the work.
- میخواستmikhâst“wanted” tells you what someone already wanted while the story’s events happened.
- وva / o“and” is written as one letter and is often pronounced o in connected speech.
- یکی بود، یکی نبودyeki bud, yeki nabud is a traditional story opening.
Story verbs worth recognising
| Farsi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| بودbud | was |
| رفتraft | went |
| آمدâmad | came |
| دیدdid | saw |
| گفتgoft | said |
| خواستkhâst | wanted |
| نوشیدnushid | drank |
نوشیدnushid is the specific word for “drank,” and stories use it. It does not cancel what you saw earlier: everyday Persian still says آب خوردâb khord for drinking water. Both appear in books.
Notice mi- at the start of many verbs
خواستkhâst“wanted; asked for”
میخواستmikhâst“wanted; was wanting”
میmi- presents the wanting as ongoing or as background to the story. With other verbs, it can also show habit or repetition.
present verb piece: روrav
میرومmiravam“I go; I am going”
The ordinary present needs میmi-. Everyday speech often shortens the complete form to میرمmiram; books normally write میرومmiravam.
The bird went to the house.
پرنده به خانه رفت.
parande be khâne raft.
بهbe“to” comes before the destination; رفتraft“went” comes last.
The dog wanted water.
سگ آب میخواست.
sag âb mikhâst.
Which action word comes last?
- پرنده به خانه رفت.
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رفتraft“went”. The whole line is “The bird went to the house.” - روباه پرنده را دید.
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دیدdid“saw” is the final action, and راrâ follows the bird receiving that action. The whole line is “The fox saw the bird.” - گربه گفت: «سلام.»
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گفتgoft“said”. The whole line is “The cat said, ‘Hello.’”