Language barrier is a problem that anyone can experience when they are traveling to a new country. This problem gets worse when you are traveling solo and without a tour guide to help you out. Knowing this, it’s important to know some of the essential Farsi phrases you need to travel to Iran. These phrases are the compilation of the words you need to interact with people from simple greetings and asking directions to health – related term, dining and shopping.
The Persian (Farsi) language
Iranian languages are a member of Indo-Iranian language family which is one of the oldest branches of Indo – European language. Farsi is the official language of Iran and two of its varieties, Dari and Tajik are the languages spoken in Afghanistan and Tajikistan respectively. Farsi has an approximate of 130 million speakers worldwide. Understanding some of the Persian (Farsi) words are essential when you are travelling to Iran.
Essential Farsi Terms and expressions
It’s quite helpful to know basic Farsi vocabularies when you are traveling to Iran. Using these, you can communicate and get to know the locals.
Here are some of the terms and expression to help you get started.
| English Phrase | Farsi Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| Hello | Salaam |
| Goodbye | Khoda Hafez |
| You are welcome | Khahesh Mikonam |
| Thank you | Mamnoon |
| Yes | Baleh |
| No | Na |
| Excuse me | Bebakh shid |
| Please | Loftan |
| Good morning | Sobh bekheir |
| Good afternoon | Asr bekheir |
| Good night | Shab bekheir |
Important Travel Phrases
To make your travel more enjoyable, it’s better to know some phrases regarding your travel. Question like asking for direction are some of the most essential ones. The following phrases can help you do that.
| English phrase | Farsi pronunciation |
|---|---|
| How much does it cost? | Chandeh? |
| Can you help me? | Mitooni komakam koni? |
| Where is…? | … kojast? |
| Where is the restroom | Dast shooei kojast? |
| Help! | Komak! |
| I need a taxi | Taxi mikham |
| where is the Metro? | Metro kojast? |
| Does the bus go to …? | Otoboos be … Mire? |
Asking Directions
In order to ask directions and where to go, using following phrases can be quite helpful.
| English phrase | Farsi pronunciation |
|---|---|
| Right | Rast |
| Left | Chap |
| Straight | Mostaghim |
| I didn’t understand | Nafah-midam |
Farsi Phrases for shopping
Being able to communicate with shopkeepers and vendors is an important aspect of shopping. Knowing the essential phrases, you can have an authentic experience too.
| English phrase | Farsi pronunciation |
|---|---|
| How much does it cost? | Chande? |
| Can you give me a discount? | Takh-fif midin? |
| Cheaper | Ar-zun-tar |
Essential Dining Phrases in Farsi
To be able to ordering your food in restaurants or even placing your special dietary request, you should be able to interact with the staff. Here are some of the most important phrases to help you do so.
| English phrase | Farsi pronunciation |
|---|---|
| Can I see the menu? | Me-to-nam meno ro be-bi-nam? |
| I would like to have (dish name) | (Dish name) ro mikh-am |
| What do you recommend? | Chi Pish-na-haad me-ko-nid? |
| How long does it take? | Che-qadr tool me-ke-she? |
| Any traditional food? | Qa-zaye so-nati darid? |
There are many people who are vegetarian or vegan and want to have a food based on that. Some have allergies to some food which can be quite risky if you cannot inform the restaurant staff about it. Through these phrases you can let them know about your dietary restrictions.
| English phrase | Farsi pronunciation |
|---|---|
| I am vegetarian | Vegetarian hastam |
| I’m vegan | Ve-gun hastam |
| I’m allergic to … | Be … alerji da-ram |
Health related phrases
Getting sick is always a bummer but it gets worse when you are travelling but such is life. The more important thing is to know how to navigate through when you are visiting a hospital. Although doctors know English, but it’s better to know these phrases which can be used in emergencies before reaching the hospital.
| English Phrase | Farsi Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| Help! | Komak! |
| Where is the hospital? | Bi-ma-restan kojast? |
| Can I see a doctor? | Me-to-nam doctoro bebinam? |
| I’m injured | Zakhmi shodam |
| I have pain in (body part ) | Dard dar (body part) daram |
| I have (condition) | Man (condition) daram |
| I have (symptom) | (symptom) daram |
| I want to see a doctor | Me-kham doctor ro be-binam |
| I need dental care | Dan-dan pez-eshk me-kham |
Conclusion
Although you can always find someone who can speak English, but knowing some Farsi phrases can help you a lot. Iranians are amongst the most welcoming people in the world and they would their best to help you. In here we tried the cover the most basic phrases for you to use while in Iran. Using these you will be able to navigate through different situations to make your journey a little bit more memorable.
