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Colloquial
Persian
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Colloquial
Persian
The Complete Course
for Beginners
Abdi Rafiee
ROUTLEDGE
Routledge
Taylor & Francis Group
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First edition published 1988
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Second edition published 2001
This third edition published 2011

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 1988 Leila Moshiri
© 2001, 2011 Abdi Rafiee
The right of Abdi Rafiee to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Typeset in Avant Garde and Helvetica
by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or

utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Rafiee, Abdi, 1947–
Colloquial Persian : the complete course for beginners / Abdi Rafiee.—3rd ed.
p. cm. — (The colloquial series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Persian language—Textbooks for foreign speakers—English. 2. Persian
language—Grammar. 3. Persian language—Spoken Persian. 4. Persian
language—Sound recordings for English speakers. I. Title.
PK6239.5.E5R34 2010
491a.5582421—dc22
2010006487
ISBN 13: 978-0-415-56045-0 (pbk)

ISBN 13: 978-0-415-56046-7 (audio CDs)
ISBN 13: 978-0-415-55409-1 (pack)
ISBN 13: 978-0-415-56047-4 (MP3)
ISBN 13: 978-0-203-86589-7 (ebk)
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Introduction ix
Reading and writing in Persian xvi
Guidelines for Persian writing xxxv
1 sal1m 1
Greetings
2 ahv1lporsi 10
Enquiring about health
3 koj1yi hastid? 28
Where are you from?
4 1xar-e hafte ce-k1r kardid? 42

What did you do at the weekend?
5 manzeletun koj1st? 61
Where’s your home?
6 vorud be tehr1n 82
Arriving in Tehran
7 dar ir1n 106

In Iran
8 goft-o-gu-ye xi1b1ni 127

Street talk
9 gorosneid? 151
Are you hungry?
10 mouqeìyath1-ye ezter1ri 172

Emergency situations
vi Contents
11 manzel 191
Home
12 garde2 207
Going out
13 xarid 226
Shopping
14 xadam1t 247
Services
15 sal1mat o behd12t 264

Health and hygiene
16 rav1bet b1 digar1n 280

Relations with other people
17 k1r va zab1nh1-ye x1reji 298

Business and foreign languages
Key to the exercises 315

Reference grammar 361
Persian–English glossary 378
English–Persian glossary 416
Index 450
Please email AcademiceBooksSupport@informa.com with proof of purchase to

obtain access to the supplementary content for this eBook. An access code and
instructions will be provided.
Acknowledgements
I would like to record my sincere gratitude to my sons, Hameed and

Siam, for putting up with a part-time father while the second edition
of this course was being prepared in the late 1990s, and for tolerat-
ing my part-time friendship since I was asked to produce the current
edition. I remain grateful to my wife, Sima, for filling the gap, as well as
for reading the manuscript and making valuable suggestions.
Since the publication of the second edition in 2001, I have received
valuable feedback on the content and form of the course from my
students as well as those from all over the world who have taken the
trouble to write their views and comments about the course on the
Internet. A big ‘thank you’ to all of them.
My thanks also go to the editorial team at Routledge for their com-
ments and support.
Abdi (Abdorreza) Rafiee

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Introduction
Congratulations on taking the first step towards learning the language

of Hafez, Sa`di, Ferdowsi and Khayyam, to name but a few of the
literary giants Iran has proudly produced over the centuries as part
of its contribution to the wealth of the world’s cultural heritage.
On a practical level, I hope you will agree with the notion that a
European learning another European language is one thing; a Euro-
pean learning a non-European language is quite another. We cannot
separate a language from the cultural factors (beliefs, assumptions,
etc.) that have influenced and shaped it over the years. The cultural
gap is significantly narrower and shallower between language com-
munities within Europe than between Europe and the East. This means
that a European attempting to learn an Eastern language will need to
bridge a much wider and deeper cultural gap than if he or she were
learning another European language.
Despite the eastern cultural backdrop and using the Arabic
alphabet, Persian is in fact an Indo-European language, i.e. related
to English, and therefore much easier for English speakers to learn
than Arabic. Indeed, some of my students have suggested that learn-
ing Persian first would make life much easier when you go on to learn
Arabic.
In this course, I have tried to present a holistic picture of the Persian
language, which includes not only the grammar of the word, the
phrase and the sentence (i.e. the traditional view of grammar) but
also the ‘grammar’ of what to say to whom and how to say or not to
say it (i.e. the grammar of communication). So, we will be concerned
not just with ‘grammatical accuracy’, but also with the social and
cultural appropriateness of what we say in Persian.
Learning a foreign language without bothering about the (often)
culture-specific norms governing the use of that language would be
like learning how to drive a car without bothering about the Highway
Code!
x Introduction
Who is the course intended for?

This course is intended for two types of learner:
1 Those who wish to learn to speak, read and write in Persian.

2 Those who wish to be able to communicate in Persian, without
learning the script.
Type of Persian used

The type of Persian used in this course is educated colloquial Tehrani,
which is understood throughout Iran, thanks to the media. Although
the principal objective of this course is to introduce spoken colloquial
Persian, sufficient guidance is given for those who wish to go on to
study literary Persian.
The table on p. xi shows the varieties of language referred to in
the book.
Use of jargon
I have tried to keep grammatical jargon to a minimum. Where a
technical word is used, it is often backed up by a clarifying example.
For instance, under ‘Demonstratives’, you are told: How to say
‘this’/‘these’; ‘that’/‘those’.
Layout of the book

The book is divided into two parts. The first part introduces the Persian
sound system and the script supported by a comprehensive exercise
at the end. The second part comprises seventeen units. Each unit
contains two dialogues in which everyday language is introduced in
its appropriate social and cultural setting. Each dialogue is supported
by ‘Vocabulary’, ‘Language and culture notes’ and ‘Exercises’. Each
unit ends with a ‘Comprehension test’, which brings together the main
language points introduced in the unit.
Introduction xi
Register Style Context Example
Colloquial Formal Addressing older

(spoken/ people, or among mix1id b1h12un berid ir1n?
written) participants in Do you want to go to Iran
business meetings, with them?
using 2om1
‘you’ (formal)
Informal Addressing friends

and relatives of mix1i b1h12un beri ir1n?
similar or younger Do you want to go to Iran
age in speech or in with them?
writing (e.g. email,
letter, postcard)
using to ‘you’
(informal)
Literary Formal Business

(spoken/ correspondence; mix1hid b1 1nh1 be ir1n
written) books; newspapers; beravid?
news casting; Do you want to go to Iran
emails, letters or with them?
plays (addressing
seniors)
Informal Personal
correspondence mix1hi b1 1nh1 be ir1n
addressing friends beravi?
and relatives of Do you want to go to Iran
similar or younger with them?
age; plays
(addressing peers
or juniors)
xii Introduction
Sound change in casual speech

Some sounds tend to influence the quality or length of their neigh-
bours. Sound changes familiar to English speakers are not reflected
in the transcription. Examples: n followed by b, p, m is pronounced
m. For example, 2anbe ‘Saturday’ is pronounced 2ambe. In the trans-
cription, however, the original form 2anbe has been used to avoid
a clash with the Persian spelling.
The consonant cluster nd is normally reduced to n, as in raftand
‘they went’, which is often reduced to raftan. Again, the original
form raftand is reflected in the transcription. Words ending in the
sound e normally have this sound changed to a when followed by
a suffix:
unj1 rafte-am m raftam I’ve been (gone) there.
panjare window
panjare-am m panjaram my window
panjare r1 b1z kardam. m

panjara-ro b1z kardam. I opened the window.
Using the course

Listening
Listening to Persian spoken by native speakers helps you to gain

mastery of the sound system, improve your pronunciation and develop
a good Persian accent. Dialogues, exercises and materials involving
listening are marked with this icon .
The dialogues
To understand each dialogue, you need to look not only at the vocabu-
lary but also at the ‘Language and culture notes’ where linguistic and
relevant cultural explanations are given. You may also need to refer to
the glossaries at the end of the book.
Introduction xiii
The exercises
In most cases, the first question in each exercise has been answered
as an example. The last exercise after each dialogue is intended to
broaden the lens and use the grammar in a variety of other contexts.
For these exercises and the comprehension test at the end of each
unit, you will need to refer to the glossaries at the end of the book.
All the answers are given in ‘Key to the exercises’.
Role plays
This is a very important part of the course. Each lesson is supple-

mented with a series of role-play exercises. These are fully explained
on the accompanying CDs. Follow the instructions and make the most
of your free time (e.g. when travelling, in the kitchen, or at bedtime).
A bilingual dictionary – an essential tool
This course hopes to help you get to a stage where you can study
the language independently. This is where a good (English–Persian,
Persian–English) dictionary will be an essential tool.
You can help improve the course

Everything is known by everyone. ‘Everyone’ has yet to be born!
(a famous Persian saying)
Your comments on the form and content of the course would be

most welcome. If an aspect of the language has not been covered
(sufficiently), please let us know.
On the English transcription

The English transcription of Persian words appears in bold type.
Letters or symbols in round brackets represent sounds that are norm-
ally dropped in casual speech. All English transcription should be read
according to the values given below.
xiv Introduction
Symbol Sounds like In the (mostly English) word(s)
1 a father (British/American accent)

a a add
1i i ice
b b bad
c ch church
d d dad
e e egg
ei ei rein
f f fee
g g good
3 g regime
h h hand
i i ski
j j joke
k k kite
l l leek (not keel)
m m mad
n n noon
o awe awe (British accent) shorter
oi oi coin
ou ou dough (American accent)
p p pad
q r Paris (French accent) harder
r r road (Scottish accent)
s s sad
2 sh she
t t tea
u u flu
ui ooey gooey (one syllable)
v v vest
w w west
x ch loch; Bach
y y yeast
z z zip
´ t water (Cockney accent)
Note: Persian consonants and vowels are described in the section

‘Reading and writing in Persian’.
Introduction xv
Abbreviations used in the book

a adjective op opposite
adv adverb p preposition
col colloquial pl plural
con conjunction pol polite
dem demonstrative ps present stem
f formal SI structured infinitive
inf informal sing singular
l literary SO someone
lit literally ST something
n noun sub subjunctive
Cross-referencing style
Cross-references are made throughout the book to the particular
Unit and Dialogue where an explanation or clarification is given. For
example, ‘See U2D2 for possessive endings’ means that ‘possessive
endings’ are explained in Unit 2 Dialogue 2.
Reading and writing in
Persian
Introduction
Modern Persian uses the Arabic alphabet. The Persian sounds c, g,
3 and p are not represented by any Arabic letters. Therefore, when
the Arabic script was adopted, four of its letters were slightly modified
to produce new letters representing the above sounds.
Persian is written and read from right to left. The first page of a
Persian book is the page nearest to the right-hand-side cover. Persian
numbers, however, are written and read from left to right. Initially it
would be better to write on ruled paper to help you to develop a
pleasant-looking handwriting. This is because letters are positioned
in relation to a horizontal line.
Already, you will know a few hundred words commonly used in
Persian! These are the words Persian has borrowed from other (mostly
European) languages. Some of these words are pronounced in Persian
more or less the same as they are in their language(s) of origin, e.g.
‘soup’, ‘team’, ‘jet’. Others have been slightly modified to fit into the
Persian sound system: kel1s for ‘class’. To minimise the ‘unknown’
area, some of these ‘familiar’ words are used when introducing the
Persian script. The purpose here is to use a familiar launching pad
that will, I hope, help the learner land smoothly on the Persian writing
pad, so to speak.
When we learn a new language with a writing system entirely dif-
ferent from that of our own, we are often concerned about (if not
intimidated by) at least two things:
1 having to learn a completely new set of symbols, moving in an

unfamiliar direction;
2 having to cope with potential irregularities in the relationship
between the symbols and the sounds they represent.
Reading and writing in Persian xvii
On (1), I cannot say much except to assure you that the com-
paratively ‘phonetic’ nature of the Persian alphabet greatly facilitates
the learning of the writing system. In terms of the relation between
what you see and how you pronounce it, Persian is much more con-
sistent than English. Most sounds are represented by only one letter
in Persian.
In Persian, the maximum number of letters representing the same
sound is four. These are the letters that represent the sound z.
Significantly, wherever you see any of these four letters, you can be
absolutely certain that the sound represented is z.
The alphabet (including the

consonants)
There are 32 letters in the alphabet. They help to represent 24 consonants
and 11 vowels. English speakers will need to learn two new (consonant)
sounds. The remaining consonants and vowels are more or less familiar
to English speakers. The letter v1v is mute in certain words.
Please do not be intimidated by what I am going to show you now
– the entire alphabet! The purpose is to give you a bird’s-eye view of
all the Persian letters, and their various shapes, in their natural (alpha-
betical) order. This is the order in which you will need to remember
the letters if you wish to make good use of your Persian–English
dictionary. Furthermore, it will be used as a reference later when
individual letters are introduced.
xviii Reading and writing in Persian
Table 1: The alphabet: Persian letters and

their various shapes in a word (CD1; 5)
No. Sound Shapes Name
Final separate Final joined Medial Initial
1 (See (See alef

vowels) vowels)
2 b be
3 p pe
4 t te
5 s se
6 j jim
7 c ce
8 h he-jimi
9 x xe
10 d d1l
11 z z1l
12 r re
13 z ze
14 3 3e
15 s sin
16 2 2in
17 s s1d
18 z z1d
19 t t1
20 z z1
21 ` ein
Reading and writing in Persian xix
No. Sound Shapes Name
22 q qein
23 f fe
24 q q1f
25 k k1f
26 g g1f
27 l l1m
28 m mim
29 n nun
30 v v1v
31 h he-do-ce2m
32 y ye
A bird’s-eye view of the alphabet reveals the following facts.
On sounds
Two consonant sounds are unfamiliar to English speakers: x (letter 9)
and q (letters 22 and 24).
Persian x is very similar to the sound represented by ‘ch’ in
(Scottish) ‘loch’ and in German ‘Bach’. Persian q is very close to
French ‘r’, only a bit harder.
Most Persian sounds are represented by one letter each.
t is represented by 2 letters: te and t1

q is represented by 2 letters: qein and q1f
h is represented by 2 letters: he-jimi and he-do-ce2m
s is represented by 3 letters: se, sin and s1d
z is represented by 4 letters: z1l, ze, z1d and z1
` is represented by letter ein and hamze (see Glottal Stop,
pp. xxxi–xxxiii).
xx Reading and writing in Persian
On shapes
Each letter may have one, two, three or four shapes for various posi-
tions in a word. Nine letters have more or less the same shape for
all positions in a word. These are:
alef, d1l, z1l, re, ze, 3e, t1, z1, v1v
Nineteen letters have two shapes: small (for the beginning or middle
of a word) and large (for the end of a word):
be, pe, te, se, jim, ce, he-jimi, xe,

sin, 2in, s1d, z1d, fe, q1f, k1f, g1f,
l1m, mim, nun
Letter ye has three shapes: small (for the beginning or middle of

the word) and two large ones (one for final joined position, and the
other for final separate).
Letters he-do-ce2m, ein and qein have four shapes: initial,
medial, final joined and final separate. Within the same word, all but
seven letters can be connected to the letters on either side – in
handwriting and in print. These seven letters can only be connected
to the preceding (not the following) letter. These are:
alef, d1l, z1l, re, ze, 3e, v1v
Note: As we go through the examples, you will note that the final
shapes of some letters (when occurring after a connectable letter) are
very slightly modified to make the ‘connection’ easier (and nicer). In
the introduction to Persian letters, some of the most common European
loanwords and names will be used. However, please bear in mind
that these non-Persian words are not always pronounced by Iranians
exactly as they are pronounced in their language of origin.
Word stress normally falls on the last syllable of a word. Underlining
indicates stress. Stressed or unstressed, a Persian vowel is normally
pronounced in full.
Reading and writing in Persian xxi
The vowels
Persian vowels are fairly similar to their English counterparts. Letters
1, 30, 31 and 32 play a major part in representing vowels. These are:
alef, v1v, he-do-ce2m and ye.
Table 2: Persian vowels and their various

shapes in a word (CD1; 3)
No. Vowel shapes Vowel

symbol
1 1
2 u
3 i
4 a
5 e
6 o
7 1i
8 ei
9 ou
10 oi
11 ui
xxii Reading and writing in Persian
In addition to their roles as consonants, letters v1v, he-do-ce2m

and ye (see Table 1 on pp. xviii–xix) are used to represent vowels in
the medial and final positions. Thus, the shape of a vowel may slightly
change depending on where it occurs in a word: beginning, middle
or end. When the word begins with a vowel, the first letter, alef, is
used as a prop: = a, = e, = o. Sometimes, depending on the
spelling of the word, letter ein acts as a prop. In Table 2 (p. xxi),
the first six are called pure vowels. The remaining five are compound
vowels (diphthongs).
Vowels 1, u and i are long. Vowels a, e and o are short. Vowels
1i, ei, ou and oi are more or less similar to their English counter-
parts. Vowel ui is similar to the sound represented by ‘-ooey’ in the
English word ‘gooey’ but pronounced as one syllable – gui rather
than gu + i.
Most vowels are represented by letters and are therefore incorpor-
ated into the word. Other vowels use add-on symbols that are placed
above or below the letters they follow. A stroke placed above a
letter ( ) represents the sound a; below it, represents e. This
comma-shaped symbol ( ) placed above a letter ( ) represents the
vowel o. These symbols are placed above, or below, the consonant
they follow, e.g. = ba, = be, = bo.
In the medial and final shape columns, the horizontal line ( ) has
been used as a dummy consonant to show the position of the Persian
vowel symbols ( ) in relation to the consonant they follow – i.e.
above or below it. Unlike the long vowels, these short-vowel symbols
are not incorporated into the main body of the word. The final ver-
sions of these vowels, however, make use of proper letters and are
therefore incorporated into the word.
The final shapes of letter he-do-ce2m (i.e. ) are used as
the final shapes of both vowels a and e. You may be relieved to know
that there is only one word in Persian that ends in the vowel a and
uses ( ) to represent it. That word is na meaning ‘no’ (a negative
reply). Now, with the help of Tables 1 and 2 on pp. xviii–xix and xxi,
let us do some reading and writing.
Reading and writing in Persian xxiii
Unjoinable letters
We begin with the seven unjoinable letters referred to earlier. These
are consonant letters: d1l, z1l, re, ze, 3e, v1v and the
first letter in the alphabet, alef, which is used in vowels. Some of
the vowels are also introduced in this section. You are reminded that
these seven letters cannot be connected to the following letter, but
can be connected to a preceding letter, if it is a joinable one. To write
the word d1d ‘she/he gave’, we need:
d = letter d1l =
1 = medial shape of vowel 1 =
d = letter d1l =
Here is the result:
To write the word 1z1d ‘free’, we need:
1 = initial shape of vowel 1 =

z = letter ze =
d = letter d1l =
The result is:
To write the word dud ‘smoke’, we need:
d = letter d1l =
u = medial shape of vowel u =
d = letter d1l =
Here is the result:
To write the word did ‘he/she saw’, we need:
d = letter d1l =
i = medial shape of vowel i =
d = letter d1l =
Here is the result:
Note: The medial shape of vowel i uses letter ye which is a joinable

letter. This is why and are connected.
xxiv Reading and writing in Persian
To write the word dad ‘beast’, we need:
d = letter d1l =
a = medial shape of vowel a =
d = letter d1l =
Here is the result:
To write the word re3e ‘parade’, we need:
r = letter re =
e = medial shape of vowel e =
3 = letter 3e =
e = final shape of vowel e =
Here is the result:
To write the word roz ‘rose’ (flower), we need:
r = letter re =
o = medial shape of vowel o =
z = letter ze =
Here is the result:
To write the word d1iv ‘diving board’, we need:
d = letter d1l =
1i = medial shape of vowel 1i =
v = letter v1v =
Here is the result:
To write the word dei (the tenth month in the Iranian calendar),
we need:
d = letter d1l =
ei = final separate shape of vowel ei =
Here is the result:
To write the word dou ‘running’, we need:
d = letter d1l =
ou = final shape of vowel ou =
Here is the result:
The short vowel symbols ( ) which are placed above or below

the line are normally dropped. This should not cause much difficulty
once the skeleton of the word has become familiar to us.
Reading and writing in Persian xxv
Joinable letters
So far, we have been introduced to the unjoinable letters together
with the various shapes of some of the more common vowels. In
this section, we will see joinable letters and their various shapes,
as well as the remaining vowels, in action. An attempt has been
made to include all possible shapes of letters, beginning with smaller
words.
Letters be, pe, te, se use the same skeleton. Their
difference is in the number and position of dots. Letter nun may
also be included here, although its final shape is deeper and rounded.
To write b1d ‘wind’, we need:
b = initial shape of letter be =

d = letter d1l =
Here is the result:
To write tip ‘brigade’, we need:
t = initial shape of letter te =

p = final shape of letter pe =
Here is the result:
To write na ‘no’, we need:
n = initial shape of letter nun =

a = final joined shape of vowel a =
Here is the result:
To write bad ‘bad’, we need:

d = letter d1l =
Here is the result:
Note: The medial shape of vowel a is not a letter and therefore not
included in the skeleton of the word. This is why and are con-
nected. This rule applies to all instances where a vowel is represented
by a sign placed above or below a preceding letter.
xxvi Reading and writing in Persian
Letters jim, ce, he-jimi, xe use the same skeleton. Their

difference is in the number and position of dots. To write c1p ‘print-
ing’, we need:
c = initial shape of letter ce =

Here is the result:
To write jip ‘jeep’, we need:
j = initial shape of letter jim =

Here is the result:
To write jet ‘jet’, we need:

e = medial shape of vowel e =
t = final shape of letter te =
Here is the result:
To write pic ‘screw’, we need:
p = initial shape of letter pe =

c = final shape of letter ce =
Here is the result:
Letters sin and 2in use the same skeleton. Their difference is
in dots.
To write the English loanword s1iz ‘size’, we need:
s = initial shape of letter sin =

1i = medial shape of vowel 1i =
z = letter ze =
Here is the result:
To write ri2 ‘beard’, we need:
r = letter re =
2 = final shape of letter 2in =
Here is the result:
Reading and writing in Persian xxvii
Letters fe and q1f use a more or less similar skeleton. The final
shape of q1f is deeper and rounded. To write fi2 ‘fiche’, ‘docket’,
we need:
f = initial shape of letter fe =

2 = final shape of letter 2in =
Here is the result:
To write faqir ‘beggar’, we need:
f = initial shape of letter fe =

q = medial shape of letter q1f =
r = letter re =
Here is the result:
To write rafiq ‘friend’, we need:
r = letter re =
f = medial shape of letter fe =
q = final shape of letter q1f =
Here is the result:
Letters k1f and g1f use the same skeleton – the latter has
an additional stroke close to, and parallel with the original. To write
jak ‘jack’, we need:

k = final shape of letter k1f =
Here is the result:
To write kaj ‘tilted’, we need:
k = initial shape of letter k1f =

j = final shape of letter jim =
Here is the result:
xxviii Reading and writing in Persian
To write gac ‘chalk’, we need:
g = initial shape of letter g1f =

c = final shape of letter ce =
Here is the result:
To write barg ‘leaf’, we need:

r = letter re =
g = final shape of letter g1f =
Here is the result:
To economise on space, we will use a slightly different method of

presenting examples for the remaining letters. Reading from right to
left, you will see the ‘ingredients’ of each word separated by a space.
This is followed by the word in its normal shape.
Note the two shapes of letter l1m in the following examples:
Lee li =
kilo kilu =
elephant fil =
Eileen 1ilin =
Note: A combination of letter l1m and the first letter ( alef ) used
in the vowel 1 often looks like this when standing alone; and like
this when joined up to a preceding letter, e.g.
a town l1r =
class kel1s =
Note the two shapes of letter mim in these examples:
mode, fashion mod =

mile mil =
property, belonging m1l =
May; alcoholic drink mei =
omelette omlet =
Reading and writing in Persian xxix
family, relatives f1mil =
timer t1imer =
James jeimz =
zoom zum =
team tim =
atom atom =
Letter he-do-ce2m has four shapes:
hall h1l =
hotel hotel =
spring (season) bah1r =
Fahrenheit f1renh1it =
quince (fruit) beh =
Note: After an unjoinable letter, the initial shape is used in the middle
of a word; and the final separate shape at the end of a word:
mouth dah1n =
ten dah =
king 21h =
mountain kuh =
The vowel oi is very rare in Persian. The only example normally given
is xoi, the name of a town in Iran. Here is how it is written:
(town) xoi =
Vowel ui occurs mostly in literary Persian, as in gui ‘ball’ and

bui ‘smell’. A more common example is ruid1d ‘event’.
Letters s1d and z1d use the same skeleton. The latter has
one dot over it. Note their two shapes:
hundred sad =
chair sandali =
insistence esr1r =
xxx Reading and writing in Persian
half nesf =
destination maqsad =
special maxsus =
greedy haris =
multiplication zarb =
ready h1zer =
presence hozur =
loan qarz =
ill mariz =
Letters t1 and z1 use the same skeleton but the latter has a
dot over it. They have only one shape:
parrot tuti =
divorce tal1q =
floor, storey tabaqe =
relationship r1bete =
relevance rabt =
recording zabt =
noon zohr =
appearance z1her =
view, opinion nazar =
purpose, aim manzur =
protector h1fez =
Letters ein and qein use the same skeleton. The latter has a
dot over it. They have four shapes:
festival ìd =
then, afterwards ba`d =
quarter rob` =
Reading and writing in Persian xxxi
sadness qam =
cave q1r =
occupation ( job) 2oql =
blade tiq =
advertisement tabliq =
Note: After an unjoinable letter, the initial shape is used in the middle
of a word; and the final separate shape at the end of a word:
thunder ra`d =
divine law 2ar` =
gardener b1qb1n =
garden b1q =
chicken, hen morq =
The glottal stop (CD1; 8)

The glottal stop (`) is the sound of ‘t’ in words like ‘water’ when pro-
nounced with a Cockney (east London) accent. The glottal stop can
occur in all three positions: beginning, middle or end of a word. At
the beginning of a word, it may be represented by:
s THE INITIAL FORM OF ANY OF THE VOWELS DESCRIBED ABOVE n USING THE
first letter in the alphabet: (see Table 2 on p. xxi); or by:
s THE INITIAL FORM OF LETTER ein (see Table 1 on pp. xviii–xix).
Occurring in the medial or final position, the glottal stop may be
represented by:
s !N APPROPRIATE SHAPE OF LETTER ein (e.g. ba`d ‘then’; ra`d
‘thunder’); or by:
s ! FEATURE CALLED hamze, which will be explained below.
The generic shape of hamze is ( ). In Persian, the hamze sign occurs
in the middle or at the end of a word. Depending on the spelling of
the word, it is placed over one of these letters (carriers):
xxxii Reading and writing in Persian
Examples:
head, apex ra`s =
impact, effect ta`sir =
boss raìs =
responsible masùl =
question so`1l =
faithful, a believer mo`men =
In the final position, the hamze sign may occur on its own:
badness, evil su` =
an essay en21` =
object, thing 2ei` =
The glottal stop is often replaced by a softer sound, or omitted

altogether, when it occurs in the middle or at the end of a word –
particularly in casual speech. Consider the word ba`d ‘then’,
which is pronounced ba:d in casual speech. To compensate for the
loss of the glottal stop, the preceding vowel a is prolonged. (Note: The
spelling is not affected.) It is this increased length of the vowel that
distinguishes this word from: bad ‘bad’. The hamze occurring
between vowels may be replaced by y,
asset d1r1ì =
asset d1r1yi =
or simply ignored resulting in a soft glide from the first vowel to the
second, e.g.
presentation, offering er1è =
being pronounced er1e. Spelling is not affected.

In the final position, it is completely ignored, even in spelling:
signature emz1` =
signature emz1 =
Note: Vowels occurring at the beginning of a word use the first letter of
the alphabet alef or letter ein as a ‘carrier’. Since all vowels occurring
Reading and writing in Persian xxxiii
initially normally begin with a glottal stop regardless of the ‘carrier’ used,
the use of the glottal stop symbol (`) in the initial position was considered
unnecessary and therefore omitted from the English transcription.
So far, we have seen the last letter in the alphabet, ye, rep-
resenting different vowels (see Table 2 on p. xxi). But it can also act
as a consonant. When it does, it sounds like ‘y’ in such English words
as: ‘yes’, ‘you’, ‘yard’. What distinguishes ‘east’ from ‘yeast’ is the
presence of the ‘y’ sound in the latter! The symbol used to represent
Persian sound is y. This sound can occur before a vowel or after
a consonant or a ‘glottal stop’. Examples:
or y1 =
one yek =
Canadian k1n1d1yi =
negation nafy (pronounced as one syllable) =
attempt sa`y (pronounced as one syllable) =
vote ra`y (pronounced as one syllable) =
Other signs used in the Persian script

taSdid (gemination) = ( )
Gemination is the double pronunciation of a sound (normally a con-
sonant) within a word. The letter representing that sound is written
only once, but with a ta2did sign over it to show that the sound of
that letter should be pronounced long. Examples:
child bacce =
foreign exchange bureau sarr1fi =

Sometimes the presence of ta2did creates a difference in meaning,
as in:
a building ban1 =
builder bann1 =
female (animal) m1de =
substance, matter m1dde =

xxxiv Reading and writing in Persian
tanvin = ( )
This sign normally appears over an alef ( ). The combination is

pronounced an. Examples:
about (in the region of) hodudan =
approximately taqriban =
sokun = ( )
Normally placed over a consonant, this sign shows that the consonant
is not followed by a vowel. It may be used to prevent confusion. For
instance, to ensure that the English loanword ‘mask’ is pronounced
correctly in Persian, i.e. as one syllable m1sk (rather than m1sek,
etc.), a sokun may be placed over the s, thus:
mask m1sk =
This sign has been used with the letter v1v to represent a w sound
in the vowel ou, e.g.
show 2ou =
new nou =
The short alef = ( )
Used in words of Arabic origin, this sign represents an 1 sound.

Its most common position is over letter ye ( ). The combination is
pronounced 1. Examples:
Moses mus1 =
Jesus is1 =
even (though) hatt1 =
We have now covered all the various shapes of Persian vowels and
consonants, as well as the other signs used in the script. Here are
some brief guidelines for Persian writing.
Guidelines for Persian writing
The sample below shows three things:
1 How to write each letter, i.e. where to begin (the arrow shows the
starting point).
2 How to position each letter in relation to the ‘carrier line’ on which
we write.
3 Proportions: how large or small each character should be.
Note: To economise on space, only the first member of each family

of letters sharing the same skeleton is shown here.
2 1
2
1
xxxvi Guidelines for Persian writing
Reading exercise
The exercise below is to help revise all of the above. Tables 1 and 2
on pp. xviii–xix and xxi may be used as a source of reference in the
future and, if needed, when attempting the following exercise. (The
answers are given at the end of ‘Key to the exercises’, p. 360.)
Match the English-Persian equivalents.
1 hard saxt 25 boss raìs 49 Pope p1p

2 e.g. masalan 26 photograph aks 50 AIDS eidz
3 nail mix 27 asphalt 1sf1lt 51 bottle botri
4 essence z1t 28 poor faqir 52 decision tasmim
5 sauce sos 29 Tehran tehr1n 53 question so`1l
6 good xub 30 nine noh 54 responsible masùl
7 guarantor z1men 31 gas g1z 55 hall h1l
8 five panj 32 rival harif 56 spoon q12oq
9 mask m1sk 33 furniture mobl 57 cheque cek
10 yard y1rd 34 lamp l1mp 58 passport p1sport
11 downside zir 35 shah 21h 59 atom atom
12 posing 3est 36 size s1iz 60 often aqlab
13 a minor saqir 37 pilgrim h1ji 61 building ban1
14 service servis 38 greedy haris 62 asset d1r1ì
15 parrot tuti 39 ill mariz 63 apex, head ra`s
16 protection hefz 40 citizen t1be` 64 no na
17 tasty laziz 41 a blade tiq 65 oppressed mazlum
18 then ba`d 42 nearly taqriban 66 fuse fiuz
19 beard ri2 43 hundred sad 67 morning sobh
20 oppression zolm 44 a fly magas 68 badness su`
21 signature emz1` 45 believer mo`men 69 child bacce
22 builder bann1 46 visa viz1 70 agent ma`mur
23 one third sols 47 kilo kilu
24 asset d1r1yi 48 absorption jazb
Guidelines for Persian writing xxxvii
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Unit One
salAm
Greetings
In this unit we will look at how to:

s EXCHANGE GREETINGS AT VARIOUS TIMES OF THE DAY AND SAY
@GOODBYE
s INTRODUCE YOURSELF
s SAY @THANK YOU
s USE THE POLITE FORM FOR @YOU @HE @SHE
s ASK SIMPLE @YESNO QUESTIONS IN THE PRESENT TENSE
2 Unit 1: salAm
Dialogue 1
Greeting and leave-taking (CD1; 12)
)TS AM AT THE OFFICE -EMBERS OF STAFF GREET EACH OTHER

BRIEFLY AND GO INTO THEIR OFFICES ,ATER IN THE EVENING THEY
SAY GOODBYE
:A
:B
:A
:B
A: SALÄM SOBH BE XEIR

B: SALÄM SOBH BE XEIR
A: XODÄ H ÄFEZ ÆAB BE XEIR

B: XODÄ H ÄFEZ ÆAB BE XEIR
A: Hello. Good morning.

B: Hello. Good morning.
A: Goodbye. Goodnight.
B: Goodbye. Goodnight.
A Vocabulary
CB
sal1m HELLO 2ab NIGHT
sob(h) MORNING ruz DAY
be-xeir MAY IT BE GOOD zohr NOON
xod1 'OD asr LATE AFTERNOON
h1fez PROTECTOR safar JOURNEY
Unit 1: Greetings 3
Language and culture notes

How to say ‘good morning’
(ERE IS THE FORMULA
sob(h) MORNING be-xeir MAY IT BE GOOD

sob(h) be-xeir 'OOD MORNING
4HE SAME FORMULA CAN BE USED TO SAY
2ab be-xeir 'OODNIGHT

safar be-xeir (AVE A GOOD JOURNEY
-ORE FORMAL
ruz be-xeir 'OOD DAY

zohr be-xeir 'OOD MID DAYNOON
asr be-xeir 'OOD LATE AFTERNOON
Note: 9OUNGER PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO SAY sal1m @HELLO FIRST
Exercise 1
Match a letter with a number. Follow the example.
1 sobh ; B= A NIGHT
2 sal1m ; = B MORNING
3 2ab ; = C HELLO
4 xod1 h1fez ; = D GOOD MORNING
5 sob(h) be-xeir ; = E GOODNIGHT
6 2ab be-xeir ; = F GOODBYE
Exercise 2
Can you say these in Persian?
'OOD DAY
'OOD AFTERNOON
(AVE A GOOD JOURNEY
'OOD MID DAYNOON
4 Unit 1: salAm
Dialogue 2
Introducing yourself (CD1; 14)
-R 2EZA (OOSHANGI H HAS JUST BEEN CALLED BY THE INFORMATION

DESK OFFICER O AT THE AIRPORT IN 4EHRAN
:H
:O
:H
:O
:H
H: SALÄM XÄNOM
O: SALÄM ÄQÄ BEFARMÄYID
H: BEBAXÆID MAN HUÆANGI HASTAM REZÄ HUÆANGI
O: ÄHÄ BALE IN TELEFON BARÄYE ÆOMÄST
H: MERSI XÄNOM ALOU
H: Hello madam.
O: Hello sir. What can I do for your?
H: Sorry (to bother you). I am Hooshangi. Reza Hooshangi.
O: Ah yes, this telephone call’s for you.
H: Thank you madam. Hello?
A Vocabulary
CB
x1nom MADAM
1q1 SIR GENTLEMAN
befarm1yid 0LEASE GO AHEAD /2 7HAT CAN ) DO
FOR YOU
bebax2id SORRY FORGIVE ME
man I
hu2angi (OOSHANGI SURNAME
rez1 2EZA MALE NAME
Unit 1: Greetings 5
hastam ) AM
1h1 !H !HA /H
bale YES
in THIS
telefon TELEPHONE CALL
bar1ye FOR
2om1 YOU f
bar1ye 2om1st IT S FOR YOU
mersi THANKS
alou HELLO TELEPHONE
budan TO BE
xub FINE GOOD WELL
hast is NORMALLY EMPHATIC
doktor DOCTOR
amm1 BUT
i2un SHE POLITE ORIGINALLY THEY
x1nom-e -S-RS
1q1ye -R
xo2-h1l HAPPY
peiq1m MESSAGE
hedye PRESENT GIFT
baste PARCEL GIFT
k1mr1n +AMRAN MALE NAME OR SURNAME
ahmadi !HMADI SURNAME
belit TICKET
ham TOO ALSO
xeili VERY MANY MUCH
mamnun OBLIGED GRATEFUL
"OTH OF THESE ARE @IMPERATIVE FORMS &OR A GRAMMATICAL EXPLANATION

PLEASE SEE @)MPERATIVE ON PP FF FF
6 Unit 1: salAm

Personal pronouns
man ) m1 WE
to YOU inf 2om1 YOU f pl
u HE SHE 1nh1 THEY
1n IT THAT
Verb ‘to be’ in the present simple tense
How to say ‘I am fine’; ‘you are fine’; etc.
Verb budan ‘to be’
man xub hastam. ) AM FINE

to xub hasti. 9OU inf ARE FINE
u xub ast. (E3HE IS FINE
1n xub ast. )T4HAT IS FINE
m1 xub hastim. 7E ARE FINE
2om1 xub hastid. 9OU ARE FINE
1nh1 xub hastand. 4HEY ARE FINE
4HE VERB NORMALLY COMES AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE

4HE WORD ast IS THE NORMAL EQUIVALENT FOR THE %NGLISH WORD @IS
WHEN THERE IS NO EMPHASIS ON IT (OWEVER WHEN THE %NGLISH WORD
@IS DOES CARRY A STRESS FOR EMPHASIS ITS 0ERSIAN EQUIVALENT WOULD
BE hast #OMPARE
u doktor ast. 3HE IS A DOCTOR ;.O STRESS ON @IS=
u doktor hast amm1

3HE is A DOCTOR BUT ;EG SHE DOESNT HAVE A SURGERY=
!FTER SOME VOWELS SUCH AS 1 ast @IS OFTEN LOSES ITS VOWEL
4HUS 2om1 @YOU FOLLOWED BY ast BECOMES 2om1st
AS IN THIS SENTENCE FROM $IALOGUE
Unit 1: Greetings 7
in telefon bar1ye 2om1st.

4HIS TELEPHONE CALLS FOR YOU .OTE A SIMILAR SHORTENING OF @IS IN
THE %NGLISH TRANSLATION
)N COLLOQUIAL 0ERSIAN THE SEQUENCE OF SOUNDS 1n IS OFTEN PRONOUNCED

un 4HUS 1n @THAT@IT AND 1nh1 @THEY WILL BE WRITTEN AS
un AND unh1 IN THIS BOOK TO REFLECT THEIR COLLOQUIAL PRO
NUNCIATION 3IMILARLY THE SOUND COMBINATION 1m IS OFTEN PRONOUNCED
um IN SOME WORDS EG kod1m @WHICH AND 1r1m @CALM
WHICH ARE PRONOUNCED kodum AND 1rum RESPECTIVELY
Polite forms of ‘you’, ‘he’, ‘she’
to @YOU AND ITS VERB FORMS ARE GENERALLY USED AMONG CHILDREN AND
BETWEEN CLOSE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES OF SIMILAR AGE OR SOCIAL STATUS
SPOUSES SIBLINGS 2om1 @YOU AND ITS VERB FORMS ARE USED
BETWEEN STRANGERS AND THOSE WHO HAVE A FORMAL RELATIONSHIP SUCH
AS BUSINESS PEOPLE IN FORMAL MEETINGS ! SENIOR IN AGE OR STATUS MAY
USE to AND RECEIVE 2om1 WHEN TALKING WITH A JUNIOR COMPARE
WITH &RENCH tu AND vous )F UNSURE USE 2om1
! MORE POLITE FORM FOR u @HE@SHE WOULD BE i2un
USED WITH A PLURAL VERB FORM &OR EXAMPLE WHEN INTRODUCING -S OR
-R *OHNSON WE CAN SAY
i2un x1nom-e j1nson hastand.

3HE IS -S *OHNSON
i2un 1q1ye j1nson hastand.

(E IS -R *OHNSON
Note: ! DIRECT 0ERSIAN TRANSLATION OF @4HIS IS -S-R *OHNSON WOULD

BE IMPOLITE IN THIS CONTEXT )T WOULD HOWEVER BE ACCEPTABLE WHEN
INTRODUCING A PERSON IN A PHOTOGRAPH SEE 5$
Questions
7HILE A STATEMENT HAS A FALLING TONE A @YESNO QUESTION USES A

RISING TONE AS IN %NGLISH 5NLIKE %NGLISH NO CHANGE IN WORD ORDER IS
NECESSARY #OMPARE
8 Unit 1: salAm
2om1 doktor hastid. 9OU ARE A DOCTOR

&ALLING TONE
2om1 doktor hastid? !RE YOU A DOCTOR

2ISING TONE
Exercise 3
Using the information in the box on p. 6, replace the word xub
‘fine’ with xo2-h1l ‘happy’, to produce the Persian equivalents
of ‘I am happy’; ‘you are happy’, and so on.
Exercise 4
(ELLO SIR ) AM 0ETER "ROWN

/H YES THIS MESSAGE IS FOR YOU
4HIS PRESENT IS FOR YOU
4HIS PRESENT IS FOR -R !HMADI
4HIS PARCEL IS FOR -S !HMADI
4HIS IS -S !HMADI INTRODUCING
4HIS IS -R +AMRAM INTRODUCING
!RE YOU -S *OHNSON
Comprehension (CD1; 16)

A HAS JUST CALLED INTO A TRAVEL AGENCY. B IS THE TRAVEL AGENT.
:A
:B
:A
:B
:A
:B
:A
:B
Unit 1: Greetings 9
:A
:B
A: SALÄM ÄQÄ
B: SALÄM XÄNOM ASR BE XEIR BEFARMÄYID
A: ASR BE XEIR BEBAXÆID ÆOMÄ ÄQÄYE KÄMRÄN HASTID
B: BALE BEFARMÄYID
A: MAN AHMADI HASTAM
B: ÄHÄ BALE XÄNOM E AHMADI IN BELIT BARÄYE ÆOMÄST IN PEIQÄM
HAM BARÄYE ÆOMÄST
A: XEILI MAMNUN
B: SAFAR BE XEIR
A: MERSI XODÄ HÄFEZ
B: XODÄ HÄFEZ
7HAT TIME OF THE DAY IS IT

7HAT DOES ! WANT TO KNOW
7HO IS ! 7HATS HER NAME
7HAT TWO THINGS IS " OFFERING !
7HAT IS " WISHING
Unit Two
ahvAlporsi
Enquiring about health

s SAY @(OW ARE YOU AND RESPOND TO A SIMILAR QUESTION
s INTRODUCE YOURSELF SAY @0LEASED TO MEET YOU AND
RECIPROCATE
s ENQUIRE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE
s EXPRESS POSSESSION
Unit 2: Enquiring about health 11
Dialogue 1
How’re you? (CD1; 17)
"AHMAN B IS RINGING HIS CLOSE FRIEND !LI ! (ERE ARE EXTRACTS FROM
THEIR CONVERSATION
!
"
!
"
!
"
!
"
!
"
[a few minutes later]

"
!
! ALOU
B ALI JÄN SALÄM
! SALÄM CETOU RI
B XUBAM MERSI TO CETOU RI
! BAD NISTAM MERSI BÄBÄ CETOU RAND MÄMÄN XUBAND
" BAD NISTAND MERSI ÇOMÄ CETOU RID 8ÄNEVÄDE XUBAND
! HAME XUBAND MERSI XOB AHMAD CETOU RE
" YEK KAM XASTE AST ;XASTAST=
! AZ CI AZ ZENDEGI
" NA BÄBÄ AZ KÄR XEILI TANBALE
[a few minutes later]
B XOB FE{ LAN XODÄ H ÄFEZ
! XODÄ H ÄFEZ
12 Unit 2: ahvAlporsi
! Hello?
B LIT Dear Ali, hello.
! Hello, how’re you?
B I’m fine, thank you. How’re you? ;SINGULAR INFORMAL=
! I’m not bad, thanks. How’s ;YOUR= dad? Is ;YOUR= mum well?
B They’re not bad, thanks. How’re you ;PLURAL IE PEOPLE ON YOUR
SIDE=? Are ;YOUR= family well?
! They’re all fine, thanks. So, how’s Ahmad?
B He’s a little tired.
! Of what? Of life?
B Oh no! [He’s tired] of work! He’s very lazy.
;A FEW MINUTES LATER=
B OK, goodbye for now.
! Goodbye.
A Vocabulary
CB
ali MALE NAME
j1n DEAR
ceto(u)r HOW
ceto(u)ri HOWRE YOU inf )
xub GOOD WELL FINE
xubam )M FINE
bad BAD
nistam )M NOT
b1b1 DAD
ceto(u)rand HOWS SHE f )
m1m1n MUM MOM
xuband SHES WELL f )
nistand THEYRE NOT
mamnun GRATEFUL THANK YOU THANKS
ceto(u)rid HOWRE YOU plural)
x1nev1de FAMILY
xuband THEYRE WELL
hame ALL
xob 3O /+ THEN

ahmad MALE NAME
ceto(u)re HOWS
yek A AN ONE
kam LITTLE
xaste TIRED
az OF FROM
ci WHAT
zendegi LIFE
na NO
na b1b1! /H NO ;#ERTAINLY NOT .O WAY=
k1r WORK
xeili VERY
tanbal LAZY
fe`lan FOR NOW

Contraction
How to say ‘I’m fine’, ‘you’re fine’, etc.
Verb budan ‘to be’ in reduced form
(man) xub-am. )M FINE

(to) xub-i. 9OURE FINE sing, inf )
(u) xub-e. (E3HES FINE
(un) xub-e. )T4HATS FINE
(m1) xub-im. 7ERE FINE
(2om1) xub-id. 9OURE FINE pl/f )
(unh1) xub-and. 4HEYRE FINE
)N THE BOX ABOVE WHAT COMES AFTER THE WORD xub @FINE ARE THE
REDUCED FORMS OF THE VERB budan @TO BE INTRODUCED ON P n
COMPARE 4HEY ALSO ACT AS personal endings FOR OTHER VERBS 3INCE
THESE ENDINGS INDICATE @PERSON THE PERSONAL PRONOUNS ARE OFTEN

OMITTED AS REDUNDANT n HENCE THE BRACKETS 4HESE UNSTRESSED ENDINGS
ARE very important AND MUST BE LEARNED AT AN EARLY STAGE
Note: )N CASUAL SPEECH THE SECOND AND THIRD PERSON PLURAL END
INGS -id AND -and ARE SLIGHTLY MODIFIED AS -in AND -an
RESPECTIVELY 3O HERE ARE THE MORE CASUAL FORMS OF THE LAST TWO LINES
IN THE BOX ON P
(2om1) xub-in. 9OURE lNE

(unh1) xub-an. 4HEYRE lNE
4O AVOID CONFUSION THESE CASUAL FORMS WILL NOT BE USED IN THIS BOOK
&OR ADDED CLARITY AND ONLY AT THIS INTRODUCTORY STAGE THESE ENDINGS
HAVE BEEN WRITTEN AFTER A HYPHEN IN THE %NGLISH TRANSCRIPTION
(OWEVER IN THE REST OF THE BOOK THEY WILL APPEAR WITHOUT A HYPHEN
TO REFLECT THE 0ERSIAN SPELLING %XERCISE BELOW SHOULD PROVIDE GOOD
PRACTICE
Exercise 1
Using the box on p. 13, replace the word xub ‘fine’ with
xo2-h1l ‘happy’, to produce the Persian equivalents of ‘I’m happy’,
‘you’re happy’, and so on. Example:
(man) xo2-h1lam. )M HAPPY
Note: 4WO VOWELS DO NOT NORMALLY FOLLOW EACH OTHER @COMFORTABLY

WITHIN THE SAME WORD n THEY CREATE AN INCONVENIENT SOUND KNOWN AS
A @GLOTTAL STOP SEE PP XXXInXXXIII ;4RY SAYING @A EGG IN %NGLISH= 3O
WE EITHER PUT A BUFFER BETWEEN THEM EG A SOFT y SOUND OR GET RID
OF ONE OF THE VOWELS OFTEN THE SHORTER ONE 2EDUCED FORMS OF THE VERB
budan @TO BE SEE THE BOX ON P BEGIN WITH A VOWEL 3O IF
THE WORD BEFORE THEM ENDS IN A VOWEL SUCH ADJUSTMENT IS NORMALLY
MADE 4HE MOST NOTORIOUS OF THESE VOWELS ARE 1 AND e AS DEMON
STRATED IN THE TWO FOLLOWING BOXES
.OTE &OR THE THIRD PERSON SINGULAR @SHE IT THE ORIGINAL ast
IS USED WITH A SLIGHT MODIFICATION
Reduced forms of verb ‘to be’ after the vowel A

(e.g. injA here)
man inj1m )M HERE

to inj1yi 9OURE HERE
u inj1st 3HES HERE
m1 inj1yim 7ERE HERE
2om1 inj1yid 9OURE HERE
unh1 inj1nd 4HEYRE HERE
Reduced forms of verb ‘to be’ after vowel e

(e.g. gorosne hungry)
man gorosn(e)am )M HUNGRY

to gorosnei 9OURE HUNGRY
u gorosn(e)ast 3HES HUNGRY
m1 gorosneim 7ERE HUNGRY
2om1 gorosneid 9OURE HUNGRY
unh1 gorosn(e)and 4HEYRE HUNGRY
Negative forms of the verb ‘to be’ in the

present tense
How to say ‘I am not’, ‘you are not’, and so on.

Negative forms of verb budan ‘to be’
man . . . nistam. ) AM NOT

to . . . nisti. 9OU ARE NOT sing, inf )
u . . . nist. (E3HE IS NOT
un . . . nist. )T4HAT IS NOT
m1 . . . nistim. 7E ARE NOT
2om1 . . . nistid. 9OU ARE NOT pl/f )
un(h)1 . . . nistand. 4HEY ARE NOT
Note: 5NLIKE %NGLISH THE 0ERSIAN VERB budan @TO BE HAS NO
REDUCED NEGATIVE FORMS 4HEREFORE m1 . . . nistim WOULD
BE AN EQUIVALENT TO THESE %NGLISH SENTENCES
7E ARE NOT 7E ARENT 7ERE NOT
Exercise 2
We all had lunch an hour ago. None of us are gorosne ‘hungry’
now. Complete the following sentences to express this.
???????? man gorosne ???????? ) AM NOT HUNGRY
%XAMPLE man gorosne nistam.
???????? m1 gorosne ???????? 7E ARE NOT HUNGRY

???????? to gorosne ???????? 9OU ARE NOT HUNGRY inf )
???????? unh1 gorosne ???????? 4HEY ARE NOT
HUNGRY
???????? 2om1 gorosne ???????? 9OU ARE NOT
HUNGRY
???????? u gorosne ???????? 3HE IS NOT HUNGRY
Questions
7HILE A STATEMENT HAS A FALLING TONE A @YES@NO QUESTION USES A

RISING TONE AS IN %NGLISH 5NLIKE %NGLISH NO CHANGE IN WORD ORDER IS
NECESSARY
2om1 xubid. 9OURE GOODWELLFINE/+

FALLING
2om1 xubid? !RE YOU GOODWELLFINE/+
RISING
2om1 xasteid? !RE YOU TIRED RISING
2om1 doktorid? !RE YOU A DOCTOR RISING
!S IN %NGLISH QUESTIONS BEGINNING WITH THE FOLLOWING QUESTION WORDS

HAVE A FALLING TONE
ce WHAT ci WHAT col )

ki WHO kei WHEN
cer1 WHY kodum WHICH
ceto(u)r HOW cegune HOW more literary)
koj1 WHERE ku 7HERE IS IT col )
cand HOW MANY cand t1 HOW MANY MORE
col )
ceqadr HOW MUCH cand vaqt HOW LONG
Note: 4HE ABOVE QUESTION WORDS NORMALLY CARRY THE SENTENCE STRESS
!FTER cand t1/cand @HOW MANY THE NOUN TAKES A SINGULAR
FORM
cie? 7HAT IS IT

kie? 7HO IS ITHESHE
ceto(u)re? (OW IS ITHESHE
koj1yid? 7HERE ARE YOU
cand t1 m12in? (OW MANY CARS
Exercise 3
(OWRE YOU inf )M NOT BAD THANK YOU

(OWRE YOU f )M A LITTLE TIRED
(OWS -UM$AD 3HES FINE THANKS
(OWRE THE FAMILY 4HEYRE FINE THANKS
(OWS 0ARVIZ (ES FINE THANKS
!RE YOU /+WELLFINE )M FINE THANKS
!RE YOU TIRED .O )M NOT )M A BIT HUNGRY
Dialogue 2
Pleased to meet you! (CD1; 20)
!HMADI ! IS MINGLING AMONG HIS GUESTS (ES JUST MET A NEW

FACE B).
!
B
!
B
!
B
!
[pointing to some pictures on the wall, B asks]
B
!
B
!
B
!
! SALÄM MAN AHMADI HASTAM ESM E ÆOMÄ CIE

B SALÄM MAN BEHZÄDI HASTAM
! XOÆ VAQTAM
B MAN H AM HAMIN TOU R
! XOB HÄLETUN CETOU RE
B XUBAM MERSI ÆOMÄ CETOU RID
! BAD NISTAM MAMNUN
[pointing to some pictures on the wall, B asks]
B IN ÄQÄ KIE
! UN PEDARAME
B PEDARETUN MÄÆÄA LLÄH XEILI XOÆ TIPAND
! XEILI MAMNUN
B IN XÄNOM KIE
! UN MÄDARAME
! Hello. I am Ahmadi. What’s your name?

B Hello. I am Behzadi.
! I’m pleased ( to meet you).
B Same here. (OR: Me too.)
! So, how’re you? ( LIT How’s your health?)
B I’m fine, thank you. How’re you?
! I’m not bad, thank you.
;POINTING TO SOME PICTURES ON THE WALL B ASKS=
B Who’s this gentleman?
! That’s my father.
B Your father is very handsome, may God preserve him!
! Thanks very much.
B Who’s this lady?
! That’s my mother.
Vocabulary A
CB
ahmadi !HMADI FAMILY NAME
esm NAME
ci WHAT
cie WHATS
behz1di "EHZADI FAMILY NAME
xo2-vaqt PLEASED
xo2-vaqtam )M PLEASED
ham TOO ALSO
hamin-to(u)r SAME WAY
h1l HEALTH
h1letun YOUR HEALTH
mamnun GRATEFUL OBLIGED
in THIS
1q1 GENTLEMAN
ki WHO
kie WHOS WHO IS
un THAT
pedar FATHER
pedaram MY FATHER
pedaretun YOUR FATHER

m121(a)ll1(h) -AY 'OD PRESERVE HIM
xeili VERY
xo2-tib HANDSOME
x1nom LADY
m1dar MOTHER
m1daram MY MOTHER
1p1rtem1n FLAT APARTMENT
k1mpiuter COMPUTER
1dres ADDRESS
melliyat NATIONALITY
2om1re telefon TELEPHONE NUMBER
t1rix DATE
tavallod BIRTH
t1rix-e tavallod DATE OF BIRTH
va col o) AND

Complimenting
)T IS GENERALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A MAN TO COMPLIMENT ANOTHER MAN ON
THE APPEARANCE OF HIS FEMALE FOLKS WIFE SISTER MOTHER ETC ! SOCIALLY
ACCEPTABLE COMPLIMENT IS NORMALLY PRECEDED BY THE !RABIC PHRASE
m121(a)ll1(h) ,ITERALLY IT MEANS @7HATEVER 'OD WILLS BUT
FUNCTIONALLY IT IS INTENDED TO WARD OFF THE EVIL EYE
Politeness
7E USE PLURAL VERB FORMS WHEN TALKING ABOUT AN OLDER PERSON
%XAMPLES
b1b1 ceto(u)re?
(OWS ;YOUR= DAD 'RAMMATICALLY CORRECT BUT SOCIALLY INAPPROPRIATE
b1b1 ceto(u)rand?
(OWS ;YOUR= DAD 0OLITE
The magical functions of ‘ezAfe’
(ERE IS AN EXCITING PIECE OF 0ERSIAN GRAMMAR )T IS EFFICIENT CON

SISTENT AND EASY TO LEARN #OMPARE IT WITH %NGLISH AND JUDGE FOR
YOURSELF
0UT SIMPLY ez1fe IS THE VOWEL SOUND e WHICH IS NORMALLY ADDED
TO A NOUN 7HEN YOU ADD ez1fe TO A WORD YOU ARE IN FACT SENDING
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO YOUR LISTENER
I’m going to give you more information about the word you have
just heard!
(ERE IS THE GENERIC FORMULA FOR THE USE OF ez1fe ./5. e MORE
INFORMATION
)N THE %NGLISH TRANSCRIPTION ez1fe WILL BE SHOWN AS -e.
Note: ez1fe DOES NOT CARRY A STRESS
3OME OF THE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF ez1fe ARE OUTLINED BELOW
Expressing possession: How to say ‘your name’

&ORMULA "ELONGING e OWNER
%XAMPLES
telefon-e jak *ACKS TELEPHONE

telefon-e 2om1 YOUR TELEPHONE f )
esm-e 2om1 YOUR NAME f )
Exercise 4
Can you give the Persian equivalents of these phrases using ez1fe?
Follow the example.
-Y CAR m12in-e man

-Y TELEPHONE ?????????? ??????????
(ISHER NAME ?????????? ??????????
/UR FLATAPARTMENT ?????????? ??????????
4HEIR COMPUTER ?????????? ??????????
Linking a forename to a surname

hasan-e ahmadi -R (ASSAN !HMADI
7ITH FOREIGN NAMES NO LINKING SOUND IS NORMALLY ADDED

jorj nikson 'EORGE .IXON
Linking two nouns

%XAMPLES
film-e t1itanik THE lLM Titanic
xi1b1n-e 1ksford /XFORD 3TREET
meid1n-e 1ksford /XFORD #IRCUS
meid1n-e r1sel 2USSELL 3QURE
meid1n-e vanak 6ANAK 3QUARE 4EHRAN
mahall-e tavallod PLACE OF BIRTH
t1rix-e tavallod DATE OF BIRTH
ja2n-e tavallod BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONPARTY
Linking a noun and an adjective

&ORMULA NOUN e ADJECTIVE
%XAMPLES
film-e bad BAD lLM
telefon-e hamr1h MOBILE TELEPHONE
telefon-e hameg1ni PUBLIC TELEPHONE
1p1rtem1n-e qa2ang NICE APARTMENTmAT
Note: 2EGARDLESS OF ITS FUNCTION ez1fe IS SLIGHTLY MODIFIED AS ye WHEN

IT COMES AFTER A VOWEL
sinem1 CINEMA
sinem1-ye ir1n )RANS CINEMA
j1 PLACESEAT
j1-ye 2om1 YOUR PLACESEAT
b1b1 DAD
b1b1-ye xub GOOD DAD
mu HAIR
mu-ye man MY HAIR
xune HOUSE
xune-ye m1 OUR HOUSE
2om1re NUMBER
2om1re-ye telefon TELEPHONE NUMBER
Exercise 5
Choose a word from each set and make pairs using the appropriate
form of ez1fe. The first two have been done for you.
Set (a) Set (b)

film lLM bad BAD
b1b1 DAD xub GOOD
m12in CAR boland LONG
mu HAIR bozorg LARGE
leb1s CLOTHES DRESS me2ki BLACK
bu SMELL bur BLONDE
xune HOUSE 2ik CHIC
"AD FILM film-e bad

'OOD DAD b1b1-ye xub
"LACK CAR ?????????? ??????????
"LONDE HAIR ?????????? ??????????
#HIC DRESS ?????????? ??????????
'OOD SMELL ?????????? ??????????
,ONG HAIR ?????????? ??????????
,ARGE HOUSE ?????????? ??????????
Possessive endings
7E CAN ALSO SHOW POSSESSION BY USING THE FOLLOWING UNSTRESSED

possessive endings (ERE THEY ARE USED WITH THE WORD sup
@SOUP
supam MY SOUP
supet YOUR SOUP inf )
supe2 HISHERITS SOUP
supemun OUR SOUP
supetun YOUR SOUP f )
supe2un THEIR SOUP
)N LITERARY 0ERSIAN SOME OF THE ABOVE ARE WRITTEN AND PRONOUNCED

SLIGHTLY DIFFERENTLY
supat YOUR SOUP inf )

supa2 HISHERITS SOUP
supem1n OUR SOUP
supet1n YOUR SOUP f )
supe21n THEIR SOUP
4HE PATTERN h1letun ceto(u)re? @HOWRE YOU IN

$IALOGUE ABOVE LITERALLY MEANS @(OWS YOUR HEALTH 4HE WORD FOR
@HEALTH IS h1l.
Exercise 6
Repeat Exercise 4 using appropriate possessive endings. Follow the
example.
-Y CAR m12inam
-Y TELEPHONE ???????? ????????
(ISHER NAME ???????? ????????
/UR FLATAPARTMENT ???????? ????????
4HEIR COMPUTER ???????? ????????
How to say ‘mine’, ‘yours’, and so on

Ez1fe IS ALSO USED TO PRODUCE possessive pronouns &OR EXAMPLE
m1l PROPERTY
m1l-e man MINE lit PROPERTY OF ME
m1l-e 2om1 YOURS lit PROPERTY OF YOU
m1l-e ki WHOSE lit PROPERTY OF WHOM
Demonstratives
How to say ‘this’/’these’; ‘that’/’those’

in THIS inh1 THESE
un THAT unh1 THOSE
%XAMPLES
in cie? 7HATS THIS
un telefone. 4HATSITS A
TELEPHONE
in telefon m1l-e kie? 7HOSE TELEPHONE

IS THIS
lit 7HOSE PROPERTY IS THIS TELEPHONE
un telefon m1l-e 4HAT TELEPHONE IS

mane. MINE
.OTE HOW WE SAY @THESETHOSE TELEPHONES IN 0ERSIAN
in/un telefonh1 THESETHOSE

TELEPHONES
lit THISTHAT TELEPHONES
&OR PLURAL MARKERS SEE PP FF
How to say ‘so/nor am I’, ‘so/nor do I’,

‘so/nor have I’, and so on
&OR ALL THE ABOVE AND OTHER SIMILAR ONES 0ERSIAN USES
man (h)am hamin-to(u)r 3AME HERE lit ) ALSO

IN THE SAME WAY
Note: 4HE ONLY PART THAT CHANGES IS THE SUBJECT
m1 ham hamin-to(u)r 3O ARE WE ETC

ali ham hamin-to(u)r 3O IS !LI ETC
Exercise 7
Respond to the statements in Persian. Follow the example.
I’m hungry.
3O AM ) man ham hamin-to(u)r.
3O ARE WE ???????????????? ????????????????
3O IS 0ETER ???????????????? ????????????????
I live in London.
3O DO ) ???????????????? ????????????????
3O DOES SHE ???????????????? ????????????????
I’ve seen Titanic.

3O HAVE ) ???????????????? ????????????????
I didn’t sleep well last night.

.OR DID WE ???????????????? ????????????????
I won’t come to this restaurant again!

.OR WILL ) ???????????????? ????????????????
Exercise 8
Complete these questions with the help of the English translations.
???????? ????????cie? 7HATS YOUR NAME f )
%XAMPLE esmetun cie? 7HATS YOUR NAME f )
???????? ????????cie? 7HATS HISHER ADDRESS

???????? ????????cie? 7HATS THEIR NATIONALITY
???????? ????????cie? 7HATS YOUR DATE OF BIRTH f )
???????? ????????cande? 7HATS YOUR PHONE NUMBER inf )
Exercise 9
(OWS YOUR MOTHER 3HES FINE THANKS

7HATS YOUR JOB )M A DOCTOR
9OUR FLAT IS PRETTYNICE 4HANK YOU
7HOS THIS 4HATS MY BROTHER
7HATS THAT )TS MY LUNCH
7HERES YOUR CAR )TS HERE 7HERES YOURS
7HOSE CAR IS THIS )TS MINE

4HIS MORNING B A ,ONDONER RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM AN )RANIAN
COLLEAGUE !HMAD +AZEMI !).
!
B
!
B
!
B
!
B
!
B
!
B
!
! SALÄM AHMAD E KÄZEMI HASTAM

B SALÄM HÄLETUN CETOU RE
! XUBAM MERSI HÄL E ÆOMÄ CETOU RE
B BAD NISTAM MERSI KOJÄYID
! LANDAN
B KODUM HOTEL
! HOTEL E TEHRÄN
B TANHÄYID
! NA PEDAR MÄDAR XÄHAR VA BARÄDARAM HAM INJÄ HASTAND
B HOTELETUN KOJÄST
! XIÄBÄN E RIJENT NAZDIK E MEIDÄN E ÄKSFORD
B HOTEL CETOU RE
! BAD NIST KUCEKE AMMÄ QAÆANGE
&ROM WHICH CITY IS ! PHONING

7HO IS HE WITH
7HERE IS HE STAYING
7HAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE LOCATIONLANDMARKS
(OW DOES HE FEEL ABOUT THE ACCOMMODATION
Unit Three
kojAyi hastid?
Where are you from?

s SEEK AND GIVE PERSONAL DETAILS GENDER NATIONALITY MARITAL
STATUS PLACE OF BIRTH HOBBIES OCCUPATION PLACE OF WORK
s INTRODUCE " TO #
s PAY AND RESPOND TO COMPLIMENTS
s TALK ABOUT AGE
s USE NUMBERS
Unit 3: Where are you from? 29
Dialogue 1
Party game: Who am I? (CD1; 23)
!T AN )RANIAN PARTY HELD IN ,ONDON EACH GUEST IS GIVEN THE

PICTURE OF A WELL KNOWN FIGURE 4HE WINNER WILL BE THE FIRST PERSON
TO IDENTIFY ANOTHER GUEST BY MERELY ASKING QUESTIONS
A
"
A
"
A
"
A
"
A
"
A
"
A
"
A
"
A
"
A ÆOMÄ ZAN HASTID

" NA
A MELLIYATETUN CIE
" BERITÄNIÄYI HASTAM
A ÆOMÄ MOTA{AHHELID
" BALE
A XÄNOMETUN KOJÄYI HASTAND
" UN H AM BERITÄNIÄYIE
30 Unit 3: kojAyi hastid?
A MAHALL E TAVALLODETUN KOJÄST

" LANDAN
A SARGARMIHÄTUN CIE
" MUSIQI VARZEÆ MOTÄLE{E
A KÄRETUN CIE
" KÄRMAND HASTAM
A MAHALL E KÄRETUN KOJÄST
" LANDAN XIÄBÄN E DÄWNING PELÄK E DAH
A ÆOMÄ NOXOST VAZIR HASTID
" BALE MOTA ÆAKKERAM
A Are you a woman?

" No.
A What’s your nationality?
" I’m British.
A Are you married?
" Yes.
A Where does your wife come from?
" She too is British.
A Where’s your place of birth?
" London.
A What are your hobbies?
" Music, sport, reading.
A What’s your job?
" I’m a (civil) servant.
A Where’s your place of work?
" London, Downing Street, No. 10.
A Are you the Prime Minister?
" Yes, thank you.
Vocabulary A
zan WOMAN
CB
na NO
melliyat NATIONALITY
ci WHAT
cie WHATS
berit1ni1yi "RITISH
motaàhhel MARRIED
bale YES
x1nom WIFE MADAM
koj1 WHERE
koj1yi WHERE FROM
ham TOO ALSO
mahall PLACE
tavallod BIRTH
koj1st WHERES
landan ,ONDON
sargarmi HOBBY
sargarmih1 HOBBIES
musiqi MUSIC
varze2 SPORT
mot1leè READING
k1r JOB WORK
k1rmand CIVIL SERVANT
xi1b1n STREET
xi1b1n-e d1wning $OWNING 3TREET
pel1k HOUSE NUMBER
noxost-vazir 0RIME -INISTER
mot(a)2akker THANKFUL GRATEFUL

How to describe nationality
(ERE IS THE FORMULA
Place name i m Native of that place
ir1n )RAN m ir1ni )RANIAN

engelis %NGLAND m engelisi %NGLISH
esk1tland 3COTLAND m esk1tlandi 3COTTISH
p1kest1n 0AKISTAN m p1kest1ni 0AKISTANI
31pon *APAN m 31poni *APANESE
7HEN A NAME ENDS IN A VOWEL THE ENDING -yi IS USED
berit1ni1 "RITAIN m berit1ni1yi "RITISH

1mrik1 !MERICA m 1mrik1yi !MERICAN
k1n1d1 #ANADA m k1n1d1yi #ANADIAN
oster1li1 !USTRALIA m oster1li1yi !USTRALIAN
)F A PLACE NAME ALREADY ENDS IN i THE FOLLOWING FORMS MAY BE

USED
libi ,IBYA m
libi1yi ,IBYAN PERSON

ahl-e libi A NATIVE OF ,IBYA
s1xt-e libi MADE IN ,IBYA
7ORD STRESS IS SHIFTED OVER TO THE SUFFIX IN ALL THE ABOVE CASES
Exercise 1
Fill in the right column. Follow the example.
Place name Native
tehr1n 4EHRAN tehr1ni &ROM 4EHRAN

landan ,ONDON ????????????? ,ONDONER
p1ris 0ARIS ????????????? 0ARISIAN
ma2had -ASHHAD ????????????? &ROM -ASHHAD
esfah1n %SFAHAN ????????????? &ROM %SFAHAN
it1li1 )TALY ????????????? )TALIAN
Exercise 2
You have met a Persian speaker at a social gathering. Find out:
)F HESHE IS )RANIAN
)F HESHE IS MARRIED
7HERE HESHE WAS BORN
7HERE HESHE WORKS
7HERE HIS WIFEHER HUSBAND COMES FROM
7HAT HISHER HOBBIES ARE
Plural of nouns
4HE MOST COMMON WAY TO MAKE A NOUN PLURAL IS BY ADDING THE
SUFFIX -h1
telefon TELEPHONE m telefonh1 TELEPHONES
sargarmi HOBBY m sargarmih1 HOBBIES
7ITH INANIMATE NOUNS THE VERB CAN TAKE A SINGULAR FORM
oper1tor(h)1 xuband. 4HE OPERATORS ARE
GOOD
k1mpiuter(h)1 4HE COMPUTERS ARE
xar1band. BROKENDOWN /2
k1mpiuter(h)1 4HE COMPUTERS ARE
xar1be. lit IS BROKENDOWN
4HE h OF THE PLURAL MARKER IS OFTEN DROPPED IN SPEECH HENCE THE
BRACKETS IN THE %NGLISH TRANSCRIPTION ABOVE
&OR ANIMATE NOUNS THE SUFFIX -1n OR -y1n AFTER A VOWEL
IS NORMALLY USED IN MORE FORMAL CONTEXTS
mard MAN mard1n MEN
dust FRIEND dust1n FRIENDS
1q1 GENTLEMAN 1q1y1n GENTLEMEN
d1ne2ju STUDENT d1ne2juy1n STUDENTS
!DJECTIVES CAN ALSO BE PLURALISED IN 0ERSIAN
xub GOOD xub1n THE GOOD IE
GOOD PEOPLE
bozorg BIG GREAT bozorg1n GREAT PEOPLE
4HE PLURAL ENDINGS INTRODUCED ABOVE CARRY THE WORD STRESS
Exercise 3
Write the plural of these nouns. Follow the example.
1p1rtem1n mAT m 1p1rtem1nh1 mATS

m12in CAR m ??????????????? CARS
ruzn1me NEWSPAPER m ??????????????? NEWSPAPERS
ir1ni )RANIAN m ??????????????? )RANIANS
dust FRIEND m ??????????????? FRIENDS
xo2-ru FRIENDLY m ??????????????? FRIENDLY PEOPLE
Exercise 4
7HERE ARE YOU FROM

)M FROM ,ONDON-ANCHESTER
)M )TALIAN'ERMAN3PANISH&RENCH
-Y PLACE OF BIRTH IS ,ONDON0ARIS.EW 9ORK
-Y HOBBIES ARE MUSIC AND READING
-Y WATCH IS MADE IN *APAN
Dialogue 2
Introducing B to C (CD1; 25)
-R !HMADI A HAS INVITED HIS COLLEAGUE -R -ORRIS " FOR DINNER

A INTRODUCES -R -ORRIS TO HIS WIFE 3HAHIN #
A
#
"
#
A ÄQÄ YE MORIS HAMKÄRAM HASTAND VA IÆUN XÄNOMAM HASTAND

# XOÆVAQTAM
" MAN H AM HAMIN TOU R ÄPÄRTEMÄN E QAÆANGI DÄRID
# MOTA ÆAKKERAM LOTF DÄRID
A Mr Morris (is) my colleague, and this ( LIT she) is my wife.

# I’m pleased (to meet you).
" So am I. You have a nice flat.
# Thank you. That’s very kind of you ( LIT You have kindness).
Vocabulary A
CB
1q1-ye -R
hamk1r COLLEAGUE
i2un HE SHE pol
x1nom WIFE
xo2vaqt PLEASED
1p1rtem1n APARTMENT FLAT
qa2ang NICE PRETTY
d1rid YOU HAVE
d12tan (d1r) TO HAVE
mot(a)2akker GRATEFUL
lotf KINDNESS

The verb ‘to have’
!LL 0ERSIAN VERBS INFINITIVES END WITH THESE TWO SOUNDS -an EG
budan @TO BE d12tan @TO HAVE 0ERSIAN VERBS HAVE TWO STEMS
OR ROOTS present stem AND past stem USED FOR PRESENT AND PAST
TENSES RESPECTIVELY 4HE PAST STEM IS REGULARLY OBTAINABLE FROM THE
INFINITIVE BY OMITTING THE LAST TWO SOUNDS -an 4HE PRESENT STEM OF MOST
VERBS IS IRREGULAR 4HEREFORE WITH EVERY NEW VERB INTRODUCED ITS PRESENT
STEM IS PLACED IN ROUND BRACKETS AFTER IT Note: 7HERE APPLICABLE THE
LITERARY FORM OF A PRESENT STEM WILL APPEAR IN SQUARE BRACKETS
budan (hast) TO BE &OR THIS VERB SEE P
d12tan (d1r) TO HAVE
4O SAY @) HAVE @YOU HAVE ETC IN 0ERSIAN FOLLOW THIS FORMULA
0RESENT STEM 0ERSONAL ENDING
&OR PERSONAL ENDINGS SEE PP FF
man m12in d1ram. ) HAVE A CAR
to m12in d1ri. 9OU inf HAVE A CAR
u m12in d1re. (ESHE inf HAS
A CAR
m1 m12in d1rim. 7E HAVE A CAR
2om1 m12in d1rid. 9OU HAVE A CAR
unh1 m12in d1rand. 4HEY HAVE A CAR
4O MAKE THIS VERB NEGATIVE ADD na- TO THE BEGINNING
man m12in ) DONT HAVE A CAR
nad1ram.
Note: 4HE STRESS IS SHIFTED OVER TO na-
!S WILL BE SEEN BELOW WE DO NOT NEED THE 0ERSIAN EQUIVALENT OF
@A INDEFINITE ARTICLE FOR THIS PATTERN (ENCE THE WORD @A APPEARS IN
BRACKETS IN THE %NGLISH TRANSLATIONS
4HE VERB d12tan @TO HAVE IS USED TO TALK ABOUT AGE FOR
EXAMPLE
man bist s1l d1ram.
) AM YEARS OLD lit ) HAVE TWENTY YEARS
2om1 cand s1l d1rid?

(OW OLD ARE YOU lit (OW MANY YEARS DO YOU HAVE
Note: .OUNS FOLLOWING NUMBERS COME IN THE SINGULAR
Exercise 5
Match a letter with a number to produce the equivalents of ‘I have’, ‘you
have’, etc. Follow the example.
man ;C= A d1ri

to ; = B d1rim
u ; = C d1ram
m1 ; = D d1rid
2om1 ; = E d1rand
unh1 ; = F d1re
Exercise 6
Make these sentences negative, by following the example.
man telefon d1ram. ) HAVE A TELEPHONE

man telefon nad1ram. ) DONT HAVE A TELEPHONE
to belit d1ri. 9OU HAVE A TICKET
u bist o panj s1l d1re. (ESHE IS YEARS OLD
m1 ot1q-e x1li d1rim. 7E HAVE VACANT ROOMS
2om1 vaqt d1rid. 9OU HAVE TIME
unh1 pul d1rand. 4HEY HAVE MONEY
Cardinal Numbers (CD1; 28)
9OU WILL NOTE THAT FROM ONWARDS WE ADD o @AND BETWEEN

NUMBERS
sefr
yek
do
se
cah1r col c1r
panj
2e2 col 2i2
haft
ha2t
noh
dah
y1zdah
dav1zdah
sizdah
cah1rdah col c1rdah
p1nzdah col punzdah
21nzdah col 2unzdah
hefdah col hivdah
hejdah col hi3dah
nuzdah
bist
bist o yek
bist o do
bist o noh
si
si o yek
cehel col cel
panj1h
2ast
haft1d
ha2t1d
navad
sad
sad o yek
sad o dah
sad o navad o noh
devist col divist
sisad
cah1rsad col c1rsad
p1nsad col punsad
2e2sad
haftsad col hafsad
ha2tsad col ha2sad
nohsad
hez1r
hez1r o yek

hez1r o nohsad o ha2t1d o panj

do hez1r o haftsad o 2ast o noh

dah hez1r o p1nsad o bist o cah1r
sad hez1r

yek milyun

yek milyun o sisad o 2ast o panj hez1r o

cah1rsad o navad o haft
!FTER A NUMBER OR cand t1 @HOW MANY THE NOUN COMES IN

THE SINGULAR
cand t1 m12in? (OW MANY CARS lit CAR

panj m12in lVE CARS lit CAR
Indefinite and definite articles
'ENERALLY 0ERSIAN DOES NOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN @A CAR AND @THE CAR
AS IN
m12in xar1be. 4HE CAR IS BROKEN

m12in d1rid? $O YOU HAVE A CAR
(ERE IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE
1p1rtem1n qa2ange. 4HE mAT IS NICE

1p1rtem1n d1rid? $O YOU HAVE A mAT
4O INDICATE THE INDEFINITE WE USE ye(k) @ONE BEFORE THE NOUN
ye(k) 1p1rtem1n dar tehr1n d1re va ye(k) xune dar ma2had.

(E HAS A mAT IN 4EHRAN AND A HOUSE IN -ASHAD
! LESS COLLOQUIAL FORM USES THE UNSTRESSED SUFFIX -i OR -yi IF

THE NOUN ENDS IN A VOWEL
1p1rtem1ni A mAT AN APARTMENT

b1b1 DAD
b1b1yi A DAD
d1ne2ju STUDENT
d1ne2juyi A STUDENT
7HEN THE NOUN IS QUALIFIED BY AN ADJECTIVE THE ENDING GOES AFTER THE
ADJECTIVE
1p1rtem1n-e qa2angi d1rid.

9OU HAVE A NICE mAT
Exercise 7
9OU HAVE A NICE CARGARDENHOUSE

4HATS VERY KIND OF YOU TO SAY SO
)M SORRY ) DONT HAVE TIME
(OW OLD IS HE (ES YEARS OLD
4HIS IS MY FRIEND 0ETER (ES %NGLISH 4HIS IS MY MOTHER
0LEASED TO MEET YOU 3O AM )
(OW MANY )RANIAN FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE
) HAVE FIVE )RANIAN FRIENDS

9OU HAVE RECEIVED A RECORDED MESSAGE FROM YOUR )RANIAN )NTERNET
FRIEND
SALÄM MAN PARVIZ E ALIZÄDE HASTAM MAN MOTA{AHHEL HASTAM XÄNOMAM

MO{ALLEM E ENGELISIE MÄ MOSALMÄN HASTIM MAHALL E TAVALLOD E MAN
MAÆHADE MAN KÄRMAND HASTAM SI O PANJ SÄL DÄRAM XÄNOMAM SI O
YEK SÄL DÄRE MAHALL E TAVALLODEÆ ÄMRIKÄST AMMÄ MELLIYATEÆ IRÄNIE
SARGARMI E MAN SINEMÄ VA SARGARMI E XÄNOMAM NAQQÄÆIE MÄ YEK
ÄPÄRTEMÄN E KUCEK VALI QAÆANG DAR TEHRÄN DÄRIM
7HAT IS YOUR FRIENDS FULL NAME

7HAT DOES HE DO FOR A LIVING
7HERE WAS HE BORN
7HAT IS HIS WIFES JOB
7HERE WAS SHE BORN
7HAT IS HER NATIONALITY
7HAT RELIGION DO THEY FOLLOW
7HAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THEIR AGE
7HAT DO THEY DO IN THEIR SPARE TIME
7HAT TYPE OF HOME DO THEY HAVE AND IN WHICH TOWN
)DENTIFY A WORD THAT SHOWS HE IS HAPPY WITH HIS HOME
Unit Four
Axar-e hafte ce-kAr kardid?

What did you do at the weekend?

s TALK ABOUT PAST EVENTS
s ASK AND RESPOND TO QUESTIONS ABOUT LAST WEEKEND
s TALK ABOUT A FILM YOU SAW A BIRTHDAY PARTY YOU ATTENDED
s MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT FOOD
s TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON EACH DAY OF THE WEEK
s MAKE LONGER SENTENCES IN 0ERSIAN
0OL E +HAJOO %SFAHAN 0HOTOGRAPH BY $ONAL /,EARY

Unit 4: What did you do at the weekend? 43
Dialogue 1
Wish you were there! (CD1; 31)
3IMIN S AND HER COLLEAGUE 0ARVIZ 0 ARE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY
DID LAST WEEKEND
S
0
S
0
S
0
S
0
S
0
S
0
S ÄXAR E HAFTE XOÆ GOZAÆT

0 BALE JÄTUN XÄLI BUD
S XOB CE KÄR KARDID KOJÄ RAFTID
0 ÆAB E JOM{E RAFTIM SINEMÄ YEK lLM E IRÄNI DIDIM
S XUB BUD
0 KOMEDI BUD XEILI XANDIDIM ÆOMÄ CE KÄR KARDID
S PANJ ÆANBE BA{D AZ ZOHR MEHMUN DÄÆTIM JAÆN E TAVALLOD E
PESARAM BUD
0 BAH BAH TAVALLODEÆ MOBÄRAK
S MAMNUN
0 QAZÄ CETOUR BUD
S ÄLI DAST POXT E ÆOUHARAM BUD
0 ALBATTE BEDUN E ÆAK
S Did you have a good weekend? LIT Did the weekend pass
pleasantly?)
44 Unit 4: Axar-e hafte ce-kAr kardid?
0 Yes, you should have been there! LIT Your place was vacant! )
S So, what did you do? Where did you go?
0 On Thursday evening LIT eve of Friday) we went to the cinema.
We saw an Iranian film.
S Was it good?
0 It was a comedy. We laughed a lot. What did you do?
3 On Thursday afternoon, we had (some) guests. It was my son’s
birthday celebration/party.
0 Wow! Happy Birthday to him! LIT May his birth be blessed
3 Thanks.
0 How was the food?
3 Excellent! It was my husband’s cooking/cuisine!
0 Of course, without a doubt!
A Vocabulary
CB
1xar END
hafte WEEK
1xar-e hafte WEEKEND
xo2 PLEASANTLY
goza2tan (gozar) TO PASS
bale YES
j1 PLACE
j1tun YOUR PLACE
x1li VACANT
budan TO BE
xob SO
ce-k1r WHAT ACTIVITY
kardan TO DO
koj1 WHERE
raftan TO GO
2ab NIGHT EVE
jomè &RIDAY
sinem1 CINEMA
yek ONE A AN
film FILM
ir1ni )RANIAN
didan TO SEE
xub GOOD
komedi COMEDY
xeili A LOT VERY
xandidan TO LAUGH
panj-2anbe 4HURSDAY
ba`d-az-zohr AFTERNOON
mehmun GUEST
ja2n CELEBRATION
tavallod BIRTHDAY
pesar SON BOY
bah-bah! 7OW
mob1rak BLESSED
mamnun )M GRATEFUL THANK YOU
qaz1 FOOD
cetour HOW
1li EXCELLENT
dast-poxt COOKING CUISINE
2ouhar HUSBAND
albatte OF COURSE
bedun-e WITHOUT
2ak DOUBT

Past simple tense
How to say: ‘I went’

(ERE IS THE FORMULA
0AST STEM OF VERB PERSONAL ENDING SEE PP FF

!LL 0ERSIAN VERBS INFINITIVES END WITH THE SOUNDS -an 4O GET THE PAST
STEM OF A VERB WE OMIT THESE TWO SOUNDS 4HE VERB @TO GO IS
raftan )TS PAST STEM IS raft
man raftam ) WENT

to rafti 9OU inf WENT
u raft (ESHE WENT
m1 raftim 7E WENT
2om1 raftid 9OU WENT
unh)1 raftand 4HEY WENT
)N THIS TENSE NO PERSONAL ENDING IS USED FOR THE THIRD PERSON SINGULAR
IE HE SHE IT ETC
&OR THE NEGATIVE WE ADD THE STRESSED PREFIX na-
man naraftam ) DIDNT GO

to narafti 9OU DIDNT GO
u naraft (ESHE DIDNT GO
)F THE VERB BEGINS WITH A VOWEL THE NEGATIVE PREFIX IS SLIGHTLY MODIFIED
AS nay-
umad (ESHE CAME

nayumad (ESHE DIDNT COME
Days of the week (CD1; 34)
2anbe 3ATURDAY lRST DAY OF THE WEEK

yek-2anbe 3UNDAY
do-2anbe -ONDAY
se-2anbe 4UESDAY
c(ah)1r-2anbe 7EDNESDAY
panj-2anbe 4HURSDAY
jomè &RIDAY WEEKEND
%XAMPLES
ruz DAY
A (ruz-e) jomè ON &RIDAY ONE OFF EVENT PAST OR

FUTURE
B jomèh1 ON &RIDAYS REGULAR EVENTS
C ruzh1-ye jomè ON &RIDAYS lit ON THE DAYS OF

&RIDAY
D 2ab-e jomè 4HURSDAY EVENINGNIGHT lit EVE OF &RIDAY
ONE OFF EVENT PAST OR FUTURE
E 2abh1-ye jomè 4HURSDAY EVENINGSNIGHTS lit EVES
OF &RIDAY REGULAR EVENTS
Note: D AND E ARE THE FORMS COMMONLY USED IN )RAN !LTERNATIVELY
YOU CAN USE A DIRECT TRANSLATION OF THE FORMS USED IN %NGLISH
panj-2anbe 2ab(h1) 4HURSDAY EVENINGS
Exercise 1
Tell a Persian speaker what happened on different days of the week.
Follow the example.
/N 3ATURDAY !HMAD CAME TO ,ONDON
2anbe, ahmad be landan umad.
/N 3UNDAY WE WENT TO THE SUPERMARKET
/N -ONDAY WE WENT TO AN )RANIAN RESTAURANT
/N 4UESDAY ) WENT TO A BIRTHDAY PARTY !HMAD DIDNT COME
/N 7EDNESDAY WE WENT TO A SWIMMING POOL
/N 4HURSDAY !HMAD WENT TO )RAN
/N &RIDAY MY PARENTS CAME TO MY HOME
Reduction
)N CASUAL SPEECH THE SENTENCE man be sinem1

raftam @) WENT TO THE CINEMA IS OFTEN REDUCED TO
raftam sinem1. ) WENT TO THE CINEMA
)N THIS REDUCTION THREE THINGS HAPPEN
A 4HE SUBJECT IS OMITTED BECAUSE THE PERSONAL ENDING ATTACHED
TO THE VERB INDICATES THE SUBJECT
B 4HE PREPOSITION be @TO IS OMITTED
C 4HE VERB raftam @) WENT IS PLACED BEFORE sinem1
@CINEMA
B AND C NORMALLY OCCUR WHEN VERBS OF MOTION ARE INVOLVED SUCH AS
@TO GO @TO COME @TO TAKE @TO BRING (ERE IS AN EXAMPLE WITH THE
VERB umadan @TO COME
!HMAD CAME HERE YESTERDAY

&ULL FORM diruz, ahmad be inj1
umad.
2EDUCED FORM diruz, ahmad umad inj1.
Exercise 2
Repeat Exercise 1, this time using the reduced form. Example:
/N 3ATURDAY !HMAD CAME TO ,ONDON
2anbe, ahmad umad landan.
How to say ‘Did you have a good weekend?’

7E LITERALLY SAY @$ID THE WEEKEND PASS PLEASANTLY
4HE VERB USED IS goza2tan TO PASS
(ERE IS THE SENTENCE
1xar-e hafte xo2 goza2t?
4HIS IS A VERY VERSATILE PATTERN )T CAN BE USED TO ASK THE FOLLOWING
QUESTIONS SIMPLY BY REPLACING THE UNDERLINED BITS
ir1n xo2 goza2t?
$ID YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME IN )RAN $ID YOU ENJOY YOUR VISIT TO )RAN
ta`til1t xo2 goza2t?
$ID YOU ENJOY ;YOUR= HOLIDAY
mehmuni xo2 goza2t?
$ID YOU ENJOY THE PARTY
! COMMON REPLY TO THE ABOVE QUESTION IS
bale, j1tun x1li (bud).
lit 9ES YOUR PLACE WAS VACANT 7ISH YOU WERE THERE
/2 9OU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE /2 9OU WERE MISSED
4HE VERB USED IS budan TO BE (OWEVER THIS IS OFTEN OMITTED
n HENCE bud @WAS IS IN BRACKETS
Note: 4HIS IS A POLITE ALMOST SOCIALLY EXPECTED RESPONSE )T IS NOT
AS DRAMATIC AS SUGGESTED BY THE LITERAL TRANSLATIONS IN %NGLISH )T IS
USED WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE )T IS AN )RANIAN WAY OF
SHARING THAT PLEASANT EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS ALBEIT VERBALLY )T DOES
NOT COST MUCH BUT IT DOES A LOT IN CREATING RAPPORT
How to say ‘What did you do?’

7E USE THE WORD k1r WHICH HAS VARIOUS MEANINGS WORK JOB
ACTIVITY 7E COMBINE ce @WHAT AND k1r @ACTIVITY TO PRODUCE
ce-k1r @WHAT ACTIVITY OR SIMPLY @WHAT IN %NGLISH 4HE VERB USED
IS kardan @TO DO (ERE IS THE RESULT
ce-k1r kardid? 7HAT DID YOU DO
How to say ‘I went to London by taxi yesterday.’

(ERE IS THE FORMULA
3UBJECT 4IME -ANNER 0LACE 6ERB
A man raftam. ) WENT

B man be landan raftam. ) WENT TO ,ONDON
C man diruz be landan raftam. ) WENT TO
,ONDON YESTERDAY
D man diruz b1 t1ksi be landan
raftam. ) WENT TO ,ONDON BY TAXI YESTERDAY
Note: 7E USE THE SAME PATTERN TO SAY
man diruz b1 ahmad be landan raftam.

) WENT TO ,ONDON WITH !HMAD YESTERDAY b1 BY WITH
man emruz dir be kel1s umadam.

) CAME TO THE CLASS LATE TODAY /2 ) WAS LATE dir LATE
Exercise 3
Put these jumbled sentences in order, and then translate them into
English. The first one has been done for you.

landan – raftim – metro – be – diruz – m1 – b1
m1 diruz b1 metro be landan raftim.

7E WENT TO ,ONDON BY METRO YESTERDAY

kel1s – be – umadid – emruz – 2om1 – dir

hav1peim1 – ir1n – unh1 – se-2anbe – be – raftand – ruz-e – b1

b1 – raftam – be – man – 2anbe – x1nomam – ruz-e –
superm1rket

m1 – 2ouhare2 – u – be – umad – b1 – yek-2anbe – manzel-e
– ruz-e
How to say ‘I saw a film in London yesterday.’

(ERE IS THE FORMULA
3UBJECT 4IME 0LACE /BJECT 6ERB
man didam. ) SAW

man yek film didam. ) SAW A lLM
man diruz yek film ) SAW A lLM
didam. YESTERDAY
man diruz dar landan yek film didam.

) SAW A lLM IN ,ONDON YESTERDAY
Exercise 4
Can you say these in Persian? The first one has been done for you.
) ATEHAD LUNCH IN A RESTAURANT YESTERDAY
man diruz dar restur1n n1h1r xordam.

) READ A BOOK IN THE LIBRARY YESTERDAY
) SAW A FILM IN THE CINEMA LAST NIGHT
) ATE A SANDWICH AT WORK THIS MORNING
) COOKED AN )RANIAN DISH AT HOME TODAY
) SAW A GOOD PROGRAMME ON 46 THIS AFTERNOON
7HAT DID YOU DO AT THE WEEKEND
.OTHING ) SLEPT ALL DAY ) WAS TIRED
) WENT TO A BIRTHDAY PARTY ON &RIDAY

7E HAD A GOOD TIME n WISH YOU WERE THERE
Dialogue 2
Nothing to write home about! (CD1; 36)
4WO COUSINS ARE TALKING ABOUT LAST WEEKEND 3AMAN S MALE
-ARJAN - FEMALE
S
-
S
-
S
-
S
S ÄXAR E HAFTE XOÆ GOZAÆT

- TA{RIl NADÄÆT
S CETOUR MAGE
- KÄR E XÄSSI NAKARDAM TU XUNE MUNDAM O TELEVIZION TAMÄÆÄ
KARDAM ÄXAR E HAFTE YE TO CETOUR BUD
S BAD NABUD BARÄYE ÆÄM AZ SUPERMÄRKET YEK SÄNDEVIC O YEK
PITZÄ XARIDAM MAN SÄNDEVIC O XORDAM DUSTAM PITZÄ RO XORD
BA{D TÄ SOBH ÆATRANJ BÄZI KARDIM
- BORDI YÄ BÄXTI
S MOSÄVI ÆODIM
S Did you have a good weekend?

- Nothing to write home about!
S But why? (How come?)
- I didn’t do anything special. I stayed at home and watched TV.
How was your weekend?
S It wasn’t bad. For dinner I bought a sandwich and a pizza from

the supermarket. I ate the sandwich; my friend ate the pizza.
Then we played chess until the (following) morning!
- Did you win or lose?
S We drew!
A Vocabulary
CB ta`rif COMPLIMENT
ta`rifi A COMPLIMENT
d12tan TO HAVE
nad12t IT DID NOT HAVE
ta`rifi nad12t NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT
lit IT DIDNT HAVE ANY COMPLIMENT
cetour HOW
mage BUT
cetour mage? "UT WHY (OW COME lit (OW BUT
hic NONE NIL
k1r WORK JOB ACTIVITY
x1ss SPECIAL SPECIFIC
kardan TO DO
nakardam ) DIDNT DO
tu IN
xune HOUSE HOME
mundan TO STAY
televizion TELEVISION
tam121 WATCHING
tam121 kardan TO WATCH lit TO DO WATCHING
budan TO BE
bud IT WAS
nabud IT WASNT
bar1ye FOR
21m DINNER
az FROM
superm1rket SUPERMARKET
s1ndevic SANDWICH
pitz1 PIZZA
xaridan TO BUY
xaridam ) BOUGHT
xordan TO EAT
xordam ) ATE
dust FRIEND
dustam MY FRIEND
xord SHE ATE
ba`d THEN AFTERWARDS
t1 UNTIL
sobh MORNING
2atranj CHESS
b1zi kardan TO PLAY
bordan TO WIN
bordi YOU WON
y1 OR
b1xtan TO LOSE
b1xti YOU LOST
mos1vi EQUAL
2odan TO BECOME
mos1vi 2odim WE DREW lit WE BECAME EQUAL

Compound verbs
/NE WORD VERBS SUCH AS xordan @TO EAT didan @TO SEE
ARE CALLED @SIMPLE VERBS 4HE BULK OF 0ERSIAN VERBS ARE OF A COMPOUND
NATURE ! COMPOUND VERB NORMALLY CONSISTS OF TWO OR MORE WORDS
(ERE IS THE FORMULA
NOUNADJECTIVEADVERBPREPOSITION SIMPLE VERB

compound verb
0ERHAPS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF COMPOUND VERBS ARE PRODUCED WITH

THE HELP OF THESE TWO VERBS
kardan TO DO TO MAKE
2odan TO BECOME
%XAMPLES
telefon kardan TO TELEPHONE TO MAKE
A TELEPHONE CALL
k1r WORK
k1r kardan TO WORK
b1z OPEN
b1z kardan TO OPEN SOMETHING
lit TO MAKE OPEN
b1z 2odan FOR SOMETHING TO OPEN
lit TO BECOME OPEN
h1zer READY
h1zer kardan TO MAKE READY
h1zer 2odan TO GET READY
4HEREFORE IT IS WELL WORTH LEARNING THEIR STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOUR AT AN
EARLY STAGE IE NOW
4HEIR PAST STEM IS kard AND 2od RESPECTIVELY %XAMPLES
emruz k1r kardam. ) WORKED TODAY
dar b1z 2od. 4HE DOOR OPENED
4HE COMPOUND VERBS USED IN $IALOGUE ABOVE ARE
tam121 WATCHING
tam121 kardan TO WATCH
b1zi GAME PLAYING
b1zi kardan TO PLAY A GAME
Definite article for a direct object ‫( ﺭﺍ‬rA)
How to say ‘I ate the sandwich.’

4HE WORD r1 PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN 0ERSIAN GRAMMAR )T SHOWS
THAT THE WORD OR PHRASE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE IT IS THE DIRECT OBJECT
OF THE SENTENCE 3INCE THIS CONCEPT DOES NOT EXIST IN %NGLISH LET US
FAMILIARISE OURSELVES WITH THE IDEA USING %NGLISH EXAMPLES FIRST
Direct or indirect object?

! DIRECT OBJECT IS ONE THAT IS AFFECTED DIRECTLY BY THE VERB
%XAMPLE
A ) BOUGHT 0ETER A SANDWICH
)N THE ABOVE SENTENCE THE WORD @SANDWICH IS THE DIRECT OBJECT

BECAUSE IT WAS THE SANDWICH THAT WAS BOUGHT NOT 0ETER @0ETER IS
THE INDIRECT OBJECT ) BOUGHT A SANDWICH FOR 0ETER
7HEN YOU REFER TO THE SAME @SANDWICH AGAIN YOU SAY @THE
SANDWICH
B (E ATE THE SANDWICH
.OW THE WORD @SANDWICH IS A DEFINITE DIRECT OBJECT )N 0ERSIAN SUCH

AN OBJECT IS NORMALLY FOLLOWED BY THE WORD r1 .O r1 IS NEEDED
FOR A BECAUSE @A SANDWICH IS INDEFINITE
/NE MORE CONDITION )F THERE IS A PREPOSITION BEFORE THE OBJECT
NO r1 IS USED AFTER IT
(E LOOKED AT THE SANDWICH 0REPOSITION @AT

) SAID TO 0ETERHIMTHEM 0REPOSITION @TO
4O SUM UP WHEN THE OBJECT IS @DEFINITESPECIFIC AND KNOWN TO BOTH

THE SPEAKER AND THE LISTENER WE NORMALLY USE r1 AFTER THE OBJECT
#ONSIDER THIS PAIR
A ) ATE LUNCH AT OCLOCK

B ) ATE MY LUNCH AT OCLOCK
)N A 0ERSIAN TRANSLATION OF THE ABOVE SENTENCES r1 IS NOT USED IN

A BECAUSE THE SPEAKER IS TALKING ABOUT @LUNCH IN GENERAL WHILE IT IS
USED IN B BECAUSE HE IS REFERRING SPECIFICALLY TO @HIS LUNCH
-ORE EXAMPLES
)N THE 0ERSIAN EQUIVALENTS OF THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES WE USE r1
AFTER THE OBJECT UNDERLINED
(E ATE IT
) SAW 0ETER
) INVITED HIMHIS BROTHERTHEM
3HE CALLED MEUS
&OR EASE OF REFERENCE THE WORD r1 WILL BE CALLED THE @OBJECT

MARKER
Exercise 5
Based on the above, which of the objects (underlined) in the following
sentences would be followed by the object marker r1 if they were
translated into Persian? Tick the appropriate box [ ].
Note: This exercise is purely in English! It is intended to help us
understand the concept.
;9ES= ;.O=
) SAW *AMES ;= ; =
) BOUGHT HIM A DRINK ; = ; =
) BOUGHT 3USAN A SANDWICH AND A CAKE ; = ; =
3HE ATE THE SANDWICH ; = ; =
"UT SHE DIDNT EAT THE CAKE ; = ; =
) LOOKED AT HER ; = ; =
) SAID TO HER ; = ; =
) HADATE DINNER AT OCLOCK ; = ; =
) HADATE MY DINNER AT OCLOCK ; = ; =
) DIDNT INVITE THEM ; = ; =
4HE @'OLDEN 2ULES FOR THE USE OF THE OBJECT MARKER
r1 IS USED AFTER A WORD IF ALL THESE CONDITIONS ARE MET
4HE WORD MUST BE THE OBJECT OF THE SENTENCE

)T MUST BE THE DIRECT OBJECT OF THE SENTENCE
)T MUST BE DElNITE OR SPECIlC IE NOT GENERAL
)T MUST NOT BE PRECEDED BY A PREPOSITION
)N CASUAL SPEECH r1 IS REDUCED TO ro AFTER A VOWEL AND o

AFTER A CONSONANT )N THE %NGLISH TRANSCRIPTION THESE WILL BE SHOWN
AS -ro AND -o RESPECTIVELY
Note 4HE COLLOQUIAL PRONUNCIATION OF va MEANING @AND IS ALSO o
4O PREVENT CONFUSION BETWEEN THIS AND -o AS THE COLLOQUIAL FORM OF
r1 A HYPHEN IS PLACED BEFORE THE OBJECT MARKER &URTHERMORE IN
THE 0ERSIAN SCRIPT THE OBJECT MARKER -o IS CONNECTED OR POSITIONED
CLOSE TO THE OBJECT WHILE THE o MEANING @AND IS PRECEDED BY A
SPACE %XAMPLES
diruz ahmad-o ) SAW !HMAD YESTERDAY

didam.
diruz ahmad o parvin-o didam.

) SAW !HMAD AND 0ARVIN YESTERDAY
9OU WILL ALSO NOTE THAT THE DIRECT OBJECT MARKER GOES AFTER THE LAST
OBJECT 7HERE THE COLLOQUIAL FORMS -o AND -ro ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE
CONFUSION IN THE 0ERSIAN SCRIPT THE FULL FORM r1 WILL BE USED
.OW LET US CONSIDER THE EXAMPLES USED IN $IALOGUE ABOVE
3AMAN SAYS
A
yek s1ndevic o yek pitz1 xaridam.
) BOUGHT A SANDWICH AND A PIZZA
B man s1ndevic-o xordam. ) ATE THE SANDWICH
C dustam pitz1-ro xord. -Y FRIEND ATE THE
PIZZA
)N A NO OBJECT MARKER IS USED BECAUSE THE OBJECTS ARE INDEFINITE @A

SANDWICH AND @A PIZZA )N B AND C THE OBJECT MARKER IS USED BECAUSE
THE OBJECTS ARE NOW DEFINITE @THE SANDWICH AND @THE PIZZA
/N CONDITION OF THE @'OLDEN 2ULES MENTIONED ABOVE 4HERE ARE
A FEW VERBS IN 0ERSIAN THAT CAN BE USED WITH OR WITHOUT A PREPOSITION
neg1h kardan TO LOOK
A be man neg1h kard. 3HE LOOKED AT ME

B man-o neg1h kard. 3HE LOOKED AT ME
gu2 kardan TO LISTEN
C be harf-e man gu2 nakard. 3HE DIDNT

LISTEN TO MY ADVICE
D harf-e man-o gu2 nakard. 3HE DIDNT
LISTEN TO MY ADVICE
)N A AND C NO OBJECT MARKER IS USED BECAUSE THE OBJECT IS PRECEDED

BY A PREPOSITION )N B AND D THE OBJECT MARKER IS USED BECAUSE
THERE IS NO PREPOSITION BEFORE THE OBJECT IN THE 0ERSIAN SENTENCES
Note: 5NLIKE 0ERSIAN BOTH %NGLISH VERBS NEED A PREPOSITION n
EXCEPT WHEN YOU SAY @3HE LOOKED ME IN THE EYE
How to say ‘He bought me a drink.’

7E SAY THE EQUIVALENT OF @(E BOUGHT A DRINK FOR ME
bar1ye FOR nu2idani DRINK
u bar1ye man yek nu2idani xarid.
Exercise 6
With the help of the English translations, put the object marker r1 in
the blanks where needed.
________
man emruz u ________ didam.
) SAW HIMHER TODAY
________
man 1b ________ zi1d xordam.
) DRANK A LOT OF WATER
________
man in 1b ________ naxordam con garm bud.
) DIDNT DRINK THIS WATER BECAUSE IT WAS WARM
________
ahmad bar1ye man bastani o keik ________ xarid.
!HMAD BOUGHT SOME ICE CREAM AND CAKE FOR ME
________
man keik ________ xordam.
) ATE THE CAKE
________
amm1 bastani ________ naxordam con h1lam xub nabud.
"UT ) DIDNT EAT THE ICE CREAM BECAUSE ) WAS NOT FEELING WELL
Exercise 7
Repeat Exercise 5, but this time translate the sentences into Persian.
For vocabulary, you may need to refer to the glossaries at the end of
the book.
How to say ‘I took Ahmad to London by taxi yesterday.’

! BASIC FORMULA FOR THIS SENTENCE PATTERN IS
3UBJECT 4IME /BJECT -ANNER 0LACE 6ERB
man diruz ahmad r1 b1 t1ksi be landan bordam.
Exercise 8
$ID YOU HAVE A GOOD HOLIDAY

9ES WISH YOU WERE THERE
.OTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT
7E DIDNT DO ANYTHING SPECIAL
7E STAYED AT HOME AND WATCHED THE RAIN
7HAT WAS YOUR WEEKEND LIKE
) WORKED ON 3ATURDAY
/N 3UNDAY ) WENT TO MY FRIENDS HOME
7E ATE SOME )RANIAN FOOD
) COOKED IT
7E WATCHED AN )RANIAN FILM
7E PLAYED BACKGAMMON
/N -ONDAY MY PARENTS CAME TO MY HOUSE
7E HAD LUNCH TOGETHER
-Y FATHER WASHED THE DISHES

3IMIN IS TALKING ABOUT -AHNAZ ,ISTEN TO THE RECORDING AND ANSWER
THE QUESTIONS IN %NGLISH
ÆAB E YEK ÆANBE RAFTAM JAÆN E TAVALLOD E DUSTAM MAHNÄZ JÄTUN XÄLI
XEILI XOÆ GOZAÆT MANZELEÆ ZIÄD DUR NIST AMMÄ BÄ OTOBUS RAFTAM CON
HAVÄ SARD BUD PANJÄH TÄ MEHMUN DÄÆT QAZÄ ÄLI BUD DAST POXT E
MÄDAREÆ BUD ÆOUHAREÆ ZARFHÄ RO ÆOST MAN CÄI DOROST KARDAM CÄI RO
BÄ KEIK XORDIM BASTANI HAM XORDIM BA{D AZ ÆÄM YEK FILM E KOMEDI
DIDIM XEILI XANDIDIM BA{D BE MUSIQI E IRÄNI GUÆ KARDIM O RAQSIDIM
BA{D HEDYEHÄ RO BE MAHNÄZ DÄDIM XEILI XOÆ HÄL ÆOD
7HERE DID 3IMIN GO

7HEN DID SHE GO
7HAT WAS THE OCCASION
7HO IS -AHNAZ
(OW DO WE KNOW 3IMIN ENJOYED THE EVENT
(OW DID 3IMIN TRAVEL TO THE VENUE AND WHY
7HO ELSE WAS AT THE VENUE
7HAT IS 3IMINS OPINION OF THE FOOD
7HO WAS THE COOK
7HAT HAPPENED TO THE DISHES
(OW DID 3IMIN HELP
7HAT DID THEY HAVE FOR DESSERT
7HY DID THEY LAUGH AFTER DINNER
7HY DOES SHE MENTION )RANIAN MUSIC
7HY WAS -AHNAZ HAPPY
Unit Five
manzeletun kojAst?
Where’s your home?

s SEEK AND GIVE YOUR HOME ADDRESS AND REFER TO LANDMARKS
s ASK ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF FACILITIES
s EXPRESS REGRET
s USE ORDINAL NUMBERS FIRST SECOND ETC
s ASK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT FAMILY AND RELATIVES
s SAY HOW OFTEN YOU DO THINGS
s MAKE COMPARISONS
s EXPRESS AN OPINION
62 Unit 5: manzeletun kojAst?
Dialogue 1
Giving your details (CD1; 39)
-RS 2EZAEE 2 IS PHONING FOR AN AMBULANCE FOR HER HUSBAND

WHO HAS JUST FALLEN DOWN THE STAIRS (ERES AN EXTRACT FROM HER
CONVERSATION WITH THE HOSPITAL TELEPHONIST T
T
2
T
2
T
2
T
2
T
2
T
2
T ESM E BIMÄR CIE

2 HASAN E AHMADI
T ÄDRESETUN CIE
2 TEHRÄN XIÄBÄN E MEHR PELÄK E HAÆT TABAQE YE ÆEÆOM
ÄPÄRTEMÄN E DAVÄZDAH
T KOJÄ YE XIÄBUN E MEHR HASTID
2 SINEMÄ HÄFEZ MIDUNID KOJÄST
T BALE
2 DOROST RU BE RU YE SINEMÄ HASTIM PAHLU YE SUPERMÄRKET
4 ÄSÄNSOR DÄRID
2 DÄRIM AMMÄ XARÄB E MOTA { ASSEFÄNE
4 EI VÄI XOB EIB NADÄRE ÆOMÄRE TELEFONETUN CANDE
2 SI O PANJ HEFDAH CEL O DO
Unit 5: Where’s your home? 63
4 What’s the name of the patient?

2 Hassan Ahmadi.
4 What’s your address?
2 Tehran, Mehr Street, No. 8, 6th floor, Flat 12.
4 Where in Mehr Street are you (located)?
2 Do you know where Hafez cinema is?
4 Yes.
2 We’re just opposite the cinema, next to the supermarket.
4 Do you have a lift?
2 We do, but it’s broken, I’m afraid.
4 Oh dear! OK, never mind. What’s your phone number?
2 35 –17– 42.
Vocabulary A
CB
bim1r PATIENT
1dres ADDRESS
tabaqe FLOOR
2e2om SIXTH
koj1 WHERE
koj1-ye WHERE IN WHICH PART OF
midunid YOU KNOW
dunestan (dun) TO KNOW
dorost JUST EXACTLY
ru-be-ru-ye OPPOSITE FACING
pahlu-ye NEXT TO
1s1nsor LIFT ELEVATOR
amm1 BUT
xar1b BROKEN NOT WORKING
motaàssef1ne UNFORTUNATELY
ei v1i! /H DEAR
eib PROBLEM
eib nad1re NO PROBLEM lit IT DOESNT HAVE A PROBLEM
2om1re NUMBER
telefon TELEPHONE
cand WHAT HOW MUCH

Prepositions
(ERE ARE SOME COMMON PREPOSITIONS AND PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES 4HERE

ARE MORE IN THE GLOSSARIES
Note: )N CASUAL SPEECH THE -ye IS OFTEN DROPPED
ru-ye ON
zir-e UNDER
tu-ye IN col
dar IN l
jelo-ye IN FRONT OF
birun-e OUTSIDE OF
b1l1-ye ABOVE OVER
pahlu-ye NEXT TO
po2t-e BEHIND
p1yin-e BELOW BENEATH
ken1r-e BY THE SIDE OF
d1xel-e INSIDE OF
ru-be-ru-ye OPPOSITE FACING
(dar) taraf-e cap-e ON THE LEFT SIDE OF
(dar) taraf-e r1st-e ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate preposition.
s1ndevicetun ________ mize.

9OUR SANDWICH IS ON THE TABLE
med1d ________ mize.

4HE PENCIL IS UNDER THE TABLE
tu1let ________ superm1rkete.

4HE TOILET IS INSIDE THE SUPERMARKET
pomp-e benzin ________ p1rkinge.

4HE PETROL STATION IS NEXT TO THE CAR PARK
1p1rtem1nam ________ sinem1st.

-Y FLAT IS OPPOSITE THE CINEMA
telefon-e hameg1ni ________ manzel-e m1st.

4HE PUBLIC TELEPHONE IS IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE
xune-ye ahmad ________ sinem1st.

!HMADS HOUSE IS BEHIND THE CINEMA
1p1rtem1n-e ali ________ m1l-e m1st.

!LIS FLAT IS ABOVE OURS
2of13 ________ panjare ast.

4HE ;CENTRAL HEATING= RADIATOR IS BY THE WINDOW
telefon ________ televizione.

4HE TELEPHONE IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE 46
From cardinal to ordinal
(ERE IS HOW WE CONVERT CARDINAL NUMBERS ONE TWO ETC TO ORDINAL

NUMBERS FIRST SECOND ETC &OR THE FIRST THREE WE SAY
Cardinal numbers Ordinal numbers
yek ONE avval lRST

do TWO dovvom SECOND
se THREE sevvom THIRD
&OR ALL THE OTHER NUMBERS WE ADD THE STRESSED SUFFIX -om TO THE
END OF THE CARDINAL NUMBER TO GET AN ORDINAL NUMBER
cah1r FOUR cah1rom FOURTH

panj lVE panjom lFTH
bist o yek TWENTY ONE
bist o yekom TWENTY lRST
Exercise 2
Can you give the Persian equivalents of these ordinal numbers?
A FIRST ???????? D NINTH ????????

B SECOND ???????? E THIRTY FIRST ????????
C THIRD ???????? F SEVENTIETH ????????
Postal address
! POSTAL ADDRESS NORMALLY BEGINS WITH THE LARGEST UNIT IE NAME OF
THE COUNTRY CITYTOWN AND ENDS WITH THE SMALLEST IE HOUSEFLAT
NUMBER FOLLOWED BY THE NAME OF THE RECIPIENT EG
ir1n, tehr1n, kod-e posti-e 218603, xi1b1n-e 1b1n,

pel1k-e 9, manzel-e 1q1-ye ahmadi
)RAN 4EHRAN 0OSTCODE !BAN 3TREET .O HOME OF
-R !HMADI
Exercise 3
Imagine you are the British premier. You are inviting some Iranian friends
to your home at No. 10 Downing Street, London SW1, England. Give
your address in Persian.
Present simple tense
How to say ‘I know’, ‘you know’, etc.

(ERE IS THE FORMULA
0REFIX mi- PRESENT STEM OF VERB PERSONAL ENDING

Reminder: 0RESENT STEMS ARE IRREGULAR 4HE PRESENT STEM OF EACH VERB
INTRODUCED IS GIVEN IN BRACKETS &OR PERSONAL ENDINGS SEE PP FF
4HE VERB WE NEED HERE IS dunestan (dun) TO KNOW
)TS PRESENT STEM IS dun
Note: 4HE PREFIX mi- CARRIES THE WORD STRESS
,ISTEN TO THE AUDIO (CD1; 41)
man midunam. ) KNOW

to miduni. 9OU inf KNOW
u midune. (ESHE KNOWS
m1 midunim. 7E KNOW
2om1 midunid. 9OU KNOW
unh1 midunand. 4HEY KNOW
4O MAKE THE VERB NEGATIVE WE ADD THE PREFIX ne-

Note: 4HE NEGATIVE PREFIX NORMALLY CARRIES THE WORD STRESS
man nemidunam. ) DONT KNOW

2om1 nemidunid. 9OU DONT KNOW
In literary Persian THE PERSONAL ENDING FOR u @HESHE AND 1n

@IT THAT IS -ad
#OMPARE
u mixore @HESHE EATS col

u mixorad @HESHE EATS l
4HE VERB USED IS xordan (xor) @TO EAT

4HE NEXT EXAMPLE IS A BIT MORE CHALLENGING BECAUSE THE VERB
ITSELF IS COLLOQUIALISED 3EE 5$ FOR COLLOQUIALISATION OF SOUNDS 1n
TO un
dunestan (dun) TO KNOW col

d1nestan (d1n) TO KNOW l
u midune HESHE KNOWS col
u mid1nad HESHE KNOWS l
Exercise 4
Here is what different people do on different days of the week. Fill in the
blanks with the help of the English translations and the verbs provided.
Follow the example.
raftan (r) TO GO
xordan (xor) TO EAT TO DRINK
zadan (zan) TO PLAY MUSICAL
INSTRUMENT
xundan (xun) TO READ
kardan (kon) TO DO
cek kardan (kon) TO CHECK
k1r kardan (kon) TO WORK
2en1 kardan (kon) TO SWIM
tam121 kardan (kon) TO WATCH
3ATURDAY TO 7EDNESDAY ) GO TO UNIVERSITY

????????
2anbe t1 cah1r-2anbe, be d1ne2g1h ________
%XAMPLE
2anbe t1 cah1r-2anbe, be d1ne2g1h miram.

/N &RIDAYS WE EAT DINNER IN AN )RANIAN RESTAURANT
????????
jomèh1, dar restur1n-e ir1ni 21m ________
/N -ONDAYS !LI PLAYS THE PIANO
????????
do-2anbeh1, ali pi1no ________
/N 4UESDAYS WE READ BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY
????????
se-2anbeh1, tu(-ye) ket1bxune ket1b ________
7HAT DO YOU inf DO ON 3UNDAYS
????????
yek-2anbeh1 ce-k1r ________?
) CHECK MY EMAILS IN THE EVENING
????????
2abh1 imeilh1m-o ________
/N 4HURSDAYS ) WORK IN A BANK

????????
panj-2anbeh1, tu(-ye) yek b1nk ________
3HE SWIMS FOR AN HOUR IN THE MORNING

????????
sobhh1 yek s1àt ________
/N 7EDNESDAYS THEY WATCH A 46 SERIAL

????????
cah1r-2anbeh1, yek seri1l-e televizioni ________
Reading a telephone number
4ELEPHONE NUMBERS ARE NORMALLY READ IN TWOS OR THREES ! ZERO IN THE

MIDDLE IS A GOOD DIVIDING POINT
devist o ha2t1d o 2e2, sefr, panj1h o se

TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SIX ZERO lFTY THREE
sefr, 2ast o yek – haft1d o cah1r, nuzdah,

do sefr, haft
ZERO SIXTY ONE n SEVENTY FOUR NINETEEN
DOUBLE ZERO SEVEN
Exercise 5
Can you give these phone numbers to your Persian-speaking friend?

Exercise 6
7HATS !HMADS ADDRESS .O (AFEZ 3TREET 4EHRAN

$O YOU HAVE A LIGHTER 9ES BUT ITS BROKEN )M AFRAID
7HICH FLOOR IS YOUR FLAT ON &OURTH FLOOR
7HERES MY SANDWICH )TS ON THE TABLE IN THE KITCHEN
4HE POST OFFICE IS OPPOSITE THE PETROL STATION NEXT TO THE
CINEMA
9OUR PEN IS UNDER THE CHAIR
) SAW HIM OUTSIDE THE CINEMA
(E DOESNT KNOW WHERE WE ARE
$O THEY KNOW WE ARE HERE
$O YOU KNOW WHO SHE IS
$O YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS
7HAT DO YOU DO ON 3ATURDAYS3UNDAYS
) GO SHOPPING
Dialogue 2
Asking about family (CD1; 42)
!N )RANIAN ) AND A "RITISH TOURIST T MET A WHILE AGO WHEN THEY

TOOK THEIR SEATS ON AN )RAN !IR FLIGHT FROM ,ONDON TO 4EHRAN
(ERE IS AN EXTRACT FROM THEIR CONVERSATION
)
T
)
T
)
T
)
T
)
T
)
T
)
T
)
T
)
T
)
) ÆOMÄ HAR SÄL TÄBESTUN MIÄID IRÄN

T RÄSTEÆ SÄLI DO SE BÄR MIÄM
) KÄRETUN CIE
T OPERÄTOR E KÄMPIUTER HASTAM
) KOJÄ KÄR MIKONID
T TU YEK ÆERKAT E ÄMRIKÄYI KÄR MIKONAM ÆOMÄ CE KÄR MIKONID
) MO{ALLEM HASTAM
T CI DARS MIDID
) RIÄZI DARS MIDAM
T IN ÄQÄ PESARETUNAND
) NA BARÄDARAME
T AZ ÆOMÄ XEILI KUCEKTARE
) BALE KUCEKTARIN OZV E XÄNEVÄDE AST ÆOMÄ XÄHAR O BARÄDAR
DÄRID
T NA MOTA{ASSEFÄNE NADÄRAM
) BACCE CETOU R
T NA HANUZ ÆOMÄ HAR CAND VAQT YEK BÄR MIÄID ENGELESTÄN
) SÄLI YEK BÄR MIÄM BARÄYE DIDAN E XÄLE AM TU LANDAN ZENDEGI
MIKONE
T BARÄYE XARID NEMIÄID
) CERÄ AMMÄ XÄLE AM NEMIDUNE
) Do you come to Iran every summer? ( LIT every year (in) the
summer)
T Actually, I come two or three times a year.
) What’s your job?

T I’m a computer operator.
) Where do you work?
T I work in/for an American company. What do you do?
) I’m a teacher.
T What do you teach?
) I teach maths
T Is this gentleman your son?
) No, he’s my brother.
T He’s much younger than you!
) Yes, he’s the youngest member of the family. Do you have
brothers and sisters?
T No, unfortunately I haven’t.
) How about children? ( LIT How about child?)
T Not yet. How often do you come to England?
) I come once a year to see my (maternal) aunt. She lives in
London.
T Do you not come for shopping?!
) Yes, but my aunt doesn’t know (this)!
A Vocabulary
CB
har EVERY
s1l YEAR
t1bestun SUMMER
mi1id YOU COME
r1ste2 ACTUALLY TO BE HONEST lit ITS TRUTH
s1li A YEAR EACH PER YEAR
b1r TIMES
mi1m ) COME
oper1tor OPERATOR
k1mpiuter COMPUTER
k1r kardan (kon) TO WORK
k1r mikonam ) WORK
2erkat COMPANY FIRM
ce-k1r mikonid? 7HAT DO YOU DO

moàllem TEACHER
dars LESSON
d1dan (d) TO GIVE
dars d1dan (d) TO TEACH
dars midid YOU TEACH
ri1zi MATHS
dars midam ) TEACH
az THAN
kucek YOUNG SMALL
kucektar YOUNGER
kucektarin YOUNGEST
ozv MEMBER
x1nev1de FAMILY
x1har SISTER
bar1dar BROTHER
bacce CHILD
hanuz YET STILL
vaqt TIME
har cand vaqt HOW OFTEN lit ONCE EVERY
yek b1r HOW MUCH TIME
engelest1n %NGLAND
bar1ye FOR THE PURPOSE OF
didan (bin) TO SEE SEEING
x1le MATERNAL AUNT
bar1ye didan-e IN ORDER TO SEE MY AUNT
x1l(e)am lit FOR THE SEEING OF MY AUNT
landan ,ONDON
zendegi LIFE
zendegi kardan TO LIVE
(kon)
xarid SHOPPING
cer1 @YES TO A NEGATIVE QUESTION WHY

How to say ‘I come’, ‘you come’, etc.
4HE VERB IS umadan (1) @TO COME
4HE TENSE IS THE @0RESENT SIMPLE INTRODUCED IN $IALOGUE ABOVE

(ERE IS A REMINDER OF THE FORMULA
0REFIX mi- PRESENT STEM OF VERB PERSONAL ENDING
6ERBS WHOSE PRESENT STEM ENDS WITH A VOWEL NEED A LITTLE MORE ATTEN
TION 4HIS IS BECAUSE THE PERSONAL ENDINGS WHICH ARE ADDED TO IT ALL BEGIN
WITH A VOWEL 4WO VOWELS DO NOT FOLLOW EACH OTHER COMFORTABLY n IN %NGLISH
TOO TRY SAYING @A EGG INSTEAD OF @AN EGG 4HEREFORE SOME ADJUSTMENT
IS NEEDED 4HE PRESENT STEM OF umadan @TO COME IS A SINGLE VOWEL
1 )N LITERARY 0ERSIAN THIS IS RESOLVED BY ADDING A SOFT y SOUND AS
A @BUFFER BETWEEN THE TWO VOWELS )N COLLOQUIAL FORMS HOWEVER THE
TENDENCY IS TO REDUCE RATHER THAN ADD SOUNDS (ERE IS THE RESULT
Literary (written) Colloquial Meaning
mi+1+yam mi1m ) COME

mi+1+yi mi1i YOU COME INFORMAL
mi+1+yad mi1d HESHEIT COMES
mi+1+yim mi1im WE COME
mi+1+yid mi1id YOU COME FORMALPLURAL
mi+1+yand mi1nd THEY COME
4O MAKE THE VERB NEGATIVE WE ADD THE STRESSED PREFIX ne- EG
nemi1m ) DONT COME

nemi1i YOU DONT COME inf
nemi1d HESHEIT DOESNT COME
How to say ‘every day; once a day;

once every two days’
har ruz EVERY DAY

ruzi yek b1r ONCE A DAY
har do ruz yek b1r ONCE EVERY TWO DAYS
Note: "OTH OF THESE ARE UNSTRESSED
s har EVERY
s THE SUFFIX -i MEANING A PER EACH
ruz DAY
ruzi APEREACH DAY
har ruz EVERY DAY
hafte WEEK
hafte-i APEREACH WEEK
har hafte EVERY WEEK
m1h MONTH
m1hi APEREACH MONTH
har m1h EVERY MONTH
s1l YEAR
s1li APEREACH YEAR
har s1l EVERY YEAR
Exercise 7
With the help of the English translations, use the correct form of the verb
umadan (1) ‘to come’ in the blanks. Follow the example.
$O YOU COME HERE EVERY DAY
2om1 har ruz be inj1 ________?
%XAMPLE
2om1 har ruz be inj1 mi1id?

) COME HERE TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK

????????
man hafte-i do y1 se b1r be inj1 ________
!HMAD COMES HERE ONCE A MONTH
????????
ahmad m1hi yek b1r be inj1 ________
7E COME TO THE &ARSI CLASS ONCE A WEEK
????????
m1 hafte-i yek b1r be kel1s-e f1rsi ________
4HEY COME TO %NGLAND EVERY YEAR
????????
unh1 har s1l be engelest1n ________
) COME HERE EVERY WEEK
????????
man har hafte be inj1 ________
4HEY COME TO OUR HOME TWICE A YEAR
????????
unh1 s1li do b1r be manzel-e m1 ________
!HMAD COMES TO THE SUPERMARKET WITH ME ONCE EVERY TWO WEEKS
????????
ahmad har do hafte yek b1r b1 man be superm1rket ________
Comparative adjective
How to say ‘younger; more beautiful’
7E ADD THE STRESSED SUFFIX -tar TO THE ADJECTIVE
Note: 7ORD STRESS IS SHIFTED OVER TO THE SUFFIX
kucek SMALL YOUNG

kucektar SMALLER YOUNGER
zib1 BEAUTIFUL
zib1tar MORE BEAUTIFUL
j1leb INTERESTING
j1lebtar MORE INTERESTING
How to say ‘X is younger than Y.’

X az Y kucektar ast. l
X az Y kucektare. col
.OTE THIS IRREGULAR FORM
xub GOOD behtar BETTER
Exercise 8
Provide the missing word. Follow the example.
???????? SMALLER
ford az rolz-rois SMALLER ???????? e
! &ORD ;CAR= IS SMALLER THAN A 2OLLS 2OYCE
%XAMPLE
ford az rolz-rois kucektare
???????? THAN
rolz-rois THAN ???????? ford geruntare.
! 2OLLS 2OYCE IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN A &ORD
???????? LARGER
ir1n az engelest1n LARGER ???????? e
)RAN IS LARGER THAN %NGLAND
???????? MORE BEAUTIFUL

esfah1n az tehr1n MORE BEAUTIFUL ???????? e
%SFAHAN IS MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN 4EHRAN
???????? BETTER
dast-poxt-e m1daram az dast-poxt-e dustam BETTER ????????
e.
-Y MOTHERS COOKING IS BETTER THAN MY FRIENDS COOKING
Superlative adjective
How to say ‘smallest; youngest’

7E ADD THE STRESSED SUFFIX -tarin TO THE ADJECTIVE %XAMPLE
kucek SMALL YOUNG

kucektarin SMALLEST YOUNGEST
4HE WORD ORDER IS SIMILAR TO %NGLISH
kucektarin m12in SMALLEST CAR

kucektarin ozv YOUNGEST MEMBER
bozorgtarin 2ahr LARGEST CITY
geruntarin m12in MOST EXPENSIVE CAR
!LSO NOTE THESE IRREGULAR FORMS
xub GOOD behtar BETTER behtarin BEST
be nazar-e man, zib1tarin 2ahr-e ir1n ma2had [bebax2id!]

esfah1n ast.
)N MY OPINION THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN )RAN IS -ASHAD ;SORRY=
%SFAHAN
Exercise 9
Fill in the blanks. The first one has been done for you.
film-e bad m badtarin film

BAD FILM m WORST FILM
???????? k m12in-e gerun m ????????
EXPENSIVE CAR m MOST EXPENSIVE CAR
???????? k 1p1rtem1n-e arzun m ????????
CHEAP FLAT m CHEAPEST FLAT
???????? k 2ahr-e bozorg m ????????
BIG CITY m BIGGEST CITY
???????? k zan-e javun m ????????
YOUNG WOMAN m YOUNGEST WOMAN
???????? k mard-e mosenn m ????????

OLD MAN m OLDEST MAN
???????? k film-e xub m ????????
GOOD FILM m BEST FILM
???????? k qaz1-ye xub m ????????
GOOD FOOD m BEST FOOD
Extended family
#OMPARED TO %NGLISH 0ERSIAN USES MORE DESCRIPTIVE WORDS TO REFER

TO MEMBERS OF THE EXTENDED FAMILY 0ERHAPS THE MOST NOTORIOUS
EXAMPLE CONCERNS THE WORD @COUSIN WHICH HAS NO FEWER THAN EIGHT
EQUIVALENTS IN 0ERSIAN
amu PATERNAL UNCLE d1yi MATERNAL UNCLE

amme PATERNAL AUNT x1le MATERNAL AUNT
4O EACH OF THE ABOVE WE ADD pesar @SON OR doxtar

@DAUGHTER TO PRODUCE THE VARIOUS MEANINGS OF @COUSIN EG
doxtar(-e)-amu PATERNAL UNCLES DAUGHTER COUSIN

pesar(-e)-x1le MATERNAL AUNTS SON COUSIN
4HE LINKING SOUND e ez1fe IS OMITTED FOR CONVENIENCE
Exercise 10
$O YOU HAVE A YOUNGER SISTER

)M THREE YEARS OLDER THAN MY BROTHER
!RE YOU THE ELDEST MEMBER OF THE FAMILY
-Y FATHER IS TWO YEARS OLDER THAN MY AUNT HIS SISTER
)N MY OPINION THE BEST )RANIAN FOOD IS chelo-kabab
7HERE IS THE NEAREST )RANIAN RESTAURANT
7E COME TO THIS RESTAURANT TWO OR THREE TIMES A MONTH
$O YOU formal COME TO THIS RESTAURANT FREQUENTLY
4HIS IS THE LARGEST SUPERMARKET IN THIS TOWN
) DONT WATCH TELEVISION
) LISTEN TO THE RADIO
$O YOU formal COME HERE EVERY DAY
4HEY DONT COME TO %NGLAND EVERY YEAR

4HEY COME HERE ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS
/N &RIDAYS WE COME HOME LATE
7E DONT COME TO THE &ARSI CLASS IN THE SUMMER

4HE FOLLOWING IS WHAT YOUR )RANIAN FRIEND WROTE IN A RECENT EMAIL
MÄ YEK XÄNE DAR QARB E ÆIRÄZ DÄRIM ÄDRES E MÄ IN AST

ÆIRÄZ KOD E POSTI E XIÄBÄN E SA{DI KUCE YE NARGES PELÄK E
MANZEL E HOSEINI
RU BE RU YE KUCE YE MÄ YEK POMP E BENZIN AST DAR TARAF E RÄST E KUCE

YEK PITZÄ FORUÆI AST DAR TARAF E CAP E KUCE NÄNVÄYI AST JELO YE XÄNE YE
MÄ YEK SANDUQ E POST AST DÄXEL E KUCE DARB E CAHÄROM DAST E CAP
MANZEL E MÄ AST
XÄNE YE MÄ ZIÄD BOZORG NIST AMMÄ OTÄQ E MAN BOZORGTARIN OTÄQ DAR
MANZEL E MÄST OTÄQ E XÄHARAM AZ MÄL E MAN KUCEKTAR VALI QAÆANG
TAR AST U DAR OTÄQAÆ AKS VA POSTER ZIÄD DÄRAD MAN DAR OTÄQAM FAQAT
YEK POSTER E BOZORG AZ ÆAJARIÄN DÄRAM BE NAZAR E MAN U BEHTARIN
XÄNANDE YE IRÄN AST
MAN HAR ÆAB ÄVÄZHÄ YE U RÄ GUÆ MIKONAM U HAR SE YÄ CAHÄR SÄL YEK
BÄR DAR ÆIRÄZ KONSERT EJRÄ MIKONAD AMME VA DÄYIAM DAR ESFAHÄN
ZENDEGI MIKONAND ÄNHÄ BARÄYE DIDAN E ÆAJARIÄN VA ÆENIDAN E SEDÄ YE
U BE ÆIRÄZ MIÄYAND PESAR DÄYIAM DAR ORKESTR E U TÄR MIZANAD JÄ YE
ÆOMÄ XÄLI XEILI XOÆ MIGO ZARAD
)N WHICH PART OF 3HIRAZ DOES SHE LIVE

7HAT TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION DO THEY HER FAMILY HAVE
7HAT IS HER ADDRESS
7HAT IS OPPOSITE THEIR ALLEYWAY
7HERE IS THE PIZZA SHOP
7HAT IS ON THE LEFT OF THE ALLEYWAY
7HERE IS THE POST BOX
7HICH SIDE OF THE ALLEYWAY IS THEIR HOME LOCATED
7HAT COMMENT DOES SHE MAKE ABOUT THE SIZE OF THEIR HOME
7HO HAS THE LARGEST ROOM
7HAT COMPARISONS DOES SHE MAKE ABOUT ROOMS
7HAT ARE YOU LIKELY TO SEE IN THE ROOMS MENTIONED
7HAT OPINION DOES SHE EXPRESS
7HAT DOES SHE LISTEN TO EVERY EVENING
7HAT HAPPENS EVERY THREE OR FOUR YEARS
7HY DOES SHE MENTION %SFAHAN
7HO COMES TO 3HIRAZ AND WHY
7HO IN HER FAMILY IS A MUSICIAN
7HICH INSTRUMENT DOES SHE PLAY
(OW DO WE KNOW SHE IS TALKING ABOUT A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE
Unit Six
vorud be tehrAn
Arriving in Tehran

s ANSWER ROUTINE QUESTIONS ASKED BY IMMIGRATION AND
CUSTOMS OFFICERS
s WISH SOMEONE A NICE TIME AND RECIPROCATE
s SUGGEST THAT YOU AND OTHERS DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
s TALK ABOUT SOMETHING YOU ARE DOING NOW
s TALK ABOUT SOMETHING YOU WILL DO IN THE FUTURE
s ASK SOMEONE NOT TO DO SOMETHING
s OFFER TO DO SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE
Unit 6: Arriving in Tehran 83
Dialogue 1
How long will you stay in Iran? (CD1; 50)
!N !USTRALIAN TOURIST T HAS JUST ARRIVED AT 4EHRAN AIRPORT

4HE PASSPORT OFFICER O BEGINS THE CONVERSATION
O
T
O
T
O
T
O
T
O
T
O
T
O
O GOZARNÄME LOTFAN
4 BEFARMÄYID
O MOTA ÆAKKERAM CAND VAQT TU IRÄN MIMUNID
4 HODUD E SE MÄH
O HADAFETUN AZ IN SAFAR CIE
4 VÄLLÄ MAN ZABÄN ÆENÄS HASTAM DÄRAM RU YE LAHJE YE ÆIRIN E
ESFAHÄNI KÄR MIKONAM
O ÄLI ES ÄDRES E MOÆAXXASI DÄRID TU IRÄN
4 NA MIRAM HOTEL
O DAR KODUM HOTEL EQÄMAT MIKONID
4 HOTEL AMIR DAR TEHRÄN VA HOTEL ABBÄS DAR ESFAHÄN
O BEFARMÄYID BE IRÄN XOÆ UMADID
4 XEILI MAMNUN XODÄ HÄFEZ
O XODÄ NEGAHDÄR
84 Unit 6: vorud be tehrAn
O (Your) passport, please.

4 Here you are.
O Thank you. How long will you stay in Iran?
4 About three months.
O What’s the ( LIT your) purpose of this visit?
4 Well, I’m a linguist. I’m working on the sweet Esfahani accent.
O That’s excellent [with an Esfahani accent]! Do you have a known
address in Iran?
4 No, I’ll go to a hotel.
O In which hotel will you be staying?
4 Amir Hotel in Tehran and Abbas Hotel in Esfahan.
O Here you are. Welcome to Iran.
4 Much obliged. Goodbye.
O Goodbye.
A Vocabulary
CB
gozarn1me PASSPORT
lotfan PLEASE
befarm1yid HERE YOU ARE
mot(a)2akker THANKFUL GRATEFUL
mot(a)2akkeram )M GRATEFUL THANKS
cand HOW MUCH
vaqt TIME
mimunid YOU WILL STAY
mundan (mun) TO STAYREMAIN
hodud-e ABOUT APPROXIMATELY
hadaf PURPOSE AIM
az OF FROM
safar VISIT TRIP
v1ll1 WELL ;FROM !RABIC wall1h
BY 'OD=
zab1n LANGUAGE
zab1n-2en1s LINGUIST
lahje ACCENT
2irin SWEET
1li EXCELLENT
es SHORT FOR ast @IS
;IN %SFAHANI ACCENT=
mo2axxas SPECIFIC KNOWN
kodum WHICH
eq1mat RESIDENCE
eq1mat kardan (kon) TO STAYRESIDE
xo2 HAPPY PLEASANT
xo2 umadid WELCOME
mamnun GRATEFUL OBLIGED
xeili mamnun MUCH OBLIGED
negahd1r PROTECTOR
xod1 negahd1r 'OODBYE ;lit -AY 'OD BE
YOUR PROTECTOR=

Future simple tense
4HE LITERARY FORM OF THIS TENSE IS EXPLAINED IN THE 2EFERENCE GRAMMAR

AT THE END OF THIS BOOK )N COLLOQUIAL 0ERSIAN THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE
SEE 5$ IS ALSO USED TO REFER TO A FUTURE ACT OR FACT 4HEREFORE THE
SENTENCE
cand vaqt tu ir1n mimunid?
CAN HAVE ANY OF THESE MEANINGS
@(OW LONG DO YOU STAY IN )RAN /2

@(OW LONG WILL YOU STAY IN )RAN /2 EVEN
@(OW LONG WILL YOU BE STAYING IN )RAN
4O MAKE THE VERB NEGATIVE WE ADD THE PREFIX ne-
zi1d nemimunam.
) WONT STAY LONG
(ERE IS ANOTHER SENTENCE FROM THE ABOVE DIALOGUE USING A SIMILAR

STRUCTURE
miram hotel. )LL GO TO A HOTEL
9OU WILL NOTE THAT THIS IS A REDUCED VERSION OF
man be hotel miram.
3EE @2EDUCTION IN 5$
Exercise 1
With the help of the English translations, fill in each blank with the
appropriate form of a verb from the box below. The first one has been
done for you.
kardan (kon) TO DO
mundan (mun) TO STAY ON TO
REMAIN
tam121 kardan (kon) TO WATCH
raftan TO GO
safar kardan (kon) TO TRAVEL
eq1mat kardan (kon) TO STAY RESIDE
bar ga2tan (gard) TO RETURN
7HAT ARE YOU OR WILL YOU BE DOING NEXT WEEKEND
1xar-e hafte-ye 1yande ce-k1r ________?
%XAMPLE
1xar-e hafte-ye 1yande ce-k1r mikonid?
.OTHING )LL STAY AT HOME AND WATCH 46
hicci! tu xune ________ o televizion ________
)LL GO TO 0ARIS FOR SHOPPING
bar1ye xarid be p1ris ________

(OW WILL YOU TRAVEL
b1 ci ________?
7HO WILL YOU TRAVEL WITH
b1 ki ________?
7HERE WILL YOU STAY IN 0ARIS
dar p1ris, koj1 ________?
(OW LONG WILL YOU STAY IN 0ARIS
cand vaqt dar p1ris ________?
7HEN WILL YOU RETURN TO ,ONDON
kei be landan ________?
Exercise 2
More practice with the verb umadan (1) ‘to come’. Can
you say the following to a Persian-speaker? See U5D2 for help with
this verb.
7ILL YOU COME WITH ME

)LL COME WITH YOU
3HELL COME WITH US
7ELL COME WITH YOU
4HEYLL COME WITH ME
)LL COME TO YOUR OFFICE TOMORROW
7ILL YOU COME TO MY PARTY NEXT WEEKEND
Present continuous
How to say ‘I’m eating lunch.’

9OU WILL BE DELIGHTED TO KNOW THAT COLLOQUIAL 0ERSIAN USES THE SAME
STRUCTURE IE THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE INTRODUCED IN 5$ TO EXPRESS
ALL THESE FORMS
) EAT PRESENT SIMPLE

)LL EAT FUTURE SIMPLE
)M EATING PRESENT CONTINUOUS
7HO SAID 0ERSIAN WAS A DIFFICULT LANGUAGE
4HE VERB NEEDED IS MY FAVOURITE ONE xordan (xor)
@TO EAT
n1h1r mixoram. )M EATING LUNCH
4O EMPHASISE THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF DOING SOMETHING
WE ADD THE VERB d12tan (d1r) @TO HAVE SEE 5$ PURELY
AS AN AUXILIARY VERB
d1ram n1h1r mixoram.
) AM IN THE MIDDLE OF EATING LUNCH
Note: 4HE OBJECT n1h1r @LUNCH IS SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE AUX
ILIARY VERB d1ram AND THE MAIN VERB mixoram 4HIS CAN
HAPPEN WITH ADVERBS TOO
d1ram bid1r mi2am!
)M WAKING UP ;)M BEGINNING TO WAKE UP=
d1ram kam-kam bid1r mi2am!
)M GRADUALLY WAKING UP
-ORE EXAMPLES
al`1n d1rid ce-k1r mikonid?
7HAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT NOW
al `1n d1ram televizion tam121 mikonam.

)M WATCHING 46 RIGHT NOW
al`1n d1ram k1r mikonam.
)M WORKING RIGHT NOW
d1ram ru-ye lahje-ye esfah1ni k1r mikonam.

)M WORKING ON THE %SFAHANI ACCENT
d1ram ru-ye lahje-ye 2irin-e esfah1ni k1r mikonam.

)M WORKING ON THE SWEET %SFAHANI ACCENT
4HIS EXAMPLE APPEARS IN $IALOGUE ABOVE
Exercise 3
With the help of the English translations, complete the following sentences
by putting appropriate numbers and letters in the boxes. Each sentence
needs one item from each of the columns below to become complete.
The first one has been done for you.
Auxiliary verbs Main verbs
d1re A b1zi mikonand

d1rid B mikoni
d1ram C mikone
d1rand D miram
d1rim E mixorid
d1ri F tam121 mikonim
G mi1d
)M GOING TO THE OFFICE 7ERE WATCHING A FILM
D 3
3 D ed1re. film .
(ESHES COMING HERE !RE YOU EATING DINNER
inj1. 21m ?
7HAT ARE YOU DOING 4HEYRE PLAYING TENNIS
ce-k1r ? tenis .
(ESHES SWIMMING
2en1 .
Exercise 4
Put these jumbled sentences in order, and then translate them into
English.

mixoram – d1ram – man – sup.

b1zi mikonim – d1rim – futb1l – m1.

2en1 mikonand – d1rand – unh1.

be – gu2 mikonam – r1dio – d1ram.

dars mide – d1re – moàllem – f1rsi.

d1re – pi1no – ki – mizane?

dorost mikonim – d1rim – 21m.

emeilh1tun-o – cek mikonid – d1rid?

mi2uram – zarfh1-ro – d1ram.

ruzn1me – d1re – x1haram – mixune.
Exercise 5
(OW LONG WILL YOU STAY HERE .OTHING )LL STAY AT HOME
)LL STAY HERE FOR A MONTH )LL GO TO )RAN NEXT YEAR
7HERE WILL YOU STAY (ESHES LOOKING AT YOU
)LL RENT A FLAT !RE YOU WRITING A LETTER
7HAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT 4HEYRE DANCING
NOW )M BUYING A TICKETCLOTHES
)M LISTENING TO THE NEWS )M SHOPPING FOR THE .EW
)M READING A NEWSPAPER 9EAR
7HAT WILL YOU BE DOING THIS -AHNAZ IS TAKING HER SON
WEEKEND TO SCHOOL
Dialogue 2
Going through customs (CD1; 53)
0ARTICIPANTS CUSTOMS OFFICER O PASSENGER 0
O
0
O
0
O
0
O
0
O
0
O
0
O
O CAMEDUNETUN O BEZÄRID RU MIZ LOTFAN

0 IN SÄK DASTI RO HAM BEZÄRAM
O BALE LOTFAN
0 BEFARMÄYID
O CAND NAFARID
0 DO NAFAR MAN O XÄNOMAM
O CI DÄRID
0 CIZ E XÄSSI NADÄRIM BIÆTAR LEBÄS O VASÄYEL E ÆAXSIE
KAMI HAM SOUQÄT
O BARÄYE MAN
0 QÄBELI NADÄRE
O XÄHEÆ MIKONAM XOB LAVÄZEM E BARQI DÄRID
0 FAQAT YEK RIÆ TARÄÆ DÄRAM
O MOTA ÆAKKERAM BEFARMÄYID XOÆ BEGZARE
O Put your suitcase on the table, please.

0 Shall I put down this holdall as well?
O: Yes, please.
0 Here you are.
O How many of you are there (together)?
0 Two people: My wife and I.
O What have you got (to declare)?
0 We haven’t got anything special. It’s mostly clothes and
personal belongings. Also a few souvenirs.
O For me?
0 Be my guest LIT It’s not worthy [of you].
O No, thanks LIT please OK, do you have any electric
appliances?
0 I only have a shaver.
O Thank you. Please go ahead. Have a nice time.
A Vocabulary
CB
camedun SUITCASE
camedunetun YOUR SUITCASE
bez1rid PLEASE PUT
s1k-dasti HOLDALL
bez1ram SHALL ) PUT
cand HOW MANY

nafar PERSONPEOPLE WHEN COUNTING
ciz THING
x1ss SPECIAL
bi2tar MOSTLY MORE
leb1s CLOTHES
vas1yel MEANS THINGS
2axsi PERSONAL
vas1yel-e 2axsi PERSONAL EFFECTSBELONGINGS
kam LITTLE
kami A LITTLE
souq1t SOUVENIR
q1bel WORTH WORTHY
q1beli AANY WORTH
x1he2 REQUEST
x1he2 mikonam ) REQUEST YOU NOT TO SAY SUCH THINGS
lav1zem APPLIANCES
barqi ELECTRICAL
faqat ONLY
ri2 BEARD
ri2-tar12 SHAVER
xo2 begzare. (AVE A NICE TIME

Imperative
How to say ‘Put it on the table, please.’

4HE VERB WE NEED IS goz12tan (z1r) @TO PUT
(ERE IS THE FORMULA
0REFIX be- PRESENT STEM OF VERB
Note: 4HE be- PREFIX CARRIES THE WORD STRESS

(ERE IS THE RESULT
bez1r 0UT
4HIS FORM IS USED WHEN ASKING A CLOSE FRIEND TO DO SOMETHING &OR

A MORE FORMAL REQUEST WE ADD THE SUFFIX -id
bez1rid 0UT
.OW A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE OF THE SENTENCE
bez1rid ru miz, lotfan.

0UT IT ON THE TABLE PLEASE
.OW THE SENTENCE USED IN THE DIALOGUE
camedunetun-o bez1rid ru miz, lotfan.

0UT YOUR SUITCASE ON THE TABLE PLEASE
4O MAKE THE VERB NEGATIVE WE REPLACE THE be- PREFIX WITH

na-
Note: !S ALWAYS THE NEGATIVE PREFIX CARRIES THE WORD STRESS
camedunetun-o naz1rid ru miz, lotfan.

$ONT PUT YOUR SUITCASE ON THE TABLE PLEASE
-ORE EXAMPLES
ne2astan (2in) TO SIT DOWN

lotfan inj1 be2inid. 0LEASE SIT HERE
lotfan unj1 na2inid. 0LEASE DONT SIT
THERE
bastan (band) TO CLOSE
lotfan dar-o 0LEASE CLOSE THE
bebandid. DOOR
lotfan dar-o 0LEASE DONT CLOSE
nabandid. THE DOOR
zadan (zan) TO PLAY
lotfan kami pi1no 0LEASE PLAY THE
bezanid. PIANO A LITTLE
Special cases
)T IS ALL ABOUT THE @0RESENT STEM 03 FOR SHORT 3OME 03ES ARE NOT
COLLOQUIALISED AT ALL WHILE OTHERS ARE TO VARYING DEGREES (ERE ARE THE
VERBS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE TABLE ON P
Note: 03ES NORMALLY APPEAR IN 7HERE THERE IS A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE COLLOQUIAL 03 AND THE FULL LITERARY 03 THE LATTER IS PLACED
IN ; =
bastan (band) TO CLOSE

didan (bin) TO SEE
xordan (xor) TO EAT
goz12tan (z1r) [goz1r] TO PUT
goftan (g) [gu] TO TELLSAY
d1dan (d) [dah] [deh] TO GIVE
raftan (r) [rav] [rou] TO GO
boland 2odan (2) [2av] [2ou] TO GET UP
budan (hast) (b12) TO BE
d12tan (d1r) (d12te b12) TO HAVE
6ERBS AND 3UCH VERBS ARE THE EASIEST TO LEARN AS THEIR 03ES ARE
NOT COLLOQUIALISED
6ERB 4HE 03 IS NOT COLLOQUIALISED BUT THE be- PREFIX IS
6ERB 4HE 03 LOSES ITS FIRST SYLLABLE
6ERB 4HE 03 LOSES ITS VOWEL
6ERB (AS TWO LITERARY 03ES
A dah 'ENERIC 4HIS IS COLLOQUIALISED AS d

B deh 5SED WITH IMPERATIVE INFORMAL @YOU )T IS NOT
COLLOQUIALISED
A rav 'ENERIC 4HIS IS COLLOQUIALISED AS r

B rou 5SED WITH IMPERATIVE INFORMAL @YOU )T IS NOT COLLOQUIALISED
BUT NOTE THE VOWEL CHANGE IN THE PREFIX
A 2av 'ENERIC 4HIS IS COLLOQUIALISED AS 2

B 2ou 5SED WITH IMPERATIVE INFORMAL @YOU )T IS NOT

COLLOQUIALISED
Note: 7ITH COMPOUND VERBS THE be- PREFIX IS OFTEN DROPPED
3EE BELOW
6ERB (AS TWO STEMS
A hast GENERIC
B b12 USED WITH ALL IMPERATIVE FORMS
6ERB (AS TWO STEMS
A d1r GENERIC
B d12te b12 USED WITH ALL IMPERATIVE FORMS
No Literary Colloquial Meaning
Formal Informal Formal Informal
#LOSE
bebandid beband bebandid beband
3EE,OOK
bebinid bebin bebinid bebin
%AT
bexorid bexor boxorid boxor
0UT
begoz1rid begoz1r bez1rid bez1r
4ELL3AY
beguyid begu begid begu
'IVE
bedahid bedeh bedid bedeh
'O
beravid borou berid borou
'ET UP
boland 2avid boland 2ou boland 2id boland 2ou
"E
b12id b12 b12id b12
(AVE
d12te b12id d12te b12 d12te b12id d12te b12
%XAMPLES FOR AND

sabur b12/b12id! "E PATIENT inf/f
sabr d12te (AVE PATIENCE
b12/b12id! inf/f
&OR THE NEGATIVE THE PREFIX na- IS USED
naband $ONT CLOSE
naxor $ONT EAT
naz1r $ONT PUT
nagu $ONT TELLSAY
nadeh $ONT GIVE
narou $ONT GO inf
boland na2ou $ONT GET UP
negar1n nab12 $ONT WORRY lit $ONT BE WORRIED
.OTE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE be- PREFIX WHEN THE PRESENT STEM OF
THE VERB BEGINS WITH THE VOWEL 1
umadan (1) TO COME
1vordan (1r) TO BRING
bi1 #OME inf bi1id #OME f
bi1r "RING inf bi1rid "RING f
!LSO NOTE THE NEGATIVE FORMS
nay1 $ONT COME inf nay1id $ONT COME f
nay1r $ONT BRING inf nay1rid $ONT BRING f
3OME COMPOUND VERBS FIND IT MORE CONVENIENT TO DROP THE be-
PREFIX !MONG THEM ARE bar d12tan (d1r) @TO PICK UP
bar ga2tan (gard) @TO RETURN AND THOSE FORMED WITH
THE HELP OF THE VERBS kardan (kon) @TO DO AND
2odan (2) @TO BECOME
lotfan gu2i-ro 0LEASE PICK UP THE
bar d1rid. RECEIVERPHONE
lotfan bar gardid. 0LEASE RETURN
lotfan telefon konid. 0LEASE TELEPHONE
lotfan b1z konid. 0LEASE OPEN
lotfan sabr konid. 0LEASE WAIT
lotfan boland 2id. 0LEASE GET UP
lotfan bid1r 2id. 0LEASE WAKE UP
&OR THE NEGATIVE WE ADD THE PREFIX na-
lotfan gu2i-ro 0LEASE DONT PICK UP

bar nad1rid. THE RECEIVERPHONE
lotfan bar nagardid. 0LEASE DONT RETURN
lotfan telefon 0LEASE DONT
nakonid. TELEPHONE
lotfan b1z nakonid. 0LEASE DONT OPEN
lotfan boland na2id. 0LEASE DONT GET UP
!LSO NOTE THESE INTERESTING CASES (CD1; 55)
Informal/singular
s1l1det-o boxor. )NTONATION LOW FALL
%AT YOUR SALAD 2EQUESTORDER
s1l1det-o boxori! )NTONATION HIGH FALL

%AT YOUR SALAD $ONT FORGET -AKE SURE YOU DO
dar-o b1z nakon. )NTONATION LOW FALL

$ONT OPEN THE DOOR 2EQUESTPLEADING
dar-o b1z nakoni! )NTONATION HIGH FALL

$ONT OPEN THE DOOR 7ARNING "E CAREFUL NOT TO
Formal/plural
s1l1detun-o boxorid. )NTONATION LOW FALL
%AT YOUR SALAD 2EQUESTORDER
s1l1detun-o boxorid! )NTONATION HIGH FALL

%AT YOUR SALAD $ONT FORGET -AKE SURE YOU DO
dar-o b1z nakonid. )NTONATION LOW FALL

$ONT OPEN THE DOOR 2EQUESTPLEADING
dar-o b1z nakonid! )NTONATION HIGH FALL

$ONT OPEN THE DOOR 7ARNING "E CAREFUL NOT TO
!S IN %NGLISH WHEN WE ARE ASKING SOMEONE TO DO US A FAVOUR IT IS

PERHAPS MORE POLITE TO USE A QUESTION FORM RATHER THAN THE IMPERA
TIVE #OMPARE
un dar-o mibandid, 7ILL YOU CLOSE THAT

lotfan? DOOR PLEASE
un dar-o bebandid, #LOSE THAT DOOR
lotfan. PLEASE
Exercise 6
With the help of the English translations, fill in each blank with the cor-
rect verb form.
0LEASE SIT HERE f

lotfan inj1 ________
%XAMPLE
lotfan inj1 be2inid.
0LEASE CLOSE THE WINDOW inf

lotfan panjara-ro ________
0LEASE PLAY THE VIOLIN A LITTLE f

lotfan kami violon ________
0LEASE TELL ME YOUR NAME f

lotfan esmetun-o ________
0LEASE GIVE ME YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER f
lotfan 2om1re telefonetun-o ________
0LEASE GO TO 2OOM f

lotfan ________ ot1q-e dah.
0LEASE GO OUT inf

lotfan ________ birun!
0LEASE GET UP f

lotfan boland ________
0LEASE COME HERE f

lotfan ________ inj1.
0LEASE BRING SOME WATER f

lotfan kami 1b ________
0LEASE OPEN THE DOOR inf

lotfan dar-o ________
0LEASE WAIT A MOMENT f

lotfan yek lahze ________
Exercise 7
Make the sentences in Exercise 6 negative. The first one has been done
for you.
0LEASE DONT SIT HERE f

lotfan inj1 na2inid.
Exercise 8
Change the requests made in Exercise 6 into question forms. The new
requests will be more polite! The first one has been done for you.
7ILL YOU SIT HERE PLEASE f

inj1 mi2inid, lotfan?
A polite ‘go ahead’ signal
4HE VERB USED IS farmudan (farm1) WHICH ORIGINALLY

MEANT @TO COMMANDORDER 0UT IN THE IMPERATIVE FORM THIS IS HOW IT
LOOKS befarm1yid )N MODERN 0ERSIAN THIS CONVEYS THE
MEANING @PLEASE GO AHEAD AND IS USED IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS INCLUDING
WHEN ANSWERING THE PHONE OFFERING A SEAT OR FOOD TO A GUEST HAND
ING SOMETHING TO SOMEONE ASKING SOMEONE TO COME IN OR GO INOUT
FIRST INVITING OTHERS TO SAY WHAT THEY WISH TO SAY ETC .ATURALLY THIS
IS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY AN APPROPRIATE GESTURE
How to say ‘Let’s go.’
4HE IMPERATIVE FORM CAN BE EXTENDED TO FIRST AND THIRD PERSONS BY

ADDING THE APPROPRIATE PERSONAL ENDING
berim. ,ETS GO

berand xune. ,ET THEM GO HOME
cand daqiqe sabr konand, zud bar migardam.

,ET THEM OR ASK THEM TO WAIT A FEW MINUTES )LL RETURN SOON
4HE SAME FORM CAN BE USED FOR CONSULTATION OR SUGGESTION
berim? 3HALL WE GO

em2ab berim 3HALL WE GO TO THE
sinem1? CINEMA TONIGHT
dar-o bebandam? 3HALL ) CLOSE THE DOOR
qahve dorost 3HALL ) MAKE SOME
konam? COFFEE
mive bi1ram? 3HALL ) BRING YOU SOME
FRUIT
c1i berizam? 3HALL ) POUR YOU SOME
TEA
rixtan (riz) TO POUR
yek c1i-e dige 3HALL ) POUR YOU
berizam? ANOTHER CUP OF TEA
Exercise 9
What proposals (or consultations) are being made?
Vocabulary you may need:
rou2an/x1mu2 TO TURN ONOFF

kardan (kon)
x1bidan (x1b) TO GO TO SLEEP
h1l1 NOW
21m boxorim?
2 em2ab berim restur1n.
3 kodum restur1n berim?
televizion-o rou2an konam?
bebinim televizion ci d1re.
6 h1l1 kami televizion tam121
konim.
7 televizion-o x1mu2 konam?
h1l1 be2inim o bebinim
b1b1 bozorg ci migand.
h1l1 bex1bim.
How to say ‘Have a nice time.’
6OCABULARY NEEDED
xo2 PLEASANTLY
goza2tan (gozar) FOR SOMETHING EG TIME
TO PASS
4HE PATTERN IS xo2 begozare REDUCED TO xo2 begzare!

)T LITERALLY MEANS @,ET OR MAY THE TIME PASS PLEASANTLY TO YOU
/R SIMPLY @(AVE A NICE TIME 4HIS CAN BE USED IN VARIOUS CONTEXTS
SUCH AS
ta`til1t xo2 (AVE A NICE

begzare. HOLIDAY
1xar-e hafte xo2 (AVE A NICE
begzare. WEEKEND
mehmuni/p1rti (AVE A NICE TIME
xo2 begzare. AT THE PARTY
ir1n xo2 begzare. (AVE A NICE
TIME IN )RAN
! COMMON REPLY IS
mamnun, 2om1 4HANKS YOU TOO

ham hamintour.
Exercise 10
Ask a Persian speaking friend:
4O EAT SOME FRUIT

4O COME AND SIT NEXT TO YOU
4O PASS lit GIVE THE SALADSALT
4O BRING YOU SOME WATER
4O CLOSEOPEN THE DOORWINDOW
4O MAKE SOME TEA
4O TURN ONOFF THE LIGHT
4O PICK UP THEIR BOOK
4O PUT THEIR PEN IN THEIR POCKET
4O GO TO SLEEP
4O WAKE UP
Sequencing
.OTE THIS SEQUENCING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN %NGLISH AND 0ERSIAN
man o piter 0ETER AND ) lit ) AND 0ETER

man o dustam MY FRIEND AND ) lit ) AND
MY FRIEND
man o 2ouharam MY HUSBAND AND ) lit ) AND
MY HUSBAND
man o x1nomam MY WIFE AND ) lit ) AND MY WIFE
Be my guest!
7HEN THE CUSTOMS OFFICER JOKINGLY ASKS IF THE SOUVENIRS ARE FOR HIM
THE PASSENGER REPLIES q1beli nad1re! ,ITERALLY THIS MEANS
@IT DOESNT HAVE ANYMUCH WORTH BUT FUNCTIONALLY IT CONVEYS THIS
MESSAGE @9OUD BE MORE THAN WELCOME TO HAVE THEM AS A GIFT
ALTHOUGH THEYRE NOT WORTHY OF YOU 4HIS IS A VERY COMMON ALMOST
SOCIALLYCULTURALLY EXPECTED RESPONSE TO A COMMENT MADE BY OTHERS
ABOUT ONE OF OUR BELONGINGS 3EE THE DIALOGUE FOR A COMMON REPLY
TO THIS
Exercise 11
7HERE SHALL ) PUT YOUR SANDWICH

"RING IT HERE PLEASE
7ILL YOU BRING ME SOME SOUVENIRS FROM )RAN
7ILL YOU PLAY THE GUITAR ATIN MY BIRTHDAY PARTY
$ONT EAT THAT APPLE n ITS BADROTTEN
7ILL YOU PASS lit GIVE THE MAYONNAISE PLEASE
7HAT DID YOU DO LAST WEEKEND 4ELL ME
$ONT GO TO HIS PARTY
7HAT SHALL WE EAT FOR DINNER
$ONT TELL SAY TO !HMAD ABOUT IT
$ONT LISTEN TO HIM
#LOSEOPEN YOUR EYES
%NJOY THE PARTY
(AVE A NICE WEEKEND 4HANKS YOU TOO

-Y FATHER AND ) WILL GO TO )RAN NEXT SUMMER (AVE A NICE TIME
3HALL WE GO TO THE SUPERMARKET THIS AFTERNOON
(OW MANY OF YOU ARE THERE
4HERE ARE FOUR OF US MY WIFE AND ) AND TWO CHILDREN
0LEASE COME TO OUR HOUSE AND BRING YOUR CHILDREN TOO
0LEASE DONT WORRY lit $ONT BE WORRIED
0LEASE WAIT A FEW MOMENTS )LL RETURN HOME SOON
3HALL ) BRING YOUR DINNER
7HICH FILM SHALL WE WATCHSEE
0LEASE DONT COME HERE AGAIN

,ISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN *AMES * AND A TAXI DRIVER $
AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS IN %NGLISH
*
$
*
$
*
$
*
$
*
$
*
$
* IN CAMEDUN O KOJÄ BEZÄRAM

$ BEZÄRID TU SANDUQE AQAB XOB KOJÄ MIRID
* HOTEL FERDOUSI LOTFAN MIDUNID KOJÄST
$ BALE AHL E KOJÄYID
* OSTERÄLIÄ
$ CAND VAQT TU IRÄN MIMUNID
* DO HAFTE LOTFAN HAMIN JÄ JELO YE SUPERMÄRKET NEGAH DÄRID

$ CAÆM BEFARMÄYID
* XEILI MAMNUN CAND ÆOD
$ HEZÄR TOMAN
* BEFARMÄYID
$ MERSI XOÆ BEGZARE
7HAT ADVICE DOES * SEEK AND GET

7HY DOESNT * GIVE $ THE ADDRESS OF HIS DESTINATION
7HERE IS * FROM
(OW LONG DOES HE INTEND TO STAY IN )RAN
7HERE DOES HE WANT TO GET OFF
(OW MUCH DOES HE PAY FOR HIS FARE
7HAT DOES THE DRIVER SAY AT THE END OF THE DIALOGUE
Unit Seven
dar irAn
In Iran

s GET A TAXI TO YOUR DESTINATION
s TALK ABOUT WHAT MIGHTMAYCANSHOULDMUST HAPPEN
s ASK SOMEONE IF HESHE WANTS YOU TO DO SOMETHING
FOR HIMHER
s BOOK AND CHECK INTO A HOTEL
s COMPLAIN ABOUT THE STANDARD OF A HOTEL
0ERSEPOLIS 3HIRAZ 0HOTOGRAPH BY $ONAL /,EARY

Unit 7: In Iran 107
Dialogue 1
Getting a taxi (CD1; 57)
'ETTING HUNTING FOR A TAXI IN 4EHRAN IS AN ART )N THE UNLIKELY EVENT

OF FINDING A COMPLETELY EMPTY TAXI HERE IS A POTENTIAL CONVERSATION
A PASSENGER P MAY HOLD WITH THE DRIVER $
P
$
P
$
P
$
P
P TÄ ÆEMRUN CAND
$ PANJ HEZÄR TOMAN
P SE HEZÄR TOMAN MIBARID
$ CÄR HEZÄR O PUNSAD ÄXAREÆ
P BÄÆE IN CAMEDUN XEILI SANGINE MITUNID BEZÄRID TU SANDUQE
AQAB LOTFAN
$ XÄHEÆ MIKONAM
P HAMINJÄHÄ PIÄDE MIÆAM XEILI MAMNUN BEFARMÄYID CÄR HEZÄR O
PUNSAD TOMAN
P How much to Shemrun (Shemran)?

$ 5,000 tumans.
P Will you take (me there for) 3,000 tumans?
$ 4,500 (tumans is) the last (price).
P OK. This suitcase is very heavy. Can you put (it) in the boot,
please?
$ By all means . . .
P I’ll get out somewhere here, thank you. Here you are, 4,500
tumans.
108 Unit 7: dar irAn
A Vocabulary
CB t1 UP TO
2emrun col FOR 3HEMIRAN A PLACE
toman tuman )RANIAN CURRENCY RIALS
mibarid WILL YOU TAKECARRY
bordan (bar) TO TAKECARRY
1xar LAST END
1xare2 THE FINAL PRICE
b12e /+ lit LET IT BE SO BE IT
sangin HEAVY
mitunid CAN YOU
tunestan (tun) TO BE ABLE
bez1rid FOR YOU TO PUT
sanduq(-e) aqab CAR BOOT
x1he2 mikonam BY ALL MEANS
hamin-j1 RIGHT HERE
hamin-j1h1 SOMEWHERE HERE
pi1de mi2am )LL GET OFFOUT
pi1de 2odan (2) TO GET OFFOUT

Simple subjunctive
How to say ‘Can you put it . . . ?’

4HE mi- PREFIX INTRODUCED IN 5$ ALSO USED IN 5$ SUGGESTS
THAT THE ACT OR FACT EXPRESSED BY THE VERB IS DEFINITE AS IN
em2ab mirim sinem1.

7ELL GO OR WERE GOING TO THE CINEMA TONIGHT
6ERB USED raftan (r) TO GO
Unit 7: In Iran 109
7HEN THE @DEFINITENESS OF THE ACT OR FACT EXPRESSED BY THE VERB IS

SOMEHOW AFFECTED BY A PRECEDING VERB THE SECOND VERB TAKES A
be- PREFIX AS IN
em2ab mitunim berim sinem1.

7E CAN GO TO THE CINEMA TONIGHT
!DDITIONAL VERB USED tunestan (tun) TO BE ABLE
4HUS WHEN TWO VERBS FOLLOW EACH OTHER THE SECOND VERB TAKES A
be- PREFIX
6ERB tunestan (tun) TO BE ABLE

6ERB goz12tan (z1r) TO PUT
mitunid YOU CAN

miz1rid YOU PUT
mitunid bez1rid YOU CAN PUT
mitunid bez1rid tu sanduq aqab?

#AN YOU PUT IT IN THE BOOT
&OR EASE OF REFERENCE THE FORM TAKEN BY THE SECOND VERB WILL BE REFERRED
TO AS THE @SUBJUNCTIVE #OMPARE WITH THE IMPERATIVE 5$
Note: 7ITH SOME COMPOUND VERBS THE be- PREFIX IS DROPPED
mitunam panjara-ro b1z konam?

#AN ) OPEN THE WINDOW
How to say: ‘I want to go.’

(ERE AGAIN WE HAVE TWO VERBS TO DEAL WITH
6ERB x1stan (x1) [x1h] TO WANT

6ERB raftan (r) [rav] TO GO
4HE FORMULA IS SIMILAR TO THE ABOVE (OWEVER SINCE THE REDUCED COLLOQUIAL
SPOKEN FORM OF 6ERB IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM ITS FULL LITERARYWRITTEN
FORM FIRST LET US FAMILIARISE OURSELVES WITH BOTH IN THE FOLLOWING
TABLE
Literary (written) Colloquial (spoken) Meaning
mi+x1h+am mix1m ) WANT

mi+x1h+i mix1i YOU WANT INFORMAL
mi+x1h+ad mix1d HESHEIT WANTS
mi+x1h+im mix1im WE WANT
mi+x1h+id mix1id YOU WANT FORMALPLURAL
mi+x1h+and mix1nd THEY WANT
man mix1m beram. ) WANT TO GO

to mix1i beri. 9OU inf WANT TO
GO
u mix1d bere. (ESHE WANTS TO
GO
m1 mix1im berim. 7E WANT TO GO
2om1 mix1id berid. 9OU WANT TO GO
unh1 mix1nd berand. 4HEY WANT TO GO
9OU WILL HAVE NOTICED THAT DIFFERENT PERSONAL ENDINGS HAVE BEEN USED FOR
THE TWO VERBS (ERE IS AN EXPLANATION 7HEN THE PRESENT STEM OF 6ERB IS
COLLOQUIALISED IT LOSES THE LETTER h LEAVING A PRESENT STEM WHICH ENDS IN
A VOWEL )N SUCH INSTANCES COLLOQUIAL 0ERSIAN USES THE LITERARY ENDING -ad
WITH THE INITIAL VOWEL DROPPED #OMPARE WITH THE VERB umadan (1)
@TO COME IN 5$
4O MAKE THE ABOVE SENTENCES NEGATIVE WE ADD ne- BEFORE mi:
man nemix1m beram. ) DONT WANT

TO GO
#OMPARE THESE LITERARY FORMS WITH THEIR COLLOQUIAL COUNTERPARTS ABOVE
man mix1ham beravam. ) WANT TO GO

to mix1hi beravi. 9OU WANT TO GO
inf
u mix1had beravad. (ESHE WANTS
TO GO
.OTE THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES WHERE THE SUBJECT OF THE SECOND VERB
IS A DIFFERENT PERSON
Unit 7: In Iran 111
mix1id beram?
$O YOU WANT ME TO GO
mix1id panjara-ro bebandam?
$O YOU WANT ME TO CLOSE THE WINDOW
Important: 4HE VERBS budan @TO BE AND d12tan @TO
HAVE HAVE THEIR OWN SPECIAL SUBJUNCTIVE STEMS b12 AND
d12te b12 RESPECTIVELY
mix1m nouruz dar ir1n b12am.

) WANT TO BE IN )RAN ON .EW 9EARS $AY
mix1d do t1 m12in d12te b12e.

(ESHE WANTS TO HAVE TWO CARS
! VERB OCCURRING AFTER THESE SPECIAL VERBS AND VERB FORMS NORMALLY
TAKES THE SUBJUNCTIVE FORM !LSO NOTE THEIR NEGATIVE FORMS
6OCABULARY USED b1yad MUST SHOULD 21yad MAYBE
PERHAPS MIGHT momken POSSIBLE momkene ITS
POSSIBLE MAY behtar BETTER behtare ITS BETTER
b1yad beram. ) MUSTSHOULD GO

nab1yad beram. ) MUSTNTSHOULDNT GO
21yad beram. ) MIGHT GO
21yad naram. ) MIGHT NOT GO
momkene beram. ) MAY GO
momkene naram. ) MAY NOT GO
behtare beram. )D BETTER GO
behtare naram. )D BETTER NOT GO
-ORE EXAMPLES
21yad xune 4HEY MIGHT BE

b12and. AT HOME
21yad xune 4HEY MIGHT NOT BE
nab12and. AT HOME
momkene m12in (ESHE MAY
d12te b12e. HAVE A CAR
momkene m12in (ESHE MAY NOT
nad12te b12e. HAVE A CAR
Exercise 1
Write the correct form of the verb in the blanks.
$O YOU WANT TO GO

mix1id ________? raftan (r)
%XAMPLE mix1id berid?
#AN WE GO TO A RESTAURANT TONIGHT
em2ab mitunim ________ restur1n? raftan (r)
) MUST SIT DOWN
b1yad ________. ne2astan (2in)
)D BETTER CLOSE THE WINDOW
behtare panjara-ro ________. bastan (band)
$O YOU WANT ME TO OPEN THE WINDOW
mix1id panjara-ro ________? b1z kardan (kon)
#AN YOU BE HERE EARLY MORNING TOMORROW
mitunid fard1 sobh-e zud inj1 ________? budan (b12)
(E MIGHT KNOW HER NAME
21yad esme2-o ???????? dunestan (dun)
$O YOU WANT TO SEE A FILM
mix1i yek film ________? didan (bin)
) MIGHT HAVE HIS PHONE NUMBER
21yad 2om1re telefone2-o ________. d12tan (d12te b12)
(E MAY NOT HAVE TIME
momkene vaqt ________. d12tan (d12te b12)

Unit 7: In Iran 113
(E MAY BE TIRED
momkene xaste ________. budan (b12)
(E MAY NOT BE AT HOME
momkene xune ________. budan (b12)
Exercise 2
Use one of these words in each sentence and make the necessary
changes. Follow the example.
b1yad MUSTSHOULD nab1yad MUSTNT

21yad MIGHT SHOULDNT
behtare ITS BETTER momkene MAY
emruz ahmad-o mibinam. m emruz b1yad ahmad-o bebinam.

) WILL SEE !HMAD TODAY m ) MUST SEE !HMAD TODAY
em2ab 21m nemixoram. m ________

) WONT EAT DINNER TONIGHT m )D BETTER NOT EAT DINNER TONIGHT
telefon d1re. m ________

(ESHE HAS A TELEPHONE m (ESHE MUST HAVE A TELEPHONE
m12in nad1rand. m ________

4HEY DONT HAVE A CAR m 4HEY MAY NOT HAVE A CAR
pul-e xord d1ram. m ________

) HAVE SOME SMALL CHANGE m ) MIGHT HAVE SOME SMALL CHANGE
1drese2-o d1ram. m ________

) HAVE HIS ADDRESS m ) MAY HAVE HIS ADDRESS
2om1 negar1n hastid. m ________

9OU ARE WORRIED m 9OU MUSTNT BE WORRIED
unh1 dar manzel nistand. m ________

4HEY ARE NOT AT HOME m 4HEY MAY NOT BE AT HOME
fard1 hav1 behtar mi2e. m ________

4OMORROW THE WEATHER WILL BECOME BETTER m 4OMORROW THE WEATHER
MIGHT BECOME BETTER
How to say ‘I, you, etc, want to come.’

)T HAS ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED THAT VERBS WHOSE PRESENT STEM ENDS
IN A VOWEL NEED MORE ATTENTION 7E HAVE MET TWO SUCH VERBS SO FAR
umadan (1) @TO COME AND x1stan (x1) @TO
WANT 4HEY ARE NOW BROUGHT TOGETHER IN THE BOX BELOW 0LEASE PAY
PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE WAY IN WHICH THE be- PREFIX IS SLIGHTLY MODI
FIED WHEN IT IS CONNECTED TO THE PRESENT STEM OF THE VERB @TO COME
man mix1m bi1m. ) WANT TO COME

to mix1i bi1i. 9OU WANT TO COME
inf
u mix1d bi1d. (ESHE WANTS TO
COME
m1 mix1im bi1im. 7E WANT TO COME
2om1 mix1id bi1id. 9OU WANT TO COME
unh1 mix1nd bi1nd. 4HEY WANT TO COME
Unit 7: In Iran 115
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of umadan (1)
‘to come’. Follow the example.
man mix1m b1 to ????????.

) WANT TO COME WITH YOU
%XAMPLE
man mix1m b1 to bi1m.
mix1id b1 man ________?

$O YOU WANT TO COME WITH ME
u mix1d b1 m1 ????????.
3HE WANTS TO COME WITH US
m1 mix1im b1 2om1 ????????.

7E WANT TO COME WITH YOU
unh1 mix1nd b1 man ????????.

4HEY WANT TO COME WITH ME
Exercise 4
#AN ) SEE THE NEWS "Y ALL MEANS

-UST YOU SEE THIS FILM RIGHT NOW .O ) CAN SEE IT TOMORROW
7ED BETTER NOT SIT HERE
) MIGHT HAVE HIS PHONE NUMBERADDRESS
9OU MUSTSHOULD HAVE PATIENCE
9OU MUST BE VERY HAPPY
Dialogue 2
Checking into a hotel (CD1; 60)
-R 'OWHARI G BOOKED A ROOM WHEN HE TELEPHONED THE HOTEL

LAST WEEK (E HAS JUST ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL WHERE HE IS GREETED
BY THE RECEPTIONIST R 4HE PORTER IS 0ARVIZ P
G
R
G
R
G
R
Unit 7: In Iran 117
G
R
P
G
P
G
P
G SALÄM XÄNOM
R SALÄM ÄQÄ
G XASTE NABÄÆID
R SALÄMAT BÄÆID BEFARMÄYID
G MAN GOUHARI HASTAM HAFTE YE PIÆ BE DAFTARETUN TELEFON KARDAM
VA YEK OTÄQ BARÄYE PANJ RUZ REZERV KARDAM
R EJÄZE BEDID DAFTAR O NEGÄH KONAM BALE DOROSTE QORBÄN
ÆOMÄRE YE OTÄQETUN SI O HAÆTE
G MOTA ÆAKKERAM BEBAXÆID MOMKENE LOTFAN BEGID IN
CAMEDUNHÄ RO BIÄRAND BÄLÄ
R BALE QORBÄN PARVIZ JÄN LOTFAN CAMEDUNHÄ YE ÄQÄ RO BEBAR
OTÄQ E SI O HAÆT
P BEFARMÄYID ÄQÄ AZ IN TARAF LOTFAN IN HAM ÆOMÄRE YE SI O
HAÆT OTÄQ E XUBIE RU BE PÄRKE MANZARAÆ XEILI QAÆANGE
G CAMEDUNHÄ SANGIN BUD DAST E ÆOMÄ DARD NAKONE
P SAR E ÆOMÄ DARD NAKONE
G BEFARMÄYID IN QÄBEL E ÆOMÄ NIST
P XEILI MAMNUN
G Hello madam.
2 Hello sir.
' ;LIT= May you not be tired ;3MALL TALK=
2 ;LIT= May you be in health ;3MALL TALK= What can I do
for you?
' I’m Gowhari. Last week I telephoned your office and booked a
room for five days.
R Allow me to have a look in the book. Yes, that’s right sir.
Your room number is 38.
G Thank you. Excuse me, could you please ask someone to bring
the suitcases upstairs?
R Yes sir. Dear Parviz, please take the gentleman’s suitcases to
room 38.
P Let’s go sir, this way please. . . . Here’s number 38. It’s a
good room. It’s facing the park. It has a very nice view.
G The suitcases were heavy. Thank you.
P You’re welcome.
G Here you are, this (tip) is not worthy of you.
P Much obliged.
A Vocabulary
CB
xaste TIRED
nab12id MAY YOU NOT BE
sal1mat HEALTH
b12id MAY YOU BE
hafte WEEK
pi2 LAST AGO
daftar OFFICE BOOK
telefon kardan (kon) TO TELEPHONE
ot1q ROOM
rezerv kardan (kon) TO BOOKRESERVE
ej1ze PERMISSION
ej1ze d1dan (d) TO ALLOW lit TO GIVE
PERMISSION
neg1h kardan (kon) TO LOOK
dorost CORRECT RIGHT
qorb1n 3IR USED BY A JUNIOR IN RANK
ADDRESSING A SENIOR
momken POSSIBLE
momkene IS IT POSSIBLE
begid FOR YOU TO TELLASK
bi1rand FOR THEM TO BRING
1vordan (1r) TO BRING
b1l1 UP UPSTAIRS
Unit 7: In Iran 119
bebar TAKECARRY
in ham HERES lit THIS ALSO
ru be FACING
manzare VIEW
manzara2 ITS VIEW
dast-e 2om1 dard 4HANK YOU
nakone.
sar-e 2om1 dard 9OURE WELCOME
nakone.
q1bel WORTHY

Small talk
A xaste nab12id. -AY YOU NOT BE TIRED

" sal1mat b12id. -AY YOU BE IN HEALTH
4HIS IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON MINI DIALOGUES USED BY 0ERSIAN

SPEAKERS IN VARIOUS SOCIAL AS WELL AS WORK SITUATIONS AS SENTENCE IS AN
EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION OF "S HARD WORK n IN THE OFFICE OR IN THE
KITCHEN PREPARING DELICIOUS MEALS FOR GUESTS 3OMETHING FUNCTIONALLY
SIMILAR IS USED IN %NGLISH WHEN A GUEST SAYS TO HIS HOST
@9OU MUST BE EXHAUSTED GOING TO ALL THIS TROUBLE PREPARING ALL

THIS FOOD FOR US
3O THERE IS A SHARED REFERENCE TO @FATIGUE IN BOTH CASES AS A MARK

OF APPRECIATION
Structured infinitive
How to say ‘to telephone someone’

! STRUCTURED INFINITIVE 3) FOR SHORT IS A VERB PATTERN THAT GIVES ALL THE
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS NEEDED TO CONSTRUCT A SENTENCE WITH EACH ELEMENT
SHOWN IN ITS APPROPRIATE PLACE &OR INSTANCE @TO TELEPHONE SOMEONE

IS AN 3) IN %NGLISH ON WHICH BASIS YOU CAN MAKE A SENTENCE LIKE
@) TELEPHONED 0ETER )F WE HAVE THE 0ERSIAN EQUIVALENT OF THIS 3) WE
SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A SIMILAR SENTENCE IN 0ERSIAN WITH EQUAL EASE
(ERE IT IS
@SOMEONE
be @SOMEONE telefon kardan (kon)
TO TELEPHONE @SOMEONE
"ASED ON THE ABOVE 0ERSIAN 3) LET US MAKE A SENTENCE
be piter telefon kardam.

) TELEPHONED 0ETER
9OU WILL NOTE THAT THE ABOVE 0ERSIAN 3) NEEDS A PREPOSITION be

@TO WHILE ITS %NGLISH EQUIVALENT DOES NOT 4HIS IS WHAT MAKES THE
NOTION OF 3) ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT SINCE BILINGUAL DICTIONARIES OFTEN
PROVIDE LITTLE STRUCTURAL HELP ON WHAT OTHER ELEMENTS IF ANY ARE NEEDED
AND WHERE TO PUT THEM 4HEY MAY GIVE AN EQUIVALENT FOR THE WORD
@HAPPY IN 0ERSIAN BUT THAT IS WHERE THE LEARNER IS @ABANDONED )F THE
LEARNER WANTED TO SAY FOR EXAMPLE @)M HAPPY WITH MY CARFLATJOB
ETC HE WOULD HAVE NO IDEA AS TO WHAT PREPOSITION IS USED IN 0ERSIAN
IF ANY AND WHERE TO PUT IT (OWEVER IF WE HAVE THE 0ERSIAN EQUIVALENT
OF @TO BE HAPPY WITH 8 WE SHOULD HAVE LITTLE DIFFICULTY IN PRODUCING
THE ABOVE SENTENCE IN 0ERSIAN 4HIS AND TWO FURTHER EXAMPLES ARE
GIVEN BELOW
az @8 r1zi budan (hast) TO BE HAPPY WITH @8
az @8 asab1ni budan (hast) TO BE ANGRY WITH @8
@SOMEONE
(yek so`1l) az @SOMEONE porsidan (pors) TO ASK @SOMEONE
A QUESTION
%XAMPLES
A man az m12in r1zi hastam.

)M HAPPY WITH THE CAR
Unit 7: In Iran 121
B 2om1 az man asab1ni hastid?

!RE YOU ANGRY WITH ME
C
man yek so`1l az ahmad porsidam.
) ASKED !HMAD A QUESTION
9OU WILL NOTE THAT IN ALL THE 0ERSIAN EXAMPLES ABOVE THE PREPOSITION
az IS USED WHICH IS A DICTIONARY EQUIVALENT FOR THE %NGLISH WORD
@FROM )N A AND B %NGLISH USES THE PREPOSITION @WITH AND IN C
NONE ! DICTIONARY EQUIVALENT FOR @WITH IN 0ERSIAN IS b1 ! TYPICAL
MISTAKE MADE BY %NGLISH SPEAKERS LEARNING 0ERSIAN IS WHEN THEY USE
b1 INSTEAD OF az IN A AND B ABOVE )F IT IS ANY CONSOLATION
)RANIAN LEARNERS OF %NGLISH MAKE A SIMILAR MISTAKE WHEN THEY SAY @)M
SATISFIED FROM ;INSTEAD OF with= MY JOB /BVIOUSLY BOTH ARE INFLUENCED
BY THEIR RESPECTIVE MOTHER TONGUES
(ERE IS ANOTHER USEFUL 3)
montazer-e . . . TO BE WAITING
budan (hast) FOR
montazer-e ki hasti? 7HO ARE YOU
WAITING FOR
montazer-e ahmadam. )M WAITING FOR
!HMAD
montazer-e ci hasti? 7HAT ARE YOU
WAITING FOR
montazer-e axb1ram. )M WAITING FOR
THE NEWS
Exercise 5
Fill in each blank with a preposition from the list below.
Warning: Please do not be influenced by English structure!
az FROM b1 WITH be TO
emruz sobh ________ x1nomam telefon kardam.

4HIS MORNING ) PHONED MY WIFE
u ________ k1re2 r1zi nist.

3HE IS NOT HAPPY WITH HER JOB
cand so`1l ________ u porsidam.

) ASKED HER SOME QUESTIONS
u ________ man asab1ni bud.

3HE WAS ANGRY WITH ME
man ________ x1nomam ________ sinem1 raftam.

) WENT TO THE CINEMA WITH MY WIFE
An idiom for ‘thank you’
4HE EXPRESSION dast-e 2om1 dard nakone @THANK

YOU lit -AY YOUR HAND NOT ACHE IS USED TO THANK SOMEONE FOR
SOMETHING THEY HAVE DONE FOR US PARTICULARLY WITH THE USE OF THEIR
HANDS n EG HANDING SOMETHING TO US OR COOKING A DELICIOUS MEAL
FOR US ETC !N ECHO REPLY IS NORMALLY sar-e 2om1
dard nakone @YOURE WELCOME lit -AY YOUR HEAD NOT ACHE /THER
VERSIONS OF THIS EXCHANGE WOULD BE
dastetun dard nakone. 4HANK YOU

saretun dard nakone. 9OURE WELCOME
dastet dard nakone. 4HANK YOU inf
saret dard nakone. 9OURE WELCOME inf
Exercise 6
At the dinner table, an Iranian friend has passed you the salt.
(OW DO YOU THANK THEM

(OW WOULD THEY RESPOND
Unit 7: In Iran 123
Expressions used to book a hotel (CD2; 1)
hotel-e panj set1re lVE STAR HOTEL

ot1q-e yek-nafare $O YOU HAVE A
d1rid? SINGLE ROOM
ot1q-e do-nafare A DOUBLE ROOM
ot1q-e do-taxte A TWIN ROOM
2abi cande? (OW MUCH IS IT FOR
EACH NIGHT
bar1ye har nafar FOR EACH PERSON
cek/k1rt-e e`teb1ri qabul mikonid?

$O YOU ACCEPT CHEQUESCREDIT CARDS
ot1q-e b1 du2/hamm1m/tu1let/telefon mix1m.

) WANT A ROOM WITH A SHOWERBATHROOMTOILETTELEPHONE
qeimat 21mel-e sobh1ne/n1h1r/21m mi2e?

$OES THE PRICE INCLUDE BREAKFASTLUNCHDINNER
panj nafarim: do t1 bozorg-s1l va se t1 bacce.

7ERE lVE TWO ADULTS AND THREE CHILDREN
Exercise 7
Can you translate the following sentences into English?
mix1m yek ot1q-e do-nafare b1 du2 rezerv konam, lotfan.
hotel-e c1r-set1re mix1im.
tarjihan tu markaz-e 2ahr b12e.
in ot1q 2abi cande?
in qeimat 21mel-e n1h1r ham mi2e?

Expressions used to complain about a hotel

(CD2; 2)
bebax2id, mitunam b1 modir-e hotel sohbat konam?

%XCUSE ME CAN ) SPEAK WITH THE HOTEL MANAGER
mal1feh1 kasife. 4HE SHEETS ARE DIRTY

telefon k1r 4HE TELEPHONE IS NOT
nemikone. WORKING
k1mpiuter/televizion/du2/2ir-e 1b/periz-e ri2-tar12 xar1be.

4HE COMPUTERTELEVISIONSHOWERWATER TAPSHAVER SOCKET IS OUT
OF ORDER
Exercise 8
) WANT A SINGLE ROOM WITH A SHOWER FOR TWO WEEKS

$OES THE PRICE INCLUDE DINNER TOO .O THATS SEPARATE
)D LIKE TO BOOK TWO SEATS FOR -ASHHAD
-AY ) ASK YOU A QUESTION 'O AHEAD
-AY ) HAVE A WORD WITH THE MANAGER
4HE LIGHTS IN THE BATHROOM ARE NOT WORKINGBROKEN
4HE SHOWER HAS NO WATER
)LL PHONE YOU TOMORROW
7HOWHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR
)M WAITING FOR THE NEWS
)M WAITING FOR MY FRIEND
!RE YOU ANGRY WITH ME
!RE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR INCOME
9ES BUT )M NOT HAPPY WITH MY BOSS
Unit 7: In Iran 125
,ISTEN TO THIS CONVERSATION BETWEEN A GUEST G AND THE HOTEL
MANAGER M
G
M
G
M
G
M
G
M
G ÄQÄ MAN AZ IN HOTEL ASLAN RÄZI NISTAM

M MOÆKEL CIE QORBÄN
G MAN YEK OTÄQ E DO NAFARE YE BOZORG REZERV KARDAM AMMÄ
ÆOMÄ YEK OTÄQ E YEK NAFARE BE MÄ DÄDID BÄ YEK TAXT E EZÄFE
MAN OTÄQ E BÄ HAMMÄM O VÄN XÄSTAM ÆOMÄ OTÄQ E BÄ DUÆ
DÄDID TELEFON E OTÄQ HAM KÄR NEMIKONE
M JEDDAN MA{ZERAT MIXÄM VÄQE{AN ÆARMANDE AM EMÆAB YEK
OTÄQ E DO NAFARE YE BOZORG XÄLI MIÆE MITUNAM UN OTÄQ O BE
ÆOMÄ BEDAM
G RÄSTEÆ QASD DÄÆTIM SE HAFTE BEMUNIM AMMÄ BÄ IN VAZ{ YEK
HAFTE HAM ÆÄYAD NAMUNIM DAR ZEMN MOMKENE BE IN
MEHMUNHÄ YE OTÄQ E PAHLUYI BEGID ÆABHÄ YEK KAM SÄKETTAR
BÄÆAND
M HATMAN MEIL DÄRID BÄ MAN BIÄID OTÄQ O BEBINID
' AL { ÄN MONTAZER E TELEFON AZ ENGELESTÄNAM YEK SÄ{AT E DIGE
MIÄM DAFTARETUN
M BÄÆE MONTAZERAM
7HAT THREE COMPLAINTS DOES THE GUEST MAKE IN HIS INITIAL OUTBURST
(OW DOES THE MANAGER RESPOND TO THIS
7HAT REMEDY DOES THE MANAGER PROPOSE
7HAT CHANGE OF PLAN IS THE GUEST CONSIDERING AND WHY
7HAT IS THE GUESTS FOURTH COMPLAINT
7HAT DOES THE MANAGER OFFER TOWARDS THE END
7HY DOES THE GUEST DECLINE THE OFFER AT THE TIME
Unit Eight
goft-o-gu-ye xiAbAni
Street talk

s ASK AND TELL THE TIME
s ASK FOR AND GIVE DIRECTIONS
s ASK A 0ERSIAN SPEAKER TO SPEAK MORE SLOWLY AND CLEARLY
s DESCRIBE LOCATION WITH REFERENCE TO THE POINTS OF COMPASS
s TALK ABOUT JOURNEY TIME AND DISTANCE
s ENQUIRE ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF FACILITIES IN THE AREA
Dialogue 1
Asking directions (CD2; 4)
*ULIE J IS LOOKING FOR THE HOME ADDRESS OF AN )RANIAN FRIEND IN 4EHRAN

3HE HAS DIFFICULTY READING THE ADDRESS 3HE ASKS A PASSER BY 0
FOR HELP
J
0
J
0
128 Unit 8: goft-o-gu-ye xiAbAni
J
0
J
0
J
0
J
0
J ÄQÄ BEBAXÆID SÄ{AT CANDE

0 HAÆT O NIM
J MOTA ÆAKKERAM BEBAXÆID MITUNAM YEK ZAHMAT E DIGE
BEH ETUN BEDAM
0 XÄHEÆ MIKONAM BEFARMÄYID
J IN ÄDRES E DUSTAME MOTA{ASSEFÄNE NEMITUNAM BEXUNAMEÆ
BARÄM MIXUNIDEÆ LOTFAN
0 SA{Y MIKONAM XIÄBÄN E SINÄ PELÄK E HAÆTÄD
J XIÄBUN E SINÄ MIDUNID KOJÄST
0 MOSTAQIM BERID TÄ YEK CÄR RÄH E BOZORG UNJÄ BEPICID DAST E
CAP XIÄBUN E SEVVOM DAST E RÄST XIÄBUN E SINÄST
J BEBAXÆID FÄRSIM ZIÄD XUB NIST MOMKENE LOTFAN YEK KAM
ÄHESTETAR VA ÆOMORDETAR SOHBAT KONID
0 YA{NI AZ AVVAL HAMAÆ O DOBÄRE BEGAM
J AGE MOMKENE
0 BALE MOSTAQIM BERID TÄ
J Excuse me sir, what time is it?

0 Half past eight.
J Thank you. Sorry, can I give you one more trouble?
0 By all means, go ahead.
J This is my friend’s address. Unfortunately I can’t read it. Will
you read it for me, please?
0 I’ll try. Sina Street, no. 80.
Unit 8: Street talk 129
* Do you know where Sina Street is?

0 Go straight up to a big cross-roads. There, turn left. The third
road on the right is Sina Street.
* I’m sorry, my Persian isn’t that good. Would you please speak a
bit more slowly and clearly?
0 You mean I should say all of it again?
* If possible.
0 Yes, go straight up to
Vocabulary A
CB
s1àt TIME HOUR CLOCK
cand HOW MUCH
s1àt cande? 7HAT TIME IS IT
nim HALF
dige OTHER MORE
be(h)etun TO YOU
xundan (xun) TO READ
bexunam FOR ME TO READ
bexuname2 FOR ME TO READ IT
bar1m SHORT FOR bar1yam FOR ME
mixunide2 WILL YOU READ IT
sa`y kardan (kon) TO TRY
xi1b1n STREET LITERARYREADING STYLE
xi1bun col FOR STREET
xi1b1n
mostaqim STRAIGHT
t1 UP TO AS FAR AS
c1r-r1h CROSS ROADS INTERSECTION
unj1 THERE
bepicid TURN
dast HAND
cap LEFT
r1st RIGHT
zi1d MUCH MANY

1heste SLOWLY
2omorde CLEARLY
sohbat kardan (kon) TO SPEAK
ya`ni IE YOU MEAN
hame ALL
hama2 ALL OF IT
hama2-o ALL OF IT PLUS r1)
dob1re AGAIN
begam FOR ME TO SAY
age IF

Object endings
4HE POSSESSIVE ENDINGS INTRODUCED IN 5$ CAN ALSO BE USED AS

OBJECTS AFTER VERBS PREPOSITIONS OR ez1fe SEE 5$ %XAMPLES
!FTER A VERB
A s1ndevic-o xordam. ) ATE THE SANDWICH

B un-o xordam. ) ATE IT
C xordame2. ) ATE IT
Note: #OMPARING B AND C YOU WILL NOTE TWO CHANGES IN C
4HE OBJECT ENDING IS PLACED after THE VERB

4HE OBJECT MARKER r1 OR ITS COLLOQUIAL FORM -ro-o IS OMITTED
/BJECT ENDINGS ARE OFTEN SANDWICHED between THE TWO ELEMENTS OF

A COMPOUND VERB SEE 5$
A k1mpiuter-o rou2an kardam. ) TURNED ON

THE COMPUTER
B un-o rou2an kardam. ) TURNED IT ON
C rou2ane2 kardam. ) TURNED IT ON
!FTER A PREPOSITION SEE 5$

.OTE THE CHANGES BETWEEN B AND C IN EACH SET BELOW
A zir-e miz UNDER THE TABLE

B zir-e un UNDER IT
C zire2 UNDER IT
A bein-e ahmad o ali BETWEEN !HMAD AND !LI

B bein-e unh1 BETWEEN THEM
C beine2un BETWEEN THEM
A ru-ye k1n1pe ON THE SOFA

B ru-ye un ON IT
C ru2 ON IT
A bar1ye ahmad FOR !HMAD

B b1r1ye u FOR HIM
C bar12 FOR HIM
3OMETIMES A @LINKING OR @INTRUSIVE h COMES BETWEEN THE PREPOSI

TION AND THE SUFFIX
A be ahmad goftam ) SAID TO !HMAD or ) TOLD

!HMAD
B be u goftam ) SAID TO HIM
C be(h)e2 goftam ) SAID TO HIM
A b1 ahmad raftam sinem1. ) WENT TO THE

CINEMA WITH !HMAD
B b1 u raftam sinem1. ) WENT TO THE CINEMA WITH
HIM
C b1he2/b1h12 raftam sinem1. ) WENT TO
THE CINEMA WITH HIM
)N CASUAL SPEECH
b1m WITH ME
b1t WITH YOU inf )
b12 WITH HIMHERIT
b1mun WITH US
b1tun WITH YOU
b12un WITH THEM
!FTER ez1fe SEE 5$
A nesf-e sib HALF OF ANTHE APPLE

B nesf-e un HALF OF IT
C nesfe2 HALF OF IT
A hame-ye xarboze ALL or THE WHOLE OF THE MELON

B hame-ye un ALL OF IT
C hama2 ALL OF IT
)N THE LIGHT OF THE ABOVE EXPLANATIONS THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES FROM

$IALOGUE ABOVE SHOULD NOW BE SLIGHTLY EASIER TO DECIPHER
nemitunam bexuname2.
) CANT READ IT
bar1m mixunide2?
7ILL YOU READ IT FOR ME
mitunam yek zahmat-e dige be(h)etun bedam?

#AN ) GIVE YOU ONE MORE TROUBLE
-ORE EXAMPLES
montazeram. )M WAITING

montazer-e to hastam. ) AM WAITING FOR YOU
montazeret hastam. ) AM WAITING FOR YOU
montazeretam. )M WAITING FOR YOU
2om1-ro didam. ) SAW YOU
didametun. ) SAW YOU
Exercise 1
Can you provide the shorter version of each of these sentences? Follow
the example.
an1r-o xordam. ) ATE THE POMEGRANATE

#AN YOU SAY ) ATE IT
%XAMPLE
xordame2. ) ATE IT
ahmad-o didam. ) SAW !HMAD

#AN YOU SAY ) SAW HIM
televizion-o x1mu2 kardam.

) TURNED OFF THE 46
#AN YOU SAY ) TURNED IT OFF
cer1q-o x1mu2 konam?
3HALL ) TURN OFF THE LIGHT
#AN YOU SAY 3HALL ) TURN IT OFF
k1ret-o tamum kon. &INISH YOUR WORK
#AN YOU SAY &INISH IT
qalamet ru mize? )S YOUR PEN ON THE DESK
#AN YOU SAY .O ITS UNDER IT
be bacceh1 goftam. ) TOLD THE CHILDREN
#AN YOU SAY ) TOLD THEM

mitunam b1 modir-e hotel sohbat konam?
#AN ) SPEAK WITH THE HOTEL MANAGER
#AN YOU SAY #AN ) SPEAK WITH HIM f )

hame-ye bastani-ro nemitunam boxoram.
) CANT EAT ALL OF THE ICE CREAM
#AN YOU SAY ) CANT EAT ALL OF IT )LL EAT HALF OF IT
How to ask: ‘What’s the matter (or: wrong)

with . . . ?’
(ERES THE FORMULA
ce WHAT OBJECT ENDING e IS
ceme? 7HATS THE MATTER WITH ME

cete? 7HATS THE MATTER WITH YOU inf )
ce2e? 7HATS THE MATTER WITH HIMHERIT
cemune? 7HATS THE MATTER WITH US
cetune? 7HATS THE MATTER WITH YOU
ce2une? 7HATS THE MATTER WITH THEM
hiccim nist. .OTHINGS WRONG WITH ME
3EE DOUBLE NEGATIVE IN 5$
Exercise 2
Match a number with a letter. The first one has been done for you.
midunam cetune. ;E=

midunam ce2e. ; =
midunam cemune. ; =
midunam ceme. ; =
midunam ce2une. ; =
midunam cete. ; =
A ) KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH ME

B ) KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH YOU inf )
C ) KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH HIMHERIT
D ) KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH US
E ) KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH YOU f/pl )
F ) KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH THEM
Exercise 3
A Persian-speaking relative (R) has received a postcard from his Australian
friend, but can’t read the handwriting. Can you translate this dialogue
into Persian?
R %XCUSE ME CAN YOU READ THIS POSTCARD FOR ME PLEASE

9OU #ERTAINLY 7HO IS IT FROM
R &ROM MY !USTRALIAN FRIEND
[after you have read the postcard]
R 4HANK YOU VERY MUCH
9OU 0LEASURE
Asking and telling the time (CD2; 5)
s1àt cande?
7HAT TIME IS IT lit (OW MUCH IS THE HOUR
s1àt ha2te.
)TS OCLOCK lit 4HE HOUR IS EIGHT
(ERE ARE SOME OTHER EXPRESSIONS OF TIME
s1àt-e ha2t
AT OCLOCK lit THE HOUR OF EIGHT
ha2t o nim
HALF PAST lit EIGHT AND HALF
ha2t o rob`
A QUARTER PAST lit EIGHT AND QUARTER
ha2t o panj da(q)iqe

PAST lit AND MINUTES
ye(k) rob` be ha2t

A QUARTER TO EIGHT
More ‘streetwise’ expressions
bebax2id, s1àt d1rid?

%XCUSE ME HAVE YOU GOT THE TIME lit A WATCH
bebax2id, forudg1h az kodum taraf b1yad beram?

%XCUSE ME WHICH WAY DO ) GO TO THE AIRPORT
midunid az inj1 t1 forudg1h ceqadr r1h ast col r1st)?

$O YOU KNOW HOW FAR IT IS FROM HERE TO THE AIRPORT
b1 m12in/otobus/metro ceqadr tul mike2e?

(OW LONG WILL IT TAKE BY CARBUSMETRO
tul ke2idan (ke2) TO TAKE TIME
pi1de ye(k) s1àt; b1 m12in dah da(q)iqe.

/NE HOUR ON FOOT TEN MINUTES BY CAR
belit-e otobus az koj1 b1yad begiram?

lit &ROM WHERE SHOULD ) GET A BUS TICKET
2om1l NORTH
jonub SOUTH
2arq EAST
qarb WEST
2om1l-e 2arq NORTH EAST
jonub-e qarb SOUTH WEST
sar-e nab2 ON THE CORNER
sar-e nab2-e 2om1l-e qarb-e c1r-r1h

ON THE NORTH WEST CORNER OF THE CROSS ROADSINTERSECTION
Exercise 4
Look at the following local map. Can you give directions to:
;!= THE POST OFlCE ;"= THE TELECOM CENTRE ;#= THE SUPERMARKET
Exercise 5
7HERES MY CAKE ) ATE IT

4HE LIGHTS OFF 4URN IT ON PLEASE
3HALL ) SIT NEXT TO YOU .O SIT OPPOSITE ME
3HALL ) TELL HIM ABOUT IT .O PLEASE DONT TELL HIM
) BOUGHT THIS FOR YOU
#AN ) COME WITH YOU
$O YOU KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH HIM
#AN YOU READ THIS EMAIL FOR ME PLEASE
7HAT TIME IS IT PLEASE
(ALF PAST SIX
! QUARTER TO THREE
! QUARTER PAST ONE
&IVE MINUTES TO TWELVE
&IVE PAST ELEVEN
3ORRY ) HAVENT GOT A WATCH
%XCUSE ME WHERES THE POST OFFICE
(OW FAR IS IT FROM HERE TO THE STATION
(OW LONG WILL IT TAKE ON FOOT
)TS HALF AN HOURS WALK
)TS FIVE MINUTES DRIVE
Dialogue 2
Is there a public phone around here? (CD2; 7)
*ULIE J IS NOW LOOKING FOR A PUBLIC TELEPHONE 3HE ASKS A PASSER BY

0 FOR HELP
J
0
J
0
J
0
J
0
J
0
J
0
* BEBAXÆID IN ATRÄF TELEFON E OMUMI HAST

0 TU UN POSTXUNE CAND TÄ HAST
* BEBAXÆID ZAHMAT MIDAM DAH TOMAN PUL E XORD DÄRID LOTFAN
BARÄYE TELEFON MIXÄM
0 ÆÄYAD DÄÆTE BÄÆAM BEFARMÄYID YEK PANJ TOMANI O PANJ TÄ
YEK TOMANI XUBE
* XUBE YEK DONYÄ MAMNUN BEBAXÆID XEILI ZAHMAT DÄDAM
0 CE ZAHMATI ÆOMÄ XÄREJI HASTID
* BALE CETOU R MAGE
0 FEKR KARDAM ÆÄYAD BÄ TELEFONHÄ YE OMUMI E IRÄN ÄÆE NÄ
NABÄÆID
* DOROST HADS ZADID
0 FARQ E ZIÄDI NADÄRAND FAQAT YÄDETUN BÄÆE BA{D AZ INKE PUL O
ANDÄXTID BUQ E ÄZÄD O MIÆE NAVID
* AZ RÄHNAMÄYITUN XEILI MOTA ÆAKKERAM
0 XÄHEÆ MIKONAM MOV AFFAQ BÄÆID
* Excuse me, is there a public telephone around here?

0 There are a few (of them) in that post office.
* Sorry to bother you, can you change (this) 10-tuman note,
please? I want (it) for the telephone.
0 I might have (some). Here you are, one five-tuman piece and
five one-tuman pieces (coins). Is that (any) good?
* That’s fine, thanks a million. I’m sorry I gave (you) a lot of trouble.
0 No trouble. Are you from overseas?
* Yes, but why?
0 I thought you might not be familiar with public telephones in Iran.
* You’re right. ( LIT You guessed correctly.)

0 They’re not much different. Only remember (that) after you’ve
put the money in, you’ll hear the dialling tone.
* Thank you very much for your advice.
0 You’re welcome. Good luck.
Vocabulary A
CB
in atr1f AROUND HERE lit THESE QUARTERSSIDES
omumi PUBLIC
postxune POST OFFICE
cand t1 A FEW OF THEM
zahmat TROUBLE
d1dan (d) TO GIVE
zahmat d1dan (d) TO TROUBLEBOTHER
pul MONEY
xord SMALL
mix1m ) WANT
panj-tomani A FIVE TUMAN PIECE
dony1 WORLD
x1reji FROM OVERSEAS FOREIGNER
fekr THOUGHT
fekr kardan (kon) TO THINK
b1 WITH
12(e)n1 FAMILIAR
dorost CORRECTLY
hads zadan (zan) TO GUESS
farq DIFFERENCE
y1d MEMORY
y1detun b12e REMEMBER lit LET IT BE IN YOUR
MEMORY
and1xtan (and1z) TO PUTTHROW IN
buq-e 1z1d DIALLING TONE
2enidan (2enav) TO HEAR
r1hnam1yi ADVICE GUIDANCE

mo(v)affaq SUCCESSFUL
mo(v)affaq b12id GOOD LUCK lit MAY YOU BE SUCCESSFUL

How to say: ‘there is/are’, ‘there was/were’
hast AND bud FROM THE VERB budan @TO BE ARE USED
FOR THE PRESENT AND THE PAST RESPECTIVELY OFTEN REGARDLESS OF NUMBER
SINGULAR OR PLURAL
(CD2; 9)
tu yaxc1l mive hast?

)S THERE ANY FRUIT IN THE FRIDGE
bale, cand t1 sib o porteq1l hast.

9ES THERE ARE A FEW APPLES AND ORANGES
ru-ye miz k1rd o cang1l hast?
!RE THERE ANY KNIVES AND FORKS ON THE TABLE lit KNIFE AND FORK
tu kel1s-e 2om1 cand t1 pesar hast?

(OW MANY BOYS ARE THERE IN YOUR CLASS
tu kel1s-e man ha2t t1 pesar hast.

4HERE ARE EIGHT BOYS IN MY CLASS
p1rs1l, tu kel1sam faqat se t1 pesar bud.

,AST YEAR THERE WERE ONLY THREE BOYS IN MY CLASS
amm1 doxtar zi1d bud.
"UT THERE WERE MANY GIRLS
tu ja2n-e tavallodam dah t1 mehmun-e x1reji bud.

)NAT MY BIRTHDAY PARTY THERE WERE TEN FOREIGN GUESTS
&OR THE NEGATIVE nist AND nabud ARE USED FOR THE PRESENT
AND THE PAST RESPECTIVELY
(CD2; 9)
tu yaxc1l mive nist.

4HERE IS NO FRUIT IN THE FRIDGE
p1rs1l, tu kel1sam ir1ni nabud.

,AST YEAR THERE WERE NO )RANIANS IN MY CLASS
Exercise 6
Can you translate these sentences into English?
tu kel1setun televizion hast?
tu 2ahr-e 2om1 ir1ni hast?
3 tu mahalle-ye 2om1 restur1n-e ir1ni hast?
tu p1rti panj t1 mehmun-e engelisi bud.
tu ferizer bastani hast?
6 bud vali man xordam!
More ‘streetwise’ expressions (CD2; 10)
bebax2id, in atr1f postxune hast?

%XCUSE ME IS THERE A POST OFlCE AROUND HERE
bebax2id, in nazdikih1 ‘k1fi-net’ hast?

%XCUSE ME IS THERE AN @)NTERNET CAFÏ NEARBY
bebax2id in nazdikih1 dastrasi be ‘internet’ hast?

%XCUSE ME IS THERE ACCESS TO THE )NTERNET NEARBY
mix1m imeilh1m-o cek konam.

) WANT TO CHECK MY EMAILS
mix1m cand t1 imeil bef(e)restam.

) WANT TO SEND A FEW EMAILS
ferest1dan (ferest) TO SEND
hazine-ye estef1de az internet ceqadre?

(OW MUCH IS THE COST OF USING THE )NTERNET
s1àti hez1r o devist toman.

TUMANS PER HOUR
mitunam az in k1mpiuter estef1de konam?

#ANMAY ) USE THIS COMPUTER
az … estef1de kardan (kon)

TO USE x
bebax2id, az koj1 mitunam telefon-e hamr1h ker1ye konam?

%XCUSE ME lit FROM WHERE CAN ) HIRE A MOBILE PHONE
bebax2id, s1àt d1rid?

%XCUSE ME HAVE YOU GOT THE TIME lit (AVE YOU GOT A WATCH
bebax2id, s1àt xedmatetun hast?

%XCUSE ME HAVE YOU GOT THE TIME pol/f lit )S THERE A WATCH
AT YOUR SERVICE
Exercise 7 (CD2; 11)

Can you play your part in the following dialogue with a passerby (P) and
then with the Internet café assistant (A) in Tehran?
9OU %XCUSE ME HAVE YOU GOT THE TIME PLEASE

0
bale, x1he2 mikonam. panj o rob`.
9ES BY ALL MEANS )TS A QUARTER PAST lVE
9OU )S THERE AN )NTERNET CAFÏ AROUND HERE ) WANT TO CHECK MY
EMAILS
0
bale, yek kam p1yintar, ru-be-ru-ye sinem1.
9ES A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN OPPOSITE THE CINEMA
;!T THE )NTERNET CAFÏ=
9OU (OW MUCH IS THE COST OF USING THE )NTERNET
A
s1àti hez1r o devist toman.
TUMANS PER HOUR
9OU #AN ) USE IT FOR HALF AN HOUR
A
bale, x1he2 mikonam. mi2e 2e2sad toman.
9ES BY ALL MEANS )T COMES TO TUMANS
9OU #AN ) USE THIS COMPUTER
A bale, befarm1yid. 9ES PLEASE GO AHEAD
‘After lunch’ v. ‘After I ate (or) I have

eaten lunch’
A ba`d-az AFTER
B ba`d-az inke AFTER
7E USE A BEFORE A NOUN AND B BEFORE A SENTENCE %XAMPLES
ba`d-az n1h1r AFTER LUNCH
ba`d-az inke n1h1r xordam

lit AFTER ) ATE LUNCH
Note: 4HE VERB IN THE SENTENCE FOLLOWING B IS NORMALLY EXPRESSED IN

THE PAST SIMPLE TENSE SEE 5$ REGARDLESS OF THE ACTUAL TIME OF
HAPPENING 4HIS IS UNLIKE %NGLISH WHERE THE TENSE CHANGES DEPEND
ING ON THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE OF THE MAIN ACTION PAST OR FUTURE
#OMPARE THE UNDERLINED BITS
ba`d-az inke n1h1r xordam, raftam sinem1.

!FTER ) ATE LUNCH ) WENT TO THE CINEMA PAST
ba`d-az inke n1h1r xordam, miram sinem1.

!FTER ) HAVE EATEN LUNCH ) WILL GO TO THE CINEMA FUTURE
(ERE IS A SENTENCE FROM $IALOGUE
ba`d-az inke pul-o and1xtid, buq-e 1z1d-o mi2(e)navid.

!FTER YOU HAVE PUT THE MONEY IN YOU WILL HEAR THE DIALLING TONE
Note: ! LITERARY ALTERNATIVE FOR ba`d-az (inke) IS

pas-az (inke)
pas-az 21m AFTER DINNER
pas-az inke 21m xordam, x1bidam.

!FTER ) HAD DINNER ) SLEPT
Note: ! COMMON ALTERNATIVE FOR inke IS unke
ba`d-az unke 21m xordim, x1bidim.

!FTER WE ATE DINNER WE SLEPT WENT TO BED
Exercise 8
Write the longer version for each sentence using the appropriate form
of the verb in brackets. Follow the example.

ba`d-az 21m, miram xune. [xordan (xor)]
!FTER DINNER )LL GO HOME ;TO EAT=
(OW DO YOU SAY !FTER ) HAVE EATEN DINNER )LL GO HOME
%XAMPLE
ba`d-az inke 21m xordam, miram xune.

!FTER ) HAVE EATEN DINNER )LL GO HOME

ba`d-az 21m, raftam xune. [xordan (xor)]
!FTER DINNER ) WENT HOME ;TO EAT=
(OW DO YOU SAY !FTER ) ATE DINNER ) WENT HOME

ba`d-az kel1s, mirim restur1n. [tamum 2odan (2)]
!FTER CLASS WELL GO TO A RESTAURANT ;TO FINISH=
(OW DO YOU SAY !FTER CLASS HASIS FINISHED WELL GO TO A
RESTAURANT

ba`d-az kel1s, raftim restur1n. [tamum 2odan (2)]
!FTER CLASS WE WENT TO A RESTAURANT ;TO FINISH=
(OW DO YOU SAY !FTER CLASS FINISHED WE WENT TO A RESTAURANT

ba`d-az du2, sobhune mixoram. [gereftan (gir)]
!FTER A SHOWER )LL EAT BREAKFAST ;TO TAKE=
(OW DO YOU SAY !FTER )VE TAKEN A SHOWER )LL EAT BREAKFAST

ba`d-az du2, sobhune xordam. [gereftan (gir)]
!FTER A SHOWER ) ATE BREAKFAST ;TO TAKE=
(OW DO YOU SAY !FTER ) TOOK A SHOWER ) ATE BREAKFAST

ba`d-az sobhune, emeilh1m-o cek mikonam. [xordan (xor)]
!FTER BREAKFAST )LL CHECK MY EMAILS ;TO EAT=
(OW DO YOU SAY !FTER )VE EATEN BREAKFAST )LL CHECK MY EMAILS

ba`d-az sobhune, emeilh1m-o cek kardam. [xordan (xor)]
!FTER BREAKFAST ) CHECKED MY EMAILS ;TO EAT=
(OW DO YOU SAY !FTER ) ATE BREAKFAST ) CHECKED MY EMAILS
‘Before lunch’ v. ‘Before I ate (or)

eat lunch’
A qabl-az BEFORE
B qabl-az inke BEFORE
7E USE A BEFORE A NOUN AND B BEFORE A SENTENCE %XAMPLES

qabl-az n1h1r BEFORE LUNCH
qabl-az inke n1h1r boxoram
lit BEFORE ) EAT LUNCH
Note: 4HE VERB IN THE SENTENCE FOLLOWING B IS NORMALLY EXPRESSED IN
THE SUBJUNCTIVE SEE 5$ REGARDLESS OF THE ACTUAL TIME OF HAPPENING
4HIS IS UNLIKE %NGLISH WHERE THE TENSE CHANGES DEPENDING ON THE TIME
OF OCCURRENCE OF THE MAIN ACTION PAST OR FUTURE #OMPARE THE UNDER
LINED BITS
qabl-az inke n1h1r boxoram, raftam sinem1.

"EFORE ) ATE LUNCH ) WENT TO THE CINEMA PAST
qabl-az inke n1h1r boxoram, miram sinem1.

"EFORE ) EAT LUNCH )LL GO TO THE CINEMA FUTURE
Note: ! COMMON ALTERNATIVE FOR qabl-az (inke) IS
pi2-az (inke)
pi2-az n1h1r, be dustam telefon kardam.

"EFORE LUNCH ) TELEPHONED MY FRIEND
pi2-az inke n1h1r boxoram, be dustam telefon kardam.

"EFORE ) ATE LUNCH ) TELEPHONED MY FRIEND
Exercise 9
Write the longer version for each sentence using the appropriate form
of the verb in brackets. Follow the example.

qabl-az sinem1, 21m mixorim. [raftan (r)]
"EFORE THE CINEMA WE WILL EAT DINNER ;TO GO=
#AN YOU SAY "EFORE WE GO TO THE CINEMA WE WILL EAT DINNER
%XAMPLE
qabl-az inke berim sinem1, 21m mixorim.
"EFORE WE GO TO THE CINEMA WE WILL EAT DINNER

qabl-az sinem1, 21m xordim. [raftan (r)]
"EFORE THE CINEMA WE ATE DINNER ;TO GO=
#AN YOU SAY "EFORE WE WENT TO THE CINEMA WE ATE DINNER

qabl-az 21m, yek film mibinam.
"EFORE DINNER ) WILL SEEWATCH A FILM ;TO EAT=
#AN YOU SAY "EFORE ) EAT DINNER ) WILL SEEWATCH A FILM

qabl-az 21m, yek film didam.
"EFORE DINNER ) SAWWATCHED A FILM ;TO EAT=
#AN YOU SAY "EFORE ) ATE DINNER ) SAWWATCHED A FILM

qabl-az film, du2 migiram. [didan (bin)]
"EFORE THE FILM ) WILL TAKE A SHOWER ;TO SEE=
#AN YOU SAY "EFORE ) SEEWATCH THE FILM ) WILL TAKE A SHOWER

qabl-az film, du2 gereftam. [didan (bin)]
"EFORE THE FILM ) TOOK A SHOWER ;TO SEE=
#AN YOU SAY "EFORE ) SAW THE FILM ) TOOK A SHOWER

qabl-az du2, be dustam telefon mikonam.
"EFORE THE SHOWER ) WILL TELEPHONE MY FRIEND ;TO TAKE=
#AN YOU SAY "EFORE ) TAKE A SHOWER ) WILL TELEPHONE MY FRIEND

qabl-az du2, be dustam telefon kardam.
"EFORE THE SHOWER ) TELEPHONED MY FRIEND ;TO TAKE=
#AN YOU SAY "EFORE ) TOOK A SHOWER ) TELEPHONED MY FRIEND

em2ab qabl-az x1b, be ir1n telefon mikonam. [x1bidan (x1b)]
4ONIGHT BEFORE SLEEP SLEEPING ) WILL TELEPHONE )RAN ;TO SLEEP=
#AN YOU SAY 4ONIGHT BEFORE ) SLEEP GO TO BED ) WILL TELEPHONE
)RAN

di2ab qabl-az x1b, be ir1n telefon kardam. [x1bidan (x1b)]
,AST NIGHT BEFORE SLEEP SLEEPING ) TELEPHONED )RAN ;TO SLEEP=
#AN YOU SAY ,AST NIGHT BEFORE ) SLEPT WENT TO BED ) TELEPHONED
)RAN
Gerund (verbal noun): ‘to eat’ v. ‘eating’
"OTH THE ABOVE OFTEN HAVE THE SAME FORM IN 0ERSIAN
xordan @TO EAT AS WELL AS @EATING

raftan @TO GO AS WELL AS @GOING
didan @TO SEE AS WELL AS @SEEING
tam121 kardan @TO WATCH AS WELL AS @WATCHING
%XAMPLES
sargarmih1-ye man inh1st:

-Y HOBBIES ARE THESE
raftan be sinem1 GOING TO THE CINEMA
xundan-e ket1b
READING BOOKS lit READING OF BOOK
!LSO NOTE THESE FORMS
ba`d-az xordan-e 21m AFTER EATING DINNER
qabl-az raftan be sinem1

BEFORE GOING TO THE CINEMA
Exercise 10
Using the vocabulary provided in Exercise 8, can you translate these
into Persian? Follow the example.
!FTER EATING DINNER )LL GO HOME
%XAMPLE
ba`d-az xordan-e 21m, miram xune.
!FTER EATING DINNER ) WENT HOME
!FTER TAKING A SHOWER )LL EAT BREAKFAST
!FTER TAKING A SHOWER ) ATE BREAKFAST
!FTER EATING BREAKFAST )LL CHECK MY EMAILS
!FTER EATING BREAKFAST ) CHECKED MY EMAILS
Exercise 11
Using the vocabulary provided in Exercise 9, can you translate these
into Persian? Follow the example.
"EFORE GOING TO THE CINEMA WELL EAT DINNER
%XAMPLE
qabl-az raftan be sinem1, 21m mixorim.
"EFORE GOING TO THE CINEMA WE ATE DINNER
"EFORE EATING DINNER )LL SEEWATCH A FILM
"EFORE EATING DINNER ) SAWWATCHED A FILM
"EFORE SEEING A FILM )LL TAKE A SHOWER
"EFORE SEEING A FILM ) TOOK A SHOWER
"EFORE TAKING A SHOWER )LL PHONE MY FRIEND
"EFORE TAKING A SHOWER ) PHONED MY FRIEND
Exercise 12
%XCUSE ME IS THERE A POST OFFICEPOLICE STATIONLIBRARY
SUPERMARKET)NTERNET CAFÏ AROUND HERE
)S THERE ANY MILK IN THE FRIDGE
!RE THERE ANY )RANIANS IN YOUR AREA
,AST YEAR THERE WERE FIVE )RANIANS IN MY CLASSOFFICE
"EFORE YOU GO OUT TURN OFF THE LIGHTS PLEASE
) PHONED !HMAD BEFORE ) LEFT THE OFFICE
7ELL HAVE DINNER AFTER ALL THE GUESTS HAVE COMEARRIVED

,AST NIGHT BEFORE ) SLEPT WENT TO BED ) CHECKED MY EMAILS
"EFORE EATING BREAKFAST ) TOOK A SHOWER
!FTER TAKING A SHOWER ) HAD A COLD DRINK

9ESTERDAY YOU GOT THIS MESSAGE ON YOUR ANSWERING MACHINE
SALÄM JALÄL HASTAM AZ HOTEL ATLAS TELEFON MIKONAM AZ HOTEL RÄZI

HASTAM FAQAT SEDÄ YE TERÄFIK YEK KAM ZIÄDE RÄSTI EMÆAB MAN O
XÄNOMAM BA{D AZ INKE GARDEÆEMUN TAMUM ÆOD MIXÄIM BERIM SINEMÄ
DUST DÄRIM TO HAM BÄ MÄ BIÄI FILM SÄ{AT E HAFT E ÆAB ÆORU{ MIÆE PAS
BEHTARE SÄ{AT E ÆEÆ HAMDIGA RO BEBINIM TÄ VAQT BARÄYE SOHBAT HAM
DÄÆTE BÄÆIM QABL AZ INKE BERIM SINEMÄ BÄ HAM ÆÄM MIXORIM QARÄRE
BERIM SINEMÄ HÄFEZ RU BE RU YE SINEMÄ YEK RESTURÄN HAST SÄ{AT E
ÆEÆ TU RESTURÄN MONTAZERETIM FE{LAN XODÄ HÄFEZ
7HO IS CALLING
7HERE IS HE PHONING FROM
(OW DOES HE FEEL ABOUT THE PLACE
7HERE IS THE CALLER GOING TONIGHT AND WITH WHOM
7HAT TIME DOES THE EVENT BEGIN
7HAT DOES HE INTEND TO DO BEFORE THE EVENT
7HAT HAS THE CALLER BEEN DOING DURING THE DAY
7HAT TIME DOES HE WANT TO SEE YOU AND WHY
7HERE WILL YOU BE SEEING HIM
Unit Nine
gorosneid?
Are you hungry?

s TALK ABOUT FOOD DRINKS AND YOUR DIET
s ORDER A MEAL COMPLAIN ABOUT IT PAY THE BILL
s ENQUIRE ABOUT VARIOUS DISHES
s SEEK AND GIVE PERMISSION TO DO SOMETHING
s APOLOGISE FOR INTERRUPTING
s TALK ABOUT HOW FREQUENTLY YOU DO THINGS
s ASK SOMEONE IF HESHE HAS EVER DONE SOMETHING
Dialogue 1
At the Dinner Table (CD2; 13)
3ARA S IS ENTERTAINING HER MOTHER IN LAW M).
:S
:M
:S
:M
:S
:M
152 Unit 9: gorosneid?
:S
:M
:S
:M
:S
:M
:S
:M
:S
S: YEK KAM E DIGE MORQ BEZÄRAM BARÄTUN

M NA MOTA ÆAKKERAM SIR ÆODAM
S HICCI NAXORDID
M CERÄ XEILI XORDAM
S XÄHEÆ MIKONAM TA{ ÄROF NAKONID
M ASLAN TA{ ÄROF NEMIKONAM
S MORQ DUST NADÄRID
M CERÄ XEILI XOÆMAZE AST AMMÄ RÄSTEÆ ÆABHÄ HIC VAQT ÆÄM
NEMIXORAM n BE ESTELÄH REÅIM DÄRAM
S HÄLÄ XUNE YE MÄ REÅIM O BEZÄRID KENÄR LOTFAN
M PAS FAQAT YEK TEKKE YE KUCEK BEZÄR LOTFAN
S BEFARMÄYID
M DASTET DARD NAKONE
S SARETUN DARD NAKONE
M XEILI XOÆMAZE BUD
S NUÆ E JÄN
S: Shall I serve ( LIT put) a little more chicken for you?

M: No, thanks. I’m full. ( LIT I became full.)
S: You didn’t eat anything.
M: Oh yes, I ate a lot.
S: Please don’t stand on ceremony (OR stop being polite.)
M: I’m not being polite at all.
S: Do you not like chicken?
M: Oh yes, it’s very tasty. But, to be honest, I never eat dinner
at night – supposedly I’m on a diet!
Unit 9: Are you hungry? 153
S: Now, in our house, set aside (OR forget about) the diet, please.
M: Then, put only a small piece, please.
S: Here you are.
M: Thank you. ( LIT May your hand not ache!)
S: You’re welcome. ( LIT May your head not ache!)
M: It was very tasty (OR really delicious).
S: I’m glad you liked it. ( LIT (May it be) enjoyed by (your) life/soul!)
Vocabulary A
CB
dige OTHER MORE
morq CHICKEN
bar1tun FOR YOU
sir FULL FULLY FED
hicci NOTHING
cer1 @YES TO A NEGATIVE QUESTION
SUGGESTION
x1he2 kardan (kon) TO REQUEST
ta`1rof kardan (kon) TO STAND ON CEREMONY
dust d12tan (d1r) TO LIKE
xo2maze TASTY DELICIOUS
hic-vaqt NEVER AT ANY TIME
be estel1h SUPPOSEDLY
re3im DIET
re3im d1ram )M ON A DIET lit ) HAVE DIET
ken1r goz12tan (z1r) TO PUTSET ASIDE
bez1rid ken1r SET ASIDE
pas THEN SO IN THAT CASE
tekke PIECE
nu2-e j1n BON APPETIT lit -AY IT BE
ENJOYED BY YOUR LIFESOUL

TaÀrof (colloquially pronounced tArof)
4HIS IS A POLITENESS RITUAL OR FORMULA A @VERBAL WRESTLING MATCH BETWEEN

A HOST AND A GUEST AND MORE GENERALLY BETWEEN A THE PERSON
OFFERING SOMETHING AND B THE PERSON BEING OFFERED SOMETHING ta`1rof
IS USED BY THE HOST TO MAKE HIS GUEST FEEL WELCOME AND BY THE GUEST
TO MINIMISE IMPOSITION UPON OR INCONVENIENCE TO THE HOST 4HIS IS
OFTEN REALISED IN THE FORM OF THE HOSTS INSISTENCE THAT THE GUEST MUST
EAT MORE FOOD FRUIT ETC AND RESISTANCE ON THE PART OF THE GUEST
4HIS RITUAL IS REPEATED A FEW TIMES UNTIL ONE SIDE SUBMITS TO THE WILL OF
THE OTHER ! @DILUTED FORM OF ta`1rof DOES OCCUR IN %NGLISH BUT OFTEN
STOPS AFTER THE FIRST OR SECOND EXCHANGE
n 7OULD YOU LIKE SOME FRUIT

n .O THANKS
n !RE YOU SURE
n 0OSITIVE
4HIS DIFFERENCE MAY ACCOUNT FOR THE STORIES OFTEN TOLD ABOUT %NGLISH
GUESTS BEING @FORCE FED TO THE POINT OF INDISPOSITION IN )RANIAN HOMES
WHILE )RANIAN GUESTS UPON LEAVING THEIR %NGLISH FRIENDS HOME PLUNGE
INTO THE NEAREST RESTAURANT n PARDON THE EXAGGERATION 4HIS IS NOT TO SAY
THAT %NGLISH HOSTS ARE ANY LESS HOSPITABLE THAN THEIR )RANIAN COUNTER
PARTS THEY FOLLOW DIFFERENT SETS OF POLITENESS RULES EACH WITH EQUALLY
VALID JUSTIFICATION
(ERE IS A SENTENCE OFTEN EXCHANGED BETWEEN A GUEST AND A
HOST
ta`1rof nemikonam.
)M NOT ta`1rofING )M NOT USING ta`1rof ).
7HEN USED BY A GUEST IT CONVEYS THIS MESSAGE
-Y DECLINING IS GENUINE )M NOT RESISTING IN THE EXPECTATION

OF FURTHER INSISTENCE ON YOUR PART )M NOT STANDING ON
CEREMONY
7HEN USED BY A HOST IT CONVEYS THIS MESSAGE
-Y OFFER IS GENUINE ) MEAN WHAT ) SAY

)N EITHER CASE A FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENT IN %NGLISH MIGHT BE
)M NOT JUST BEING POLITE
!LSO LOOK AT THESE OTHER VARIANTS
ta`1rof mikonid? !RE YOU BEING POLITE
lotfan ta`1rof nakonid.

0LEASE STOP BEING POLITE OR 0LEASE DONT STAND ON CEREMONY
)F YOU COMPLIMENT AN )RANIAN ON ONE OF HIS BELONGINGS HE MAY SAY TO

YOU pi2ke2 @GIFT MEANING @YOU CAN HAVE IT AS A GIFT 4HIS
IS OFTEN A ta`1rof NEVER TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THE PERSON BEING
OFFERED THE THING IN QUESTION ! @NO THANK YOU REPLY WOULD BE SUFFICIENT
)F THE OFFER IS SERIOUS AND NOT JUST A POLITENESS RITUAL THE OFFERER INSISTS
SEVERAL TIMES
Adverbs of frequency (CD2; 14)
hami2e ALWAYS
ma`mulan USUALLY NORMALLY
aqlab OFTEN
ba`zi-vaqth1 SOMETIMES
g1hi OCCASIONALLY
be-nodrat RARELY
hic-vaqt NEVER
4HE ABOVE ADVERBS NORMALLY FOLLOW THE SUBJECT
man hami2e tu xune 21m mixoram.

) ALWAYS EAT DINNER AT HOME
m1 ma`mulan qaz1-ye ir1ni mixorim.

7E USUALLY EAT )RANIAN FOOD
sirus o simin aqlab 21m nemixorand.

3IRUS AND 3IMIN OFTEN DONT EAT DINNER
sirus ba`zi-vaqth1 yek kam sup mixore.

3IRUS SOMETIMES EATS A LITTLE SOUP
simin g1hi s1l1d mixore.

3IMIN OCCASIONALLY EATS SOME SALAD
unh1 be-nodrat gu2t mixorand.

4HEY RARELY EAT MEAT
Exercise 1
The word(s) missing from the sentences below can be found in the box
above. Can you find them and fit them in?

m1 ________ be restur1n-e ir1ni mirim.
7E OCCASIONALLY GO TO AN )RANIAN RESTAURANT
%XAMPLE
m1 g1hi be restur1n-e ir1ni mirim.

x1nomam ________ b1 m12in be ed1re mire.
-Y WIFE ALWAYS GOES TO THE OFFICE BY CAR

man ???????? b1 qat1r miram.
) USUALLY GO BY TRAIN

m1 ________ b1-ham be sinem1 mirim.
7E RARELY GO TO THE CINEMA TOGETHER

2ouharam ________ film-e polisi tam121 mikone.
-Y HUSBAND SOMETIMES WATCHES DETECTIVE FILMS

man ________ jelo-ye televizion mix1bam!
) OFTEN FALL ASLEEP lit SLEEP IN FRONT OF THE 46 ;3HE DOESNT LIKE
DETECTIVE FILMS=
Double negative
How to say ‘I never eat dinner.’
hic-vaqt IS A DICTIONARY EQUIVALENT FOR @EVER AND

@NEVER
2om1 hic-vaqt 21m mixorid?

$O YOU EVER EAT DINNER
man hic-vaqt 21m nemixoram.

) NEVER EAT DINNER lit ) NEVER DONT EAT DINNER or ) DONT EVER EAT
DINNER
4HUS WHEN USED IN A POSITIVE QUESTION hic-vaqt MEANS

@EVER 7HEN WE USE hic-vaqt TO MEAN @NEVER WE PUT THE
verb in the negative !LL 0ERSIAN WORDS BEGINNING WITH THE NEGATIVE
PREFIX hic- ROUGHLY MEANING @NOT ANY FALL IN THE SAME CATEGORY
(ERE ARE SOME OF THE MORE COMMON ONES
hic-j1 NOWHERE NOT ANYWHERE

hic-ciz hicci col NOTHING NOT ANYTHING
hic-k1r NOTHING NO ACTIVITY
hic-kodum NEITHER or NONE OF THEM
hic-kas NOBODY NOT ANYONE
%XAMPLES
hic-j1 naraftim. 7E DIDNT GO ANYWHERE

lit NOWHERE
hicci nagoft. (E DIDNT SAY
ANYTHING lit NOTHING
hic-k1r nakardam. ) DIDNT DO ANYTHING
lit NOTHING
hic-kodum-o ) DONT WANT EITHER
nemix1m. lit NEITHER OF THEM
hic-kas telefon .OBODY PHONED
nakard. lit DIDNT PHONE
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word. Follow the example.

man ________ tanh1 be restur1n nemiram.
) NEVER GO TO A RESTAURANT ALONE
%XAMPLE
man hic-vaqt tanh1 be restur1n nemiram.
man ________ naxordam.

) DIDNT EAT ANYTHING
man ________ naraftam.
) DIDNT GO ANYWHERE
m1 ________ nakardim.
7E DIDNT DO ANYTHING

man be ________ telefon nakardam.
) DIDNT PHONE ANYONE
???????? xub nist. .EITHER IS GOOD
Exercise 3
Write in the blanks the correct form of the verb in brackets.
1xar-e hafte-ye goza2te, hic-j1 ________. (raftan)

,AST WEEKEND ) DIDNT GO ANYWHERE
%XAMPLE 1xar-e hafte-ye goza2te, hic-j1 naraftam.
1xar-e hafte-ye goza2te, hic-k1r ________. (kardan)

,AST WEEKEND ) DIDNT DO ANYTHING
diruz, hic-kas be xune-ye m1 ________. (umadan)

9ESTERDAY NO ONE CAME TO OUR HOUSE
hic-kas hicci ________. (goftan)

.OBODY SAID ANYTHING
unh1 hic-vaqt tu xune ________. [budan (hast/nist)]

4HEY ARE NEVER AT HOME
hic-kodum az 2om1 bar1ye in k1r mon1seb ________. [budan

(hast /nist)]
.EITHER OF YOU ARE SUITABLE FOR THIS JOB
hicci dar-b1re-ye u ________. [dunestan (dun)]

) DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HIMHER
hic-kas ________ man koj1 hastam.

.OBODY KNOWS WHERE ) AM
Exercise 4 (CD2; 15)

Listen to the dialogue between Ali (!) and Parvaneh (0) and put the
appropriate letter in the box, true [T] or false [F].
!
0
!
0
!
0
!
! MA{MULAN SOBHUNE CI MIXORI

0 HIC VAQT SOBHUNE NEMIXORAM
! MAN H AM HAMIN TOU R TO CERÄ NEMIXORI REÅIM DÄRI
0 NA BÄBÄ REÅIM CIE
! PAS CERÄ NEMIXORI
0 CON TANBALAM TO CERÄ NEMIXORI
! MAN H AM HAMIN TOU R
4HE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN !LI AND 0ARVANEH IS FORMAL ; & =

0ARVANEH NEVER HAS BREAKFAST BECAUSE SHE IS ON A DIET ; =
!LI NEVER HAS BREAKFAST BECAUSE HE IS LAZY ; =
4HEIR REASON FOR NOT HAVING BREAKFAST IS THE SAME ; =
Exercise 5
7HAT DO YOU USUALLY DO AT THE WEEKEND

) NEVER STAY AT HOME
$O YOU EVER GO OUT
7E RARELY GO OUT ON 3ATURDAYS
) ALWAYS GO TO THE SUPERMARKET ON 3ATURDAYS
) DONT DO ANYTHING ON 3UNDAYS
) DONT GO ANYWHERE IN THE EVENING
) USUALLY STAY AT HOME AND WATCH 46
) DIDNT TALK TO ANYONE AT THE PARTY
7HAT DO YOU NORMALLY HAVE FOR LUNCH
) DONT EAT ANYTHING
7HAT DID YOU DO LAST WEEKEND
) DIDNT DO ANYTHING
) WENT SHOPPING
) DIDNT BUY ANYTHING
) NEVER HAVE COFFEE AT NIGHT
$O YOU EVER GO TO )RANIAN RESTAURANTS 9ES SOMETIMES
3HE OFTEN COMES HERE WITH HER CHILDREN
) OCCASIONALLY GO SWIMMING WITH MY FRIENDS
be restur1n-e bah1r xo2 1madid
7ELCOME TO "AHAR 2ESTAURANT
pi2-qaz1h1 3TARTERS
1 m1st o mosir 15000 ri1l

9OGHURT WILD GARLIC RIALS
2 m1st o xi1r 14500 ri1l
9OGHURT AND CUCUMBER RIALS
3 s1l1d-e fasl 16000 ri1l
3EASONS SALAD RIALS
4 s1l1d-e olivie 16500 ri1l
/LIVIE CHICKEN POTATO SALAD RIALS
5 ka2k o b1denj1n 17000 ri1l
%VAPORATED YOGHURT ON AUBERGINES RIALS
6 n1n o panir o sabzi 14000 ri1l
"READ CHEESE FRESH HERBS RIALS
7 tor2i 10000 ri1l
0ICKLES RIALS
qaz1h1-ye asli -AIN $ISHES
8 celo-kab1b-e barg 200000 ri1l

2ICE THIN STEAK KEBAB RIALS
celo-kab1b-e kubide 135000 ri1l
2ICE MINCED MEAT KEBAB RIALS
10 juje-kab1b 145000 ri1l
3PRING CHICKEN KEBAB RIALS
11 b1q(e)l1 polo b1 morq 145000 ri1l
2ICE BARBERRIES WITH CHICKEN RIALS
12 celo-xore2-e qorme-sabzi 100000 ri1l
2ICE WITH MEAT HERB SAUCE RIALS
13 celo-xore2-e fesenj1n 120000 ri1l
2ICE WITH WALNUTS POMEGRANATE RIALS
SAUCE
14 celo-xore2-e qeime b1denj1n 100000 ri1l
2ICE WITH MEAT AUBERGINES SAUCE RIALS
121midanih1 va deserh1 $RINKS AND DESSERTS
15 duq 20000 ri1l

9OGHURT DRINK RIALS
16 kok1kol1 / zamzam 10000 ri1l
#OCA #OLA :AMZAM LOCAL DRINK RIALS
17 1b(-e) porteq1l 20000 ri1l
/RANGE JUICE RIALS
18 c1i 5000 ri1l
4EA RIALS
bastani 12000 ri1l
)CE CREAM RIALS
20 p1lude-ye 2ir1zi 10000 ri1l
3HIRAZI SORBET RIALS
Dialogue 2
Is this seat taken? (CD2; 16)
4HE RESTAURANT IS FULL 4WO FRIENDS HAVE TO SHARE A TABLE WITH

TWO STRANGERS 4HE WAITER 7 THEN TAKES THEIR ORDER
!
"
!
C
7
!
7
!
D
7
!
D
7
!
D
7
D
!
! BEBAXÆID INJÄ JÄ YE KASIE

" BALE RAFTE DAST ÆUYI
! BEBAXÆID ÄQÄ MITUNIM INJÄ BEÆINIM
C XÄHEÆ MIKONAM BEFARMÄYID
7 BEBAXÆID HARFETUN O QAT| MIKONAM QAZÄ SEFÄREÆ DÄDE ID
! NA HANUZ
7 HÄZERID SEFÄREÆ BEDID
! BALE BARÄYE MAN LOTFAN CELOU KABÄB BIÄRID
D BARÄYE MAN LOTFAN JUJE KABÄB BIÄRID
7 PIÆ QAZÄ CI MEIL DÄRID
! PANIR O SABZI BÄ NUN LOTFAN
D BARÄYE MAN SÄLÄD BIÄRID LOTFAN
7 NUÆIDANI CI BIÄRAM
! DUQ LOTFAN
D PEPSI LOTFAN
7 DESER
D BASTANI LOTFAN
! HANUZ TASMIM NAGEREFTE AM BA| DAN MIGAM
! Excuse me, is this seat taken? ( LIT Is this place someone (else)’s
seat?)
" Yes, he’s gone to the toilet.
! Excuse me sir, can we sit here?
C By all means. Please go ahead.
7 Sorry to interrupt you. Have you ordered a meal?
! Not yet.
7 Are you ready to order?
! Yes, for me, please ( LIT bring) the CHELO kebab.
D For me, please ( LIT bring) the chicken kebab.
7 What would you like as a starter?

! Cheese and (fresh) herbs with bread, please.
D ( LIT Bring) SALAD for me, please.
7 What drink would you like? ( LIT shall I bring?)
! Yoghurt drink, please.
D Pepsi, please.
7 Dessert?
D Ice cream, please.
! I haven’t decided yet. I’ll tell (you) later.
A Vocabulary
CB j1 PLACE SEAT
inj1 THIS PLACE
kasi SOMEONE
rafte HAS GONE
dast2uyi TOILET
be2inim FOR US TO SIT
harf SPEECH CONVERSATION
qat` kardan (kon) TO INTERRUPT
sef1re2 ORDER
d1dan (d) TO GIVE
sef1re2 d1dan (d) TO ORDER
hanuz YET STILL
h1zer READY
celou-kab1b RICE WITH KEBAB
bi1rid BRING
juje-kab1b SPRING CHICKEN KEBAB
pi2-qaz1 STARTER
meil INCLINATION
meil d1rid WOULD YOU LIKE
panir CHEESE
sabzi FRESH HERBS
nun col FOR n1n BREAD
nu2idani A DRINK
bi1ram SHALL ) BRING
duq YOGHURT DRINK SALTED
bastani ICE CREAM
tasmim gereftan (gir) TO DECIDE
ba`dan LATER
goftan (g) TO SAYTELL
migam ) WILL SAYTELL

Present perfect
How to say ‘He has gone.’

(ERE IS THE FORMULA
0AST STEM OF VERB SUFlX e PERSONAL ENDING
4HE PAST STEM OF THE VERB raftan @TO GO IS raft.
(CD2; 18)
man rafteam ) HAVE GONE

to raftei 9OU inf HAVE GONE
u rafte (ast) 3HE HAS GONE
m1 rafteim 7E HAVE GONE
2om1 rafteid 9OU HAVE GONE
un(h)1 rafteand 4HEY HAVE GONE
* Note: &OR u @HESHE ast IS USED AS A PERSONAL ENDING
)N COLLOQUIAL 0ERSIAN THE ABOVE FORMS ARE REDUCED AND PRONOUNCED

AS FOLLOWS .OTE THE STRESS PATTERN SHOWN BY UNDERLINING !LSO LISTEN
TO THE RECORDINGS AND NOTE THE DIFFERENCES
(CD2; 19)
man raftam )VE GONE

to rafti 9OUVE GONE
u rafte (ESHES GONE
m1 raftim 7EVE GONE
2om1 raftid 9OUVE GONE
un(h)1 raftand 4HEYVE GONE
Please note:
)T IS THE STRESS PATTERN THAT DISTINGUISHES raftam @)VE GONE
FROM raftam @) WENT SEE 0AST SIMPLE IN 5$
!S MENTIONED EARLIER WITH VERBS OF MOTION SUCH AS @TO GO @TO COME
THE PREPOSITION be @TO IS OFTEN OMITTED AND THE VERB GOES BEFORE
THE PLACE 4HUS FORM " BELOW IS MORE COLLOQUIAL
! u be tu1let rafte.
(ESHES GONE TO THE TOILET
" rafte tu1let. (ESHES GONE TO THE TOILET
4O SAY @)VE BEEN TO A PLACE MEANING @)VE VISITED THAT PLACE WE

USE THE VERB raftan @TO GO
man be esp1ni1 raft(e)am.

)VE BEEN TO 3PAIN
2om1 be esp1ni1 raft(e)id?

(AVE YOU BEEN TO 3PAIN
4O MAKE THE VERB NEGATIVE WE ADD na- EG
man be esp1ni1 naraft(e)am.

) HAVENT BEEN TO 3PAIN
man esp1geti naxord(e)am.

) HAVENT EATEN SPAGHETTI
Exercise 6
Using the verb xordan ‘to eat’, give the equivalents of the
sentences below. Follow the example.
)VE EATEN )RANIAN FOOD
%XAMPLE
man qaz1-ye ir1ni xord(e)am.
9OU inf HAVE EATEN )RANIAN FOOD
(ESHE HAS EATEN )RANIAN FOOD
7E HAVE EATEN )RANIAN FOOD
9OU f HAVE EATEN )RANIAN FOOD
4HEY HAVE EATEN )RANIAN FOOD
Exercise 7
Now make the above sentences negative. Follow the example.
%XAMPLE
man qaz1-ye ir1ni naxord(e)am.
) HAVE NOT EATEN )RANIAN FOOD
.OW LET US EXPLORE A FEW MORE CONTEXTS IN WHICH THIS VERY COMMON
TENSE IS USED
(CD2; 20)
sarm1 xord(e)am.
)VE CAUGHT lit EATEN A COLD
qaz1-ye ir1ni xord(e)id?

(AVE YOU EATEN )RANIAN FOOD
film-e 1v1t1r-o did(e)id?

(AVE YOU SEEN THE lLM !VATAR
t1 h1l1 film-e ir1ni did(e)id?

(AVE YOU SEEN AN )RANIAN lLM UNTIL NOW
man qablan 2om1-ro did(e)am?

(AVE ) SEEN YOU BEFORE
b1 bar1daram 12(e)n1 2od(e)id?

(AVE YOU MET MY BROTHER
b1 kasi 12(e)n1 2odan (2)

TO MEET SOMEONE FOR THE lRST TIME
man b1 pedaretun mol1q1t nakard(e)am.

) HAVENT MET WITH YOUR FATHER ;%ITHER FOR THE lRST TIME OR BY
ARRANGEMENT=
b1 kasi mol1q1t kardan (kon)

TO MEET WITH SOMEONE
2om1 hic-vaqt helikopter sav1r 2od(e)id?

(AVE YOU EVER BEEN ON lit BOARDED A HELICOPTER
sav1r 2odan (2)

TO BOARD OR GET ON A MEANS OF TRANSPORT
imeilh1tun-o cek kard(e)id?

(AVE YOU CHECKED YOUR EMAILS
taklif-e f1rsitun-o anj1m d1d(e)id?

(AVE YOU DONE YOUR &ARSI HOMEWORK
anj1m d1dan (d) TO DO TO CARRY OUT
taklif HOMEWORK
Exercise 8
Can you ask a Persian speaker if:
(ESHE HAS EVER BEEN TO !MERICA

(ESHE HAS SEEN James Bond FILM
(ESHE HAS EVER HAD EATEN #HINESE FOOD
(ESHE HAS HAD EATEN LUNCHDINNERBREAKFAST
(ESHE HAS BEEN ON A HELICOPTER
(ESHE HAS EVER LOST SOMETHING
(ESHE HAS CAUGHT A COLD
Complaining in a restaurant
bebax2id, in qaz1 sarde!
%XCUSE ME THIS FOODS COLD
in nu21be garme!
4HIS DRINKS WARM
in m1hi bu mide!
4HIS lSH SMELLS
in s1l1d/nun t1ze nist!

4HIS SALADBREAD ISNT FRESH
1q1, mordim az gorosnegi!

3IR WERE STARVING lit 7E DIED OF HUNGER
qaz1-ye m1 ci 2od?
7HAT HAPPENED TO OUR MEAL
mitunam b1 modir-e restur1n sohbat konam?

#AN ) SPEAK TO THE RESTAURANT MANAGER
Other useful vocabulary
1q1/x1nom, surat-hes1b, lotfan.

3IR-ADAM MAY ) HAVE THE BILL PLEASE
koj1 b1yad pul bedam?

7HERE SHOULD ) PAY
Exercise 9
7HERES -UM 3HES GONE TO THE SUPERMARKET

7HERE ARE YOUR PARENTS 4HEYVE GONE TO )RAN
(AVE YOU SEEN MY NEW CAR
(AVE YOU EVER LOST SOMETHING
) ALWAYS LOSE MY CAR KEY
3ORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU BUT YOU HAVENT SEEN MY CAR KEY HAVE YOU
lit HAVENT YOU SEEN
4HIS FISH IS NOT FRESH

4HIS KEBAB SMELLS
-AY ) HAVE THE BILL PLEASE
9OU HAVE RECEIVED A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM A 0ERSIAN SPEAKING RELATIVE

&OR THIS TEST YOU WILL ONLY HEAR THE SOUNDTRACK
SALÄM MIDUNID KE MAN HAMIÆE BARÄTUN NÄME YÄ IMEIL MINEVISAM

AMMÄ IN BÄR TASMIM GEREFTAM YEK FILM BEFE RESTAM BÄYAD BEGAM
KE HIC VAQT JELO YE DURBIN SOHBAT NAKARDE AM BE HAMIN DALIL KAMI
HOUL ÆODE AM MIBAXÆID EMRUZ XÄNOM O BACCEHÄ NISTAND XUNE
HAME RAFTE AND MOSÄFERAT AMMÄ ZIÄD HAM TANHÄ NISTAM AL{ÄN CAND
TÄ ÆEKAM E GOROSNE TU OTÄQ E PAZIRÄYI MONTAZERAM HASTAND PANJ TÄ
AZ DUSTH ÄM BE DIDANAM UMADE AND TÄ CAND DAQIQE YE DIGE BÄHÄÆUN
ÄÆE NÄ MIÆID TU XUNE YE MÄ AQLAB XÄNOMAM ÄÆPAZI MIKONE MAN BE
NODRAT QAZÄ DOROST MIKONAM FAQAT CELOU KABÄB MITUNAM BEPAZAM
AMMÄ IN BÄR SA{Y KARDE AM CAND JUR QAZÄ DOROST KONAM ÄXAR E FILM
MIZ E NÄHÄRXORI RO NEÆUN MIDAM RÄSTI ÆOMÄ TÄ HÄLÄ QAZÄ YE IRÄNI
XORDE ID
7HAT DOES HE NORMALLY DO WHICH HE IS NOT DOING NOW

7HY IS HE NERVOUS
)N ONE WAY HE IS ALONE BUT THEN HE IS NOT #AN YOU SOLVE THIS
PUZZLE
(OW DOES HE SHOW HIS SENSE OF HUMOUR
7HO WILL YOU BE MEETING IN A FEW MINUTES
7HO DOES WHAT OFTEN IN HIS HOME
7HAT BRAVE ACT HAS HE DONE TODAY
7HAT PROMISE DOES HE MAKE
7HAT DOES HE WANT TO KNOW AT THE END
Unit Ten
mouqeìyathA-ye ezterAri
Emergency situations

s USE THE 4EHRAN TELEPHONE DIRECTORY
s ASK IF YOU CAN CONTACT YOUR EMBASSY
s ASK TO TALK TO YOUR LAWYER
s TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE DOING YESTERDAY AT THIS TIME
s DESCRIBE SOMEONES APPEARANCE
s CALL THE POLICE AND OTHER EMERGENCY SERVICES
Unit 10: Emergency situations 173
Dialogue 1
At the police station (CD2; 22)
! "RITISH BUSINESSMAN " HAS JUST BEEN INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT

(AVING OBTAINED HIS DETAILS THE POLICE OFFICER O AND THE
BUSINESSMAN HAVE THE FOLLOWING EXCHANGE
O
"
O
"
O
"
O
O XOB HÄLÄ BEFARMÄYID TASÄDOF CETOU R ETTEFÄQ OFTÄD

" MAN DÄÆTAM BÄ SOR{AT E HODUD E CEHEL KILUMETR DAR SÄ{AT
MIRUNDAM IN ÄqÄ YEK DAF{E PICID JELOM
O RÄHNAMÄÆ ROUÆAN BUD
" BEBAXÆID FÄRSIM ZIÄD XUB NIST NEMITUNAM BE FÄRSI TOUZIH BEDAM
MOTARJEM LÄZEM DÄRAM MITUNAM BE SEFÄRAT E ENGELESTÄN
TELEFON KONAM VA XÄHEÆ KONAM YEK MOTARJEM BEFE RESTAND
O XÄHEÆ MIKONAM BEFARMÄYID TELEFON UNJÄST
" MOTA ÆAKKERAM DAR ZEMN TARJIH MIDAM AVVAL BÄ VAKILAM
SOHBAT KONAM EÆKÄLI NADÄRE
O XÄHEÆ MIKONAM BE IÆUN H AM MITUNID ZANG BEZANID
O OK, now please tell (us) how the accident happened

" I was driving at a speed of about 40 kilometres per hour.
This gentleman suddenly turned in front of me
O Was his indicator on?
174 Unit 10: mouqeìyathA-ye ezterAri
" I’m sorry, my Persian isn’t that good; I can’t explain in Persian.
I need an interpreter. Can I telephone the British Embassy and
ask them to send an interpreter?
O By all means, please go ahead. The telephone’s there
" Thank you. Incidentally, I prefer to talk to my lawyer first.
Is that OK?
O By all means. You can ring him, too
A Vocabulary
CB
tas1dof ACCIDENT
ettef1q oft1dan (oft) TO HAPPEN
soràt SPEED
kilumetr KILOMETRE
d12tam mirundam ) WAS DRIVING
rundan (run) TO DRIVE
yek-dafè SUDDENLY
picid HE TURNED
picidan (pic) TO TURN
jelom col FOR jelo-ye IN FRONT OF ME
man m jelo-y(e)+am
r1hnam1 INDICATOR
rou2an SWITCHED ON
be f1rsi IN 0ERSIAN
touzih EXPLANATION
touzih d1dan (d) TO EXPLAIN
motarjem INTERPRETER TRANSLATOR
l1zem NEEDED NECESSARY
l1zem d1ram ) NEED
l1zem d12tan (d1r) TO NEED
sef1rat EMBASSY
engelest1n %NGLAND
dar zemn MEANWHILE
tarjih d1dan (d) TO PREFER
vakil LAWYER
e2k1l PROBLEM
zang zadan (zan) TO RINGPHONE

Past continuous
How to say ‘I was driving’

(ERES THE FORMULA
0RElX mi- PAST STEM OF VERB PERSONAL ENDING
Note: .O PERSONAL ENDING IS USED FOR THIRD PERSON SINGULAR u

@SHE AND un @ITTHAT
6ERB NEEDED rundan TO DRIVE
(ERES THE RESULT
0RElX mi- PAST STEM OF VERB rund

PERSONAL ENDING am
mirundam ) WAS DRIVING
Note: 4HE VERB d12tan IS OFTEN USED HERE AS AN AUXILIARY VERB

TO EMPHASISE THE FACT THAT THE ACTION WAS IN PROGRESS
d12tam mirundam ) WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF

DRIVING
Important: 9OU WILL NOTE THAT
4HE PAST STEM OF THE VERB d12tan IS USED IE d12t

4HE SAME PERSONAL ENDING IS USED FOR BOTH VERBS
.OW CONSIDER THIS SENTENCE FROM THE DIALOGUE WHERE AN ADVERBIAL

PHRASE IS SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE AUXILIARY VERB AND THE MAIN VERB
man d12tam b1 soràt-e hodud-e cehel kilumetr dar

s1àt mirundam.
) WAS DRIVING AT A SPEED OF ABOUT KILOMETRES PER HOUR
!LSO NOTE HOW THE OBJECT CAN BE SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE TWO VERBS
d12tam mixordam. ) WAS EATING

d12tam n1h1r ) WAS EATING LUNCH
mixordam.
diruz in vaqt, d12tam n1h1r mixordam.

9ESTERDAY AT THIS TIME ) WAS EATING LUNCH
Note: 4HE AUXILIARY VERB IS NOT USED IN THE NEGATIVE FORM
diruz in vaqt, n1h1r nemixordam.

9ESTERDAY AT THIS TIME ) WAS NOT EATING LUNCH
(ERE IS A USEFUL QUESTION
diruz in vaqt, ce-k1r mikardid?

7HAT WERE YOU DOING YESTERDAY AT THIS TIME
Exercise 1
Change these sentences as in the example, and then provide an English
translation of the new sentences.
di2ab in vaqt, d12tam 21m mixordam.

,AST NIGHT AT THIS TIME ) WAS EATING DINNER
%XAMPLE
di2ab in vaqt, d12tam televizion tam121 mikardam.
,AST NIGHT AT THIS TIME ) WAS WATCHING 46
di2ab in vaqt, d12ti 21m mixordi.
di2ab in vaqt, d12t 21m mixord.
di2ab in vaqt, d12tim 21m mixordim.

di2ab in vaqt, d12tid 21m mixordid.
di2ab in vaqt, d12tand 21m mixordand.
Exercise 2
Make the new sentences in Exercise 1 negative.
%XAMPLE
di2ab in vaqt, televizion tam12a nemikardam.
,AST NIGHT AT THIS TIME ) WAS NOT WATCHING 46
Exercise 3
There are 10 incomplete sentences in this exercise with two blanks
(a) and (b) in each sentence. With the help of the English translations,
use the correct form of:
s THE AUXILIARY VERB d12tan IN BLANK A

s A VERB FROM THE BOX BELOW IN BLANK B
&OLLOW THE EXAMPLE
k1r kardan TO WORK %XAMPLE

sohbat kardan TO SPEAK
xordan TO EAT TO DRINK
dars xundan TO STUDY
umadan TO COME
cek kardan TO CHECK
neve2tan TO WRITE
2en1 kardan TO SWIM
y1d gereftan TO LEARN
gu2 kardan TO LISTEN
???????? B ???????? A
diruz in vaqt, (a) ________ b1 k1mpiuter (b) ________.
9ESTERDAY AT THIS TIME ) WAS WORKING WITH THE COMPUTER
%XAMPLE
diruz in vaqt, d12tam b1 k1mpiuter k1r mikardam.
???????? B ???????? A
diruz in vaqt, (a) ________ b1 2ouharam (b) ________.
9ESTERDAY AT THIS TIME ) WAS SPEAKING WITH MY HUSBAND
???????? B ???????? A
di2ab in vaqt, (a) ________ c1i (b) ________.
,AST NIGHT AT THIS TIME WE WERE DRINKING TEA
???????? B ???????? A
p1rs1l in vaqt, (a) ________ dar d1ne2g1h (b) ________.
,AST YEAR AT THIS TIME THEY WERE STUDYING AT UNIVERSITY
???????? B ???????? A
pariruz in vaqt, (a) ________ b1 qat1r (b) ________ inj1.
4HE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY AT THIS TIME YOU WERE COMING HERE BY
TRAIN
???????? B ???????? A
diruz in vaqt, (a) ________ imeilh1m-o (b) ________.
9ESTERDAY AT THIS TIME ) WAS CHECKING MY EMAILS
???????? B ???????? A
di2ab in vaqt, x1nomam (a) ________ n1me (b) ________.
,AST NIGHT AT THIS TIME MY WIFE WAS WRITING A LETTER
???????? B ???????? A
hafte-ye pi2 in vaqt, (a) ________ tu dary1 2en1 (b) ________.
,AST WEEK AT THIS TIME WE WERE SWIMMING IN THE SEA
???????? B ???????? A
do s1l pi2 in vaqt, (a) ________ engelisi (b) ________.
4WO YEARS AGO AT THIS TIME YOU WERE LEARNING %NGLISH
???????? B ???????? A
s1àt-e ha2t, (a) ________ be axb1r (b) ________.
!T EIGHT OCLOCK ) WAS LISTENING TO THE NEWS
Tehran telephone directory: 118
bebax2id, 2om1re(-ye) telefon-e 2erkat-e g1z-o mix1stam,

lotfan.
%XCUSE ME ) WANTED THE TELEPHONE NUMBER OF THE GAS COMPANY
PLEASE
Emergency calls
pedaram h1le2 be ham xorde. har-ce zudtar yek 1mbul1ns

bef(e)restid, lotfan.
-Y FATHER HAS FALLEN ILL 0LEASE SEND AN AMBULANCE AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE
1te2-ne21ni? )S THAT THE &IRE "RIGADE
xunamun 1te2 col 1ti2) gerefte! komak konid, lotfan.

/UR HOUSE HAS CAUGHT lRE 0LEASE HELP
xunamun-o dozd zade.
/UR HOUSE HAS BEEN BURGLED
qofl-e daremun-o 2ekast(e)and.
4HEY HAVE BROKEN THE LOCK TO OUR DOOR
xune-ye hams1yamun da`v1st.
4HERES A lGHT IN OUR NEIGHBOURS HOUSE
tu xunamun bu-ye g1z mi1d. lotfan yek nafar-o bef(e)restid.

4HERES A SMELL OF GAS IN OUR HOUSE 0LEASE SEND SOMEONE
lule-ye 1bemun tarakide.
/UR WATER PIPE HAS BURST
barq nad1rim.
7E HAVE A POWER CUT lit 7E DONT HAVE ELECTRICITY
gozarn1mam-o/p1sportam-o gom kard(e)am.

)VE LOST MY PASSPORT
Exercise 4
(OW DID THE ACCIDENT HAPPEN

) WAS DRIVING AT THE SPEED OF KILOMETRES PER HOUR
! BLUE CAR SUDDENLY TURNED IN FRONT OF ME
)TS INDICATOR WASNT ON
) SAW THE ACCIDENT BUT ) CANT EXPLAIN IN 0ERSIAN
-Y 0ERSIAN ISNT THAT GOOD
) NEED AN INTERPRETERA LAWYER
-AY ) PHONE MY EMBASSY
) PREFER TO TALK TO MY FAMILY FIRST )S THAT /+
7HAT WERE YOU DOING AT THIS TIME LAST NIGHT
) WAS WATCHING AN )RANIAN FILM
) HAVE LOST MY PASSPORT
-Y KITCHEN IS ON FIRE 0LEASE HELP
-Y FLAT HAS BEEN BURGLED 0LEASE SEND SOMEONE
-Y NEIGHBOUR HAS COLLAPSED 0LEASE SEND AN AMBULANCE AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE
-AY ) HAVE THE TELEPHONE NUMBER OF THE POLICEAMBULANCEFIRE
BRIGADE PLEASE
Dialogue 2
Describing appearance (CD2; 24)
!HMAD A HAS JUST BEEN PICKPOCKETED (E IS NOW HELPING THE

POLICE 0 WITH THEIR ENQUIRIES
0
A
0
A
0
A
0
A
0
A
0
A
0
A
0
A
0 ÆOMÄ XODETUN JIB BOR O DIDID

A BALE
0 MITUNID MOÆAXXASÄTEÆ O BEGID
A SA{ Y MIKONAM QADDEÆ BOLANDTAR AZ MAN BUD SURATEÆ
GOLÄBI ÆEKL BUD RANG E PUSTEÆ SElD BUD
0 MUHÄÆ CE RANG BUD
A YÄDAM NIST FEKR MIKONAM TARÄÆIDE BUD AMMÄ SEBILEÆ MEÆKI
BUD
0 JOSSAÆ CETOU R BUD
A LÄQAR BUD AMMÄ CÄR ÆUNE
0 LEBÄSEÆ YÄDETUN HAST
A BALE KOT NADÄÆT YEK KÄPÆAN E QAHVEYI DÄÆT BÄ ÆALVÄR E
SORMEYI RANG E PIRHANEÆ YÄDAM NIST
0 TU DASTEÆ CIZI NABUD
A CERÄ YEK SÄK E ÄBI DÄÆT
0 KAS E DIGE UNJÄ NABUD
A CERÄ XEILIHÄ BUDAND AMMÄ ESM O ÄDRESEÆUN O NADÄRAM
0 AZ HAMKÄRITUN MOTA ÆAKKERAM
A XÄHEÆ MIKONAM
0 Did you see the pickpocket yourself?

A Yes.
0 Can you describe him?
A I’ll try. He was taller than I (am). His face was pear-shaped.
The colour of his skin was white.
0 What colour was his hair?

A I can’t remember. I think his head was shaved LIT he had
shaved But his moustache was black
0 What kind of build did he have?
A He was slim, but broad-shouldered
0 Do you remember his clothes?
A Yes, he didn’t have a jacket. He had a brown bomber jacket
with navy-blue trousers. I can’t remember the colour of his shirt.
0 Wasn’t there anything in his hand?
A Yes, he had a blue holdall.
0 Wasn’t anyone else there?
A Yes, many (people) were there, but I don’t have their names
and addresses.
0 I’m grateful for your cooperation
A You’re welcome
A Vocabulary
CB
xodetun YOURSELF
jib-bor PICKPOCKET
mo2axxas1t DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
begid FOR YOU TO SAYTELL
goftan (g) TO SAYTELL
qadd HEIGHT
bolandtar TALLER
surat FACE
gol1bi PEAR
2ekl SHAPE
rang COLOUR
pust SKIN
sefid WHITE
mu HAIR
y1d MEMORY
y1dam nist. ) CANT REMEMBER
tar12idan (tar12) TO SHAVE
sebil MOUSTACHE
me2ki BLACK
josse BUILD
l1qar SLIM
c1r-2une BROAD SHOULDERED
leb1s CLOTHES
y1detun hast? #AN YOU REMEMBER
kot JACKET
k1p2an BOMBER JACKET
qahveyi BROWN
2alv1r TROUSERS
sormeyi NAVY BLUE
pirhan SHIRT
cer1 YES TO A NEGATIVE QUESTION
s1k HOLDALL
1bi BLUE
kas PERSON
dige ELSE
xeilih1 MANY PEOPLE
hamk1ri COOPERATION

Emphatic and reflexive pronouns
How to say ‘myself’; ‘my own’

7E USE THE WORD xod @SELFOWN TOGETHER WITH THE POSSESSIVE
ENDINGS SEE 5$
(CD2; 26)
xodam MYSELF MY OWN

xodet YOURSELF YOUR OWN inf )
xode2 HIMSELFHERSELF HISHER OWN ITSELFITS OWN
xodemun OURSELVES OUR OWN
xodetun YOURSELVES YOUR OWN
xode2un THEMSELVES THEIR OWN
man xodam unh1-ro didam.

) MYSELF SAW THEM or ) SAW THEM MYSELF
man b1 ce2mh1-ye xodam unh1-ro didam.

) SAW THEM WITH MY OWN EYES
xode2-o tu 1ine did.

(E SAW HIMSELF IN THE MIRROR
Exercise 5
With the help of the English translations, supply the missing word. Follow
the example.
u ________ n1ma-ro neve2t.

(E WROTE THE LETTER HIMSELF
%XAMPLE u xode2 n1ma-ro neve2t.
2om1 ________ ahmad-o didid?

$ID YOU SEE !HMAD YOURSELF
m1 b1 m12in-e ________ mirim.

7ELL GO IN lit BY OUR OWN CAR

unh1 b1 m12in-e ________ mirand.
4HEYLL GO IN lit BY THEIR OWN CAR

be ________ goftam: ‘sabur b12
) TOLD MYSELF @"E PATIENT

to ________ -o (r1) tu 1ine did(e)i?
(AVE YOU SEEN YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR

ali bar1ye ________ docarxe xarid.
lit !LI BOUGHT A BICYCLE FOR HIMSELF
Past perfect
How to say ‘he had shaved’

(ERE IS THE FORMULA
0AST STEM OF VERB SUFlX e bud PERSONAL ENDING
*Note: .O PERSONAL ENDING IS USED FOR THIRD PERSON SINGULAR u

SHE un ITTHAT
6ERB NEEDED tar12idan TO SHAVE

0AST STEM tar12id
(CD2; 27)
tar12ide budam ) HAD SHAVED

tar12ide budi YOU inf HAD SHAVED
tar12ide bud HE HAD SHAVED
tar12ide budim WE HAD SHAVED
tar12ide budid YOU HAD SHAVED
tar12ide budand THEY HAD SHAVED
&OR THE NEGATIVE WE ADD THE STRESSED PREFIX na- TO THE main verb
natar12ide bud HE HAD NOT SHAVED
Exercise 6
Complete these sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Follow the example.

panj s1l pi2, b1 2om1 12en1 2odam.
) MET YOU FIVE YEARS AGO
amm1 qablan 2om1-ro ________. (didan)

"UT ) HAD SEEN YOU BEFORE
%XAMPLE
amm1 qablan 2om1-ro dide budam.
"UT ) HAD SEEN YOU BEFORE

di2ab, film-e t1itanik-o tu televizion didam.
,AST NIGHT ) SAW THE FILM Titanic ON 46
qablan, un-o tu sinem1 ________. (didan)

) HAD SEEN IT IN THE CINEMA BEFORE

1xar-e hafte-ye pi2, qaz1-ye ir1ni poxtam.
,AST WEEKEND ) COOKED SOME )RANIAN FOOD
qablan cand b1r qaz1-ye ir1ni ________ (poxtan)

) HAD COOKED )RANIAN FOOD A FEW TIMES BEFORE
yek rob` dir be sinem1 residim.

7E ARRIVED AT THE CINEMA A QUARTER OF AN HOUR LATE
film ________. (2oru` 2odan)
4HE FILM HAD STARTED
di2ab, dir residam xune.

,AST NIGHT ) ARRIVED HOME LATE
m1daram qaz1-ye xo2mazeyi ________. (dorost kardan)

-Y MOTHER HAD MADE A DELICIOUS MEAL
amm1 man 21m ________! (xordan)

"UT ) HAD EATEN DINNER
Exercise 7
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of a verb from the box below.
Follow the example.
xordan TO EAT
poxtan TO COOK
didan TO SEE
safar kardan TO TRAVEL
2en1 kardan TO SWIM
r1nandegi kardan TO DRIVE

avvalin b1r se hafte pi2 qaz1-ye ir1ni xordam.
) FIRST ATE )RANIAN FOOD THREE WEEKS AGO
qablan qaz1-ye ir1ni ________.
) HAD NOT EATEN )RANIAN FOOD BEFORE
%XAMPLE
qablan qaz1-ye ir1ni naxorde budam.
) HAD NOT EATEN )RANIAN FOOD BEFORE

avvalin b1r dah s1l pi2 b1 x1nomam mol1q1t kardam.
) FIRST MET MY WIFE TEN YEARS AGO
qablan u r1 ________.
) HAD NOT SEEN HER BEFORE

avvalin b1r ha2t m1h pi2 f1rsi sohbat kardam.
) FIRST SPOKE 0ERSIAN EIGHT MONTHS AGO
qablan f1rsi ________.
) HAD NOT SPOKEN 0ERSIAN BEFORE

avvalin b1r do s1l pi2 qaz1-ye hendi poxtam.
) FIRST COOKED )NDIAN FOOD TWO YEARS AGO
qablan qaz1-ye hendi ________.
) HAD NOT COOKED )NDIAN FOOD BEFORE

avvalin b1r cah1r m1h pi2 be ir1n safar kardam.
) FIRST TRAVELLED TO )RAN FOUR MONTHS AGO
qablan be ir1n ________.
) HAD NOT TRAVELLED TO )RAN BEFORE

avvalin b1r diruz tu dary1 2en1 kardam.
) FIRST SWAM IN THE SEA YESTERDAY
qablan tu dary1 ________.
) HAD NOT SWUM IN THE SEA BEFORE

avvalin b1r punzdah s1l pi2 r1nandegi kardam.
) FIRST DROVE A CAR FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
qablan ________.
) HAD NOT DRIVEN A CAR BEFORE
Indefinite pronouns
.OTE THE USE OF THESE INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
kas PERSON kasi SOMEONE A PERSON
kasi b1 2om1 k1r d1re.

3OMEONE WANTS TO SEE YOU lit 3OMEONE HAS BUSINESS WITH YOU
ba`zi SOME ba`zi az SOME OF
ba`zi az sibh1 xar1band.

3OME OF THE APPLES ARE BAD
ba`zi az unh1 SOME OF THEM

xeili MANY xeilih1 MANY PEOPLE
Exercise 8
Match these people (a–c) with their descriptions (1–3).
A B C
MEDIUM HEIGHT TALL SHORT
PLUMP FAT SLIM
SHORT BLACK HAIR SHORT BLOND HAIR LONG GREY HAIR
PEAR SHAPED FACE BROAD SHOULDERED ROUND FACED
qadd = boland; josse = c1q, c1r-2une; mu = kut1h, bur
qadd = kut1h; josse = l1qar; mu = boland, jougandomi; surat

= gerd
qadd = motavasset; josse = topoli; mu = kut1h, me2ki; surat

= gol1bi-2ekl
Exercise 9
7HEN DID YOU FIRST GO TO )RAN YEARS AGO

7HY DID YOU GO TO )RAN
) HAD READ A FEW BOOKS ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY
) HAD SEEN A FEW )RANIAN FILMS

) HAD BECOME INTERESTED IN )RAN
(AD YOU NOT BEEN TO THE -IDDLE %AST BEFORE
9ES ) HAD BEEN TO )RAQ
3OMEONE WANTS TO SEE YOU lit HAS BUSINESS WITH YOU
3OME OF THE GUESTS WANT TO TALK TO YOU
$ID YOU TALK TO !HMAD YOURSELF
) SAW MYSELF IN THE MIRROR

(ERES HOW !LI DESCRIBED WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM LAST NIGHT
MAN O XÄNOMAM DÄÆTIM TU RESTURÄN QAZÄ MIXORDIM HODUD E SÄ{AT E

HAÆT YEK DAF{E CERÄQHÄ XÄMUÆ ÆOD QABL AZ UN DO NAFAR DAR MIZ E
PAHLU YE MÄ QAZÄ MIXORDAND BA{D AZ HODUD E PANJ DAQIQE CERÄQHÄ
ROUÆAN ÆOD AMMÄ UN DO NAFAR RAFTE BUDAND KIF E MAN HAM NÄPADID
ÆODE BUD YEKIÆUN QADD BOLAND BUD VA KOT O ÆALVÄR E TUSI DÄÆT
MUHÄÆ MEÆKI BUD O KUTÄH SEBIL E KOLOFT O EINAK E ÄFTÄBI DÄÆT DOVVOMI
POÆTEÆ BE MAN BUD SURATEÆ O NADIDAM AMMÄ SAREÆ TÄS BUD PIRHANEÆ
HAM ÄBI BUD
7HERE WAS !LI

7HO WAS HE WITH
7HAT WERE THEY DOING
7HAT HAPPENED AT OCLOCK

7HAT IMPLICIT MESSAGE IS !LI GIVING THE POLICE
#AN YOU DESCRIBE THE APPEARANCE OF ONE OF THE MEN THE POLICE ARE
NOW LOOKING FOR
s (EIGHT
s #LOTHES
s (AIR COLOUR AND LENGTH
s &ACIAL HAIR
s 'LASSES
7HY COULDNT !LI GIVE MUCH OF A DESCRIPTION OF THE SECOND MAN

Unit Eleven
manzel
Home

s START HOLD AND END A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
s ENQUIRE ABOUT RENTED ACCOMMODATION
s MAKE LONGER SENTENCES
s EXPRESS PREFERENCE
s APOLOGISE FOR CAUSING INCONVENIENCE
s SAY YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHINGSOMEONE
Dialogue 1
Answering the phone (CD2; 29)
4HE PHONE RINGS -S 4EIMURI T ANSWERS THE PHONE )TS -R :ANDI

: A FRIEND OF HER HUSBAND !LI +ESHMIRI )RANIAN WOMEN OFTEN
KEEP THEIR MAIDEN NAME
T
:
T
:
T
:
192 Unit 11: manzel
T
:
T
:
T
:
T
:
T
:
T
T ALOU
: BEBAXÆID MANZEL E ÄQÄ YE KEÆMIRI
T BALE BEFARMÄYID
: SALÄM ZANDI HASTAM
T SALÄM HÄLETUN CETOU RE
: XUBAM MOTA ÆAKKERAM ALI HAST
T NA NIST MOTA{ ASSEFÄNE
: AZ EDÄRE BAR NAGAÆTE HANUZ
T CERÄ SÄ{AT E PANJ UMAD AMMÄ DOBÄRE RAFT BIRUN
: MIDUNID KEI BAR MIGARDE XUNE
T HODUD E HAÆT
: XOB PAS BA{ DAN ZANG MIZANAM
T MIXÄID PEIQÄM BEZÄRID
: NA MOTA ÆAKKERAM BEBAXÆID MOZÄHEM ÆODAM
T XÄHEÆ MIKONAM
: FE { LAN XODÄ HÄFEZ
T XODÄ NEGAHDÄR
T Hello?
: Excuse me, (is that) Mr Keshmiri’s home?
T Yes, what can I do for you?
: Hello, I’m Zandi.
T Hello, how’re you?
: I’m fine, thanks. Is Ali (in)?
Unit 11: Home 193
T No he’s not (in), I’m afraid.

: Hasn’t he come back from the office yet?
T Yes, he came at 5 o’clock, but went out again.
: Do you know when he’ll come back home?
T About 8.
: OK, I’ll ring later, then.
T Do you want to leave a message?
: No, thanks. Sorry to have bothered you.
T No problem.
: Goodbye for now.
T Goodbye.
Vocabulary A
CB
manzel HOME RESIDENCE
ed1re OFFICE
cer1 YES TO A NEGATIVE QUESTION
dob1re AGAIN
birun OUT
xob /+ SO
pas THEN IN THAT CASE
ba`dan LATER
zang zadan (zan) TO RING
peiq1m MESSAGE
goz12tan (z1r) TO LEAVE TO PUT
moz1hem NUISANCE
194 Unit 11: manzel

Conjunctions
4HESE ARE USED TO JOIN TWO OR MORE SENTENCES WHICH ARE NORMALLY OF
EQUAL WEIGHT
amm1 BUT
vali BUT
va col o AND
y1 OR
%XAMPLE
A man s1ndevic xordam.

) ATE A SANDWICH
B ahmad keik xord. !HMAD ATE SOME CAKE
A B
man s1ndevic xordam amm1 ahmad keik xord.
) ATE A SANDWICH BUT !HMAD ATE SOME CAKE
3OME USEFUL PATTERNS
y1 X y1 Y EITHER 8 OR 9
ham X (va) ham Y BOTH 8 AND 9
na X (va) na Y NEITHER 8 NOR 9
%XAMPLES
y1 s1ndevic y1 keik
EITHER A SANDWICH OR SOME CAKE
ham s1ndevic (va) ham keik

BOTH A SANDWICH AND SOME CAKE
na s1ndevic (va) na keik

NEITHER A SANDWICH AND NOR SOMEANY CAKE
Note: )F PATTERNS n ABOVE ARE EXPRESSED IN THE FORM OF A SENTENCE

THE VERB IS NORMALLY PLACED AFTER @8 %XAMPLES
Unit 11: Home 195
man y1 s1ndevic mixoram y1 keik.

)LL EAT EITHER A SANDWICH OR SOME CAKE
har do r1 nemitunam boxoram.

) CANT EAT BOTH
A ali s1ndevic xord. !LI ATE A SANDWICH

B u keik ham xord. (E ATE SOME CAKE TOO
A B
ali ham s1ndevic xord (va) ham keik.
!LI ATE BOTH A SANDWICH AND SOME CAKE
Important: .OTE THAT IN PATTERN ABOVE THE VERB NORMALLY APPEARS

IN POSITIVE FORM n SIMILAR TO %NGLISH %XAMPLE
A susan s1ndevic naxord.

3USAN DIDNT EAT A SANDWICH
B u keik ham naxord.
3HE DIDNT EAT ANY CAKE EITHER
A B
susan na s1ndevic xord (va) na keik.
3USAN ATE NEITHER A SANDWICH NOR ANY CAKE
(ERE IS A MORE CHALLENGING EXAMPLE WHERE TWO DIFFERENT SUBJECTS AND

VERBS ARE INVOLVED
A
diruz, kasi be didan-e man nayumad.
9ESTERDAY NOBODY CAME TO SEE ME
B
man ham be didan-e kasi naraftam.
) DIDNT GO TO SEE ANYONE EITHER
A B
diruz, na kasi be didan-e man umad (va) na man be didan-e
kasi raftam.
9ESTERDAY NEITHER DID ANYONE COME TO SEE ME AND NOR DID
) GO TO SEE ANYONE
SEE P
196 Unit 11: manzel
Exercise 1
Join each pair into one sentence following the patterns introduced above.
di2ab, dar yek restur1n-e bozorg 21m xordim. qaz1 xub

nabud.
,AST NIGHT WE ATE DINNER IN A BIG RESTAURANT 4HE FOOD WASNT GOOD
(OW DO YOU SAY
,AST NIGHT WE ATE DINNER IN A BIG RESTAURANT BUT THE FOOD WASNT
GOOD
%XAMPLE
di2ab dar yek restur1n-e bozorg 21m xordim, amm1 qaz1 xub
nabud.
deser bastani xordam. keik ham xordam.

&OR DESSERT ) HAD ICE CREAM ) HAD SOME CAKE TOO
(OW DO YOU SAY &OR DESSERT ) HAD BOTH ICE CREAM AND CAKE
m1daram 21m naxord. u deser ham naxord.

-Y MOTHER DIDNT HAVE DINNER 3HE DIDNT HAVE A DESSERT EITHER
(OW DO YOU SAY -Y MOTHER HAD NEITHER DINNER NOR DESSERT
be nazar-e m1daram: qaz1 xub nabud. deser ham xub nabud.

)N MY MOTHERS OPINION 4HE FOOD WASNT GOOD 4HE DESSERT WASNT
GOOD EITHER
(OW DO YOU SAY .EITHER THE FOOD NOR THE DESSERT WAS GOOD
1xar-e hafte-ye goza2te, kasi be xune-ye m1 nayumad. m1 ham

be xune-ye kasi naraftim.
,AST WEEKEND NOBODY CAME TO OUR HOUSE 7E DIDNT GO TO ANYONES
HOUSE EITHER
(OW DO YOU SAY ,AST WEEKEND NEITHER DID ANYONE COME TO OUR
HOUSE AND NOR DID WE GO TO ANYONES HOUSE
Unit 11: Home 197
More expressions used on the phone (CD2; 30)
mix1stam b1 1q1-ye ahmadi sohbat konam.

) WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH -R !HMADI
sed1tun-o xub nemi2(e)navam.

) CANT lit DONT HEAR YOUR VOICE WELL
lotfan yek kam bolandtar sohbat konid.

0LEASE SPEAK A LITTLE LOUDER
bebax2id, 2om1?
%XCUSE ME WHOS CALLING lit YOU
jen1b-1li?
RISING TONE 7HOS CALLING lit %XCELLENCY FORMAL
k1mr1n hastam.
)TS +AMRAN CALLING lit ) AM +AMRAN
lotfan gu2i-ro negah d1rid.

0LEASE HOLD ON lit 0LEASE HOLD THE RECEIVER
gu2i xedmatetun b12e.

0LEASE HOLD ON lit ,ET THE RECEIVER BEREMAIN AT YOUR SERVICE
FORMAL
lotfan cand lahze sabr konid; sed12un mikonam.

0LEASE WAIT A FEW MOMENTS )LL CALL HIM
Exercise 2
9OU CAN HAVE EITHER ICE CREAM OR CHOCOLATE 9OU CANT HAVE BOTH
#AN ) HAVE BOTH ICE CREAM AND CAKE PLEASE
4ODAY ) HAD NEITHER BREAKFAST NOR LUNCH
"EAR WITH ME A FEW MOMENTS )LL CALL HER
#AN YOU SPEAK UP A LITTLE ) CANT HEAR YOU
7HOS CALLING )TS (AMEED
)D LIKE TO TALK TO -R *AMSHIDI PLEASE
198 Unit 11: manzel
Dialogue 2
I’m looking for a flat (CD2; 31)
! "RITISH LECTURER S ON A TWO YEAR TEACHING ASSIGNMENT AT

4EHRAN 5NIVERSITY IS LOOKING FOR A FLAT ! IS THE ESTATE AGENT
S
!
S
!
S
!
S
!
S
!
Unit 11: Home 199
S DONBÄL E YEK ÄPÄRTEMÄN E EJÄREYI MIGARDAM

! CE JUR ÄPÄRTEMÄNI
S DO XÄBE BÄ HAMUM O TUÄLET E JODÄ VA ÄÆPAZXUNE YE BOZORG
! KOJÄ YE TEHRÄN
S TARJIHAN NAZDIK E DÄNEÆGÄH E TEHRÄN
! UNJÄ YEK ÄPÄRTEMÄN DÄRAM KE XEILI MONÄSEBE AMMÄ EJÄRE AÆ
YEK KAM GERUNE
S MÄHI CANDE
! YEK MILYUN TOMAN
S MIÆE BEBINAMEÆ
! BALE BEFARMÄYID
S I’m looking for a flat to rent.

! What sort of a flat?
S A two-bedroomed (flat) with separate bathroom and toilet and a
large kitchen.
! Whereabouts in Tehran?
S Preferably near Tehran University.
! There, I have a flat which is very suitable, but the rent is a bit
expensive.
S How much is it per month?
! 1,000,000 tumans.
S Is it possible for me to see it?
! Yes, let’s go.
Vocabulary A
CB
donb1l-e ga2tan (gard) TO LOOK FOR
ej1re RENT
ej1reyi RENTED RENTAL FOR RENT
jur KIND SORT TYPE
do-x1be TWO BEDROOMED
hamum col FOR BATHROOM
hamm1m)
tu1let TOILET
jod1 SEPARATE
12pazxune KITCHEN
200 Unit 11: manzel
tarjihan PREFERABLY
nazdik-e NEAR CLOSE TO
d1ne2g1h UNIVERSITY
mon1seb SUITABLE
gerun EXPENSIVE
m1h MONTH
m1hi PER MONTH
mi2e IS IT POSSIBLE
bebinam FOR ME TO SEE
bebiname2 FOR ME TO SEE IT

Relative clauses
3O FAR WE HAVE SEEN HOW TWO SENTENCES OF n USUALLY n EQUAL WEIGHT

ARE JOINED BY A CONJUNCTION SEE 5$ 3OMETIMES WE JOIN TWO
SENTENCES ONE OF WHICH CONTAINS OUR MAIN POINT WHILE THE OTHER IS
THERE TO PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION #ONSIDER THESE
A yek 1p1rtem1n d1ram.

) HAVE AN APARTMENT
B un xeili mon1sebe. )T IS VERY SUITABLE
A B
yek 1p1rtem1n d1ram ke xeili mon1sebe.
) HAVE AN APARTMENT WHICH IS VERY SUITABLE
9OU WILL NOTE THAT THE PRONOUN un @IT WAS REPLACED BY THE RELATIVE
PRONOUN ke @WHICHTHAT
(ERE IS ANOTHER SLIGHTLY LESS COLLOQUIAL WAY OF SAYING A B
1p1rtem1ni d1ram ke xeili mon1sebe.

) HAVE AN APARTMENT WHICH IS VERY SUITABLE
9OU WILL NOTE THAT WE HAVE USED THE SUFFIX -i MEANING @AAN
INSTEAD OF yek MEANING @ONE n SEE 5$
Unit 11: Home 201
(ERE IS A SIMILAR SENTENCE &OCUS ON THE UNDERLINED PARTS
1p1rtem1ni didam ke xeili mon1sebe.

) SAW AN APARTMENT WHICH IS VERY SUITABLE
.OW LET US SHIFT THE POSITION OF ke @WHICH AND CONSIDER THE CHANGE
IN MEANING
1p1rtem1ni ke didam xeili mon1sebe.

4HE APARTMENT WHICH ) SAW IS VERY SUITABLE
Conclusion: 7HEN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE RELATIVE PRONOUN

ke @WHICH THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE -i @AAN MAY ACT AS A DEFINITE
ARTICLE @THE 3EE 5$ FOR THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE
(ERE IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE
m12ini be man foruxti ke r1h nemire.

9OU SOLD ME A CAR WHICH DOESNT GO
m12ini ke be man foruxti r1h nemire.

4HE CAR THATWHICH YOU SOLD ME DOESNT GO
.OTE HOW THESE TWO SENTENCES ARE JOINED UP
A x1nom hanuz nayumade.

4HE LADY HASNT COME YET
B 1dres-e 2om1-ro az u gereftam.
) GOT YOUR ADDRESS FROM HER
A B
x1nomi ke 1dres-e 2om1-ro az u gereftam, hanuz nayumade.
4HE LADY FROM WHOM ) GOT YOUR ADDRESS HASNT COME YET
! MORE COLLOQUIAL FORM FOR THE ABOVE SENTENCE WOULD BE
x1nomi ke 1dresetun-o aza2 gereftam, hanuz nayumade.

202 Unit 11: manzel
-ORE EXAMPLES
mardi ke behe2 telefon kardid, inj1st.

4HE MAN WHOM YOU TELEPHONED IS HERE
rusari(i) ke be man d1did, xeili qa2ange.

4HE HEADSCARF WHICHTHAT YOU GAVE ME IS VERY PRETTY
jam2id, ke az hame-ye m1 zerangtar bud, dah gereft!

*AMSHID WHO WAS CLEVERER THAN ALL OF US GOT OUT OF
pesaram, ke dar k1n1d1 dars mixune, diruz telefon kard.

-Y SON WHO IS STUDYING IN #ANADA TELEPHONED YESTERDAY
)MPLICATION 4HE SPEAKER HAS ONLY ONE SON
un pesaram ke dar k1n1d1 dars mixune diruz telefon kard.

-Y SON WHO IS STUDYING IN #ANADA TELEPHONED YESTERDAY
lit 4HAT SON OF MINE WHO
)MPLICATION 4HE SPEAKER HAS MORE THAN ONE SON
.OTE HOW THESE SENTENCES ARE JOINED UP
A donb1l-e yek m12in migardam.

)M LOOKING FOR A CAR
B b1yad arzun b12e. )T MUST BE CHEAP
A B
donb1l-e yek m12in migardam ke arzun b12e.
)M LOOKING FOR A CAR THAT IS CHEAP
4HE WORD b1yad @MUST HAS BEEN OMITTED IN A B BUT ITS IMPACT
REMAINS IE THE VERB @TO BE REMAINS IN THE SUBJUNCTIVE (ERES ANOTHER
EXAMPLE
mix1m xuneyi bexaram ke do t1 tu1let d12te b12e.

) WANT TO BUY A HOUSE WHICH HAS TWO TOILETS
Unit 11: Home 203
Exercise 3
Join each of the following pairs into one sentence using the relative
pronoun ke ‘that/which/who’. Follow the example.
dar 2ir1z yek xune d1ram. xeili qa2ange.

) HAVE A HOUSE IN 3HIRAZ )TS VERY NICE
%XAMPLE
dar 2ir1z yek xune d1ram ke xeili qa2ange.
) HAVE A HOUSE IN 3HIRAZ WHICH IS VERY NICE
diruz yek m12in xaridam. xub k1r nemikone.

9ESTERDAY ) BOUGHT A CAR )T DOESNT WORK WELL
.OW SAY 9ESTERDAY ) BOUGHT A CAR WHICH DOESNT WORK WELL
belàxare yek otobus umad. por az mos1fer bud.

!T LAST A BUS CAME )T WAS FULL OF PASSENGERS
.OW SAY !T LAST THERE CAME A BUS WHICH WAS FULL OF PASSENGERS
be yek 131ns telefon kardam. nazdik-e manzelemune.

) PHONED AN AGENCY )TS NEAR OUR HOME
.OW SAY ) PHONED AN AGENCY THAT IS NEAR OUR HOME
pedaram diruz be ir1n raft. u dar landan k1r mikone.

-Y FATHER WENT TO )RAN YESTERDAY (E WORKS IN ,ONDON
.OW SAY -Y FATHER WHO WORKS IN ,ONDON WENT TO )RAN YESTERDAY
Exercise 4
Change the following sentences as shown in the example.
m12ini be man foruxt ke k1r nemikone.

(E SOLD ME A CAR THAT DOESNT WORK
.OW SAY 4HE CAR HE SOLD ME DOESNT WORK
%XAMPLE
m12ini ke be man foruxt k1r nemikone.
204 Unit 11: manzel
1dresi be man d1d ke k1mel nist.

(E GAVE ME AN ADDRESS THAT IS NOT COMPLETE
.OW SAY 4HE ADDRESS HE GAVE ME IS NOT COMPLETE
filmi didam ke xeili xaste-konande bud.

) SAW A lLM THAT WAS VERY BORING
.OW SAY 4HE lLM ) SAW WAS VERY BORING
1p1rtem1ni xaridam ke panj t1 ot1q-e x1b d1re.

) BOUGHT AN APARTMENT THAT HAS lVE BEDROOMS
.OW SAY 4HE APARTMENT ) BOUGHT HAS lVE BEDROOMS
ket1bi be man d1did ke xeili mofide.

9OU GAVE ME A BOOK THAT IS VERY USEFUL
.OW SAY 4HE BOOK YOU GAVE ME IS VERY USEFUL
qaz1yi bar1m poxt ke xeili xo2maze bud.

3HE COOKED A MEAL FOR ME WHICH WAS VERY TASTY
.OW SAY 4HE MEAL SHE COOKED FOR ME WAS VERY TASTY
Intonation
! SHIFT OF STRESS CAN CREATE A DIFFERENCE IN MEANING
m1hi @PER MONTH as compared to m1hi @lSH
#ONSIDER EXAMPLES IN %NGLISH SUCH AS CONTENT AS COMPARED TO CONTENT
Exercise 5
How do you explain to an estate agent that you are looking for a house
to rent with the following particulars? You may need to use the glossar-
ies at the end of the book.
BEDROOMS ONE BATHROOM WITH TWO TOILETS A MEDIUM SIZE

KITCHEN LOCATED IN CENTRAL 4EHRAN PREFERABLY NEAR A SHOPPING
CENTRE RENT OF TUMANS PER MONTH OR LESS
Unit 11: Home 205
Exercise 6
7HO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR

)M LOOKING FOR MY SON
7HAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR
)M LOOKING FOR MY PHONEBOOK
)M LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB
)M LOOKING FOR A CAR THAT IS RELIABLE
.EXT TIME )LL BUY A HOUSE THAT HAS BEDROOMS
4HE CAR WHICH YOU SAW WASNT MINE
4HE MAN TO WHOM YOU SOLD THE CAR IS HERE
4HE GENTLEMAN FROM WHOM ) GOT YOUR PHONE NUMBER WAS VERY
KIND

!N )RANIAN RELATIVE LEFT THIS MESSAGE ON YOUR ANSWERING MACHINE
SALÄM ALIZÄDE HASTAM AZ LANDAN TELEFON MIKONAM HOTELI KE GEREFTE IM

XUBE AMMÄ XEILI GERUNE LEZÄ DONBÄL E YEK ÄPÄRTEMÄN MIGARDIM KE
SE TÄ OTÄQ E XÄB VA ÄÆPAZXUNE YE BOZORG DÄÆTE BÄÆE MITUNI BARÄMUN
PEIDÄ KONI XEILI MAMNUN MIÆAM YEK MÄH TU LANDAN MIMUNIM EJÄRAÆ
AZ MÄHI HEZÄR POND BIÆTAR NAÆE TARJIHAN MARKAZ E LANDAN BÄÆE YÄ
206 Unit 11: manzel
HADD E AQAL JÄYI KE BE ISTGÄH E METRO O MARKAZ E XARID O SINEMÄ O

IN JUR CIZHÄ NAZDIK BÄÆE MIDUNI KE SARGARMI E XÄNOMAM XARIDE O
SARGARMI E BACCEHÄ HAM SINEMÄ XEILI AZ LOTFET MAMNUNAM BE OMID E
DIDÄR FE{LAN XODÄ HÄFEZ
7HERE IS HE CALLING FROM

7HAT IS HE LOOKING FOR AND WHY
7HATS HE ASKING YOU TO DO
7HAT SPECIFICATIONS DOES HE GIVE
7HAT PREFERENCE DOES HE EXPRESS AND WHY
Unit Twelve
gardeS
Going out

s TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER
s TALK ABOUT LIKES AND DISLIKES
s TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD ACTORS SINGERS
s TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU WILL DO IF CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE MET
s TALK ABOUT HOBBIES
3I O 3E 0OL %SFAHAN 0HOTOGRAPH BY %ZZAT 2AFIEE

208 Unit 12: gardeS
Dialogue 1
If the weather gets better . . . (CD2; 33)
)TS &RIDAY MORNING n WEEKEND IN )RAN ! MAN M AND HIS WIFE W

ARE TALKING ABOUT WHAT TO DO
W
M
W
M
W
M
W
W PIÆ BINI E HAVÄ RO ÆENIDI

M ÄRE DO SE DARAJE SARDTAR MIÆE CETOU R MAGE
W BÄRUN H AM MIÄD
M NA SOBH HAVÄ ABRIE AMMÄ BA{ D AZ ZOH R MOMKENE ÄFTÄBI
BEÆE XOB BÄ IN HESÄB EMRUZ CE KÄR MIKONIM
W AGE HAVÄ BEHTAR BEÆE MIRIM BIRUN
M AGE NAÆE CI
W UN VAQT TU XUNE MIMUNIM O TELEVIZION TAMÄÆÄ MIKONIM
W Did you hear the weather forecast?

M Yeah, it’ll become two (or) three degrees colder.
What about it?
W Is it going to rain, too?
M No, it’s cloudy in the morning, but it may become sunny
in the afternoon. So, given the situation, what are we doing
today?
W If the weather gets better, we’ll go out
M What if it doesn’t?
W Then, we’ll stay at home and watch TV.
Unit 12: Going out 209
Vocabulary A
CB
pi2-bini FORECAST
hav1 WEATHER
2enidi DID YOU HEAR
1re YEAH
daraje DEGREE
sard COLD
mi2e IT BECOMES
2odan (2) TO BECOME
cetour mage? 7HAT ABOUT IT 7HY DO YOU ASK
lit "UT HOW
b1run RAIN
mi1d IT COMES OR WILL COME
abr CLOUD
abri CLOUDY
ba`d-az-zohr AFTERNOON
momkene MAY IT IS POSSIBLE
1ft1bi SUNNY
be2e IT MAY BECOME IF IT BECOMES
xob SO WELL
b1 in hes1b GIVEN THE SITUATION lit WITH THIS
ACCOUNT
emruz TODAY
ce-k1r WHAT ACTIVITY
age IF
behtar BETTER
mirim WELL GO
birun OUT
na2e IF IT DOESNT BECOME
un-vaqt THEN lit THAT TIME
mimunim WELL STAY
mundan (mun) TO STAY
210 Unit 12: gardeS

Conditionals: type 1
How to say: ‘If the weather gets better, we’ll go out.’

6ERBS NEEDED
6ERB 2odan (2) TO BECOMETO GET

6ERB raftan (r) TO GO
4HE VERB IN THE @IF CLAUSESENTENCE VERB TAKES A SUBJUNCTIVE FORM

IE A be- PREFIX SEE 5$ 4HE VERB IN THE @RESULT CLAUSE VERB
TAKES A FUTURE SIMPLE FORM SEE 5$
age hav1 behtar be2e, mirim birun.

)F THE WEATHER GETS BETTER WELL GO OUT
7ITH SOME COMPOUND VERBS THE be- PREFIX IS OFTEN DROPPED
telefon kardan (kon) TO TELEPHONE
age telefon koni, mi1d.

)F YOU PHONE HIM HELL COME
age bar gardi, xo2-h1l mi2am.

)F YOU RETURN )LL BECOME or )LL BE HAPPY
!LSO NOTE THESE NEGATIVE FORMS
age hav1 behtar na2e, tu xune mimunim.

)F THE WEATHER DOESNT GET BETTER WELL STAY AT HOME
age hav1 behtar na2e, nemirim birun.

)F THE WEATHER DOESNT GET BETTER WE WONT GO OUT
age telefon nakoni, nemi1d.

)F YOU DONT PHONE HIM HE WONT COME
age bar nagardi, n1r1hat mi2am.

)F YOU DONT RETURN )LL BECOME or )LL BE UPSET
Exercise 1
Supply the correct form of the verb given after each sentence. (For help
with the verb umadan ‘to come’, see U5D2 and U7D1.)
age ________, xo2-h1l mi2am. xordan (xor) @TO EAT

)LL BE HAPPY IF YOU EAT
%XAMPLE
age bexorid (col boxorid) xo2-h1l mi2am.
age ________, xo2-h1l mi2am. mundan (mun) @TO STAY

)LL BE HAPPY IF YOU STAY
age ________, xo2-h1l mi2im. umadan (1) @TO COME

7ELL BE HAPPY IF YOU COME
age bacceh1tun-o ham ________, xo2-h1l mi2im. 1vordan (1r)

@TO BRING
7ELL BE HAPPY IF YOU BRING YOUR CHILDREN TOO
age da`vat-e m1-ro ________, xo2-h1l mi2im. qabul kardan (kon)

@TO ACCEPT
7ELL BE HAPPY IF YOU ACCEPT OUR INVITATION
age be ir1n ________, x1nev1d(e)a2 xo2-h1l mi2and. bar ga2tan

(gard) @TO RETURN
(IS FAMILY WILL BE HAPPY IF HE RETURNS TO )RAN
212 Unit 12: gardeS
Exercise 2
Change each sentence in Exercise 1 above as shown in this example:
age naxorid, n1r1hat mi2am. )LL BE UPSET IF YOU DONT EAT

Note: 7HEN THE VERB IN THE @RESULT CLAUSE IS A REQUEST ORDER OR ADVICE
THE VERB IN THE @IF CLAUSE IS NORMALLY IN THE PAST SIMPLE TENSE SEE
5$
age ahmad-o didi, behe2 sal1m beresun.

)F YOU SEE lit SAW !HMAD SAY HELLO TO HIM
be sal1m resundan (resun)

TO SAY lit TO CONVEY HELLO TO
age cizi l1zem d12tid, be man telefon konid.

)F YOU NEED lit NEEDED SOMETHING PHONE ME
age postci umad, lotfan man-o bid1r kon.

)F THE POSTMAN COMES lit CAME PLEASE WAKE ME UP
(ERE IS A SUBTLE DIFFERENCE #OMPARE THESE TWO FORMS FOCUS ON THE
UNDERLINED BITS
A
age hav1 behtar be2e, mirim birun.
)F THE WEATHER GETS BETTER WELL GO OUT
B
age hav1 behtar 2od, mirim birun.
)F THE WEATHER SHOULD GET lit GOT BETTER WED lit WELL GO OUT
OR 3HOULD THE WEATHER GET BETTER WELL GO OUT
5SE OF THE PAST TENSE IN THE @IF CLAUSE MAKES B LESS LIKELY THAN A
)N B THE SPEAKER BELIEVES THAT THE WEATHER IS LESS LIKELY TO GET BETTER
-ORE EXAMPLES OF THIS KIND
A
age milyuner be2am, yek bastani bar1t mixaram
)F ) BECOME A MILLIONAIRE )LL BUY YOU AN ICE CREAM
B
age milyuner 2odam, yek m12in bar1t mixaram!
)F ) SHOULD BECOME A MILLIONAIRE )D lit )LL BUY YOU A CAR
A
age bebiname2, behe2 migam.
)F ) SEE HIM )LL TELL HIM ABOUT IT
B
age didame2, behe2 migam.
)F ) SHOULD SEE HIM )D lit )LL TELL HIM ABOUT IT
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of a verb from the box. Follow
the example.
umadan (1) TO COME

telefon kardan (kon) TO PHONE
l1zem d12tan (d1r) TO NEED
2odan (2) TO BECOME TO GET
age ________, lotfan be man telefon kon.

)F HE COMES PLEASE PHONE ME
%XAMPLE
age umad, lotfan be man telefon kon.
age ________, lotfan behe2 sal1m beresun.

)F HE PHONES PLEASE SAY HELLO TO HIM
age pul ________, az pedaram begir.

)F YOU NEED MONEY GET SOME FROM MY FATHER
age telefon ________, lotfan jav1b nade.

)F THE PHONE RINGS PLEASE DONT ANSWER IT
214 Unit 12: gardeS
age ________, peiq1met-o behe2 midam.

)F HE PHONES )LL GIVE HIM YOUR MESSAGE
age ________, peiq1met-o behe2 midam.

)F HE SHOULD PHONE )D lit )LL GIVE HIM YOUR MESSAGE
age b1run ________, nemirim birun.

)F IT RAINS WE WONT GO OUT

orumiye qazvin y1suj

tabriz tehr1n 2ir1z
ardabil semn1n kerm1n
dary1-ye xazar ma2had z1hed1n
#ASPIAN 3EA il1m 30 bu2ehr
sanandaj xorram-1b1d bandar-e
zanj1n ar1k abb1s
ra2t qom xalij-e f1rs
s1ri esfah1n 0ERSIAN 'ULF
gorg1n yazd 33 dary1-ye om1n
bojnurd birjand /MAN 3EA
kerm1n21h ahv1z
hamad1n 2ahr-e kord
age b1run ________, nemirim birun.

)F IT SHOULD RAIN WE WOULDNT lit WONT GO OUT
age pul-d1r ________, yek rolz-rois mixaram va in m12in-

qor1za-ro midam be to!
)F ) SHOULD GET RICH )D lit )LL BUY A 2OLLS 2OYCE AND GIVE THIS OLD
BANGER TO YOU
More ‘weather’ expressions
hav1 WEATHER
emruz hav1-ye tehr1n cetoure?

(OWS THE WEATHER IN 4EHRAN TODAY
emruz hav1 garme.

4ODAY THE WEATHER IS WARM Or )TS WARM TODAY
xonak COOL sard COLD d1q HOT tuf1ni

STORMY meh-1lud FOGGY yaxband1n FROSTY
hav1-ye tehr1n xo2ke.

4EHRANS WEATHER IS DRY
hav1-ye landan martube.

,ONDONS WEATHER IS HUMID
1b-o-hav1 CLIMATE
1b-o-hav1-ye ir1n motanavveè.

)RANS CLIMATE IS VARIED
1b-o-hav1-ye engelest1n motaqayyere.

%NGLANDS CLIMATE IS VARIABLECHANGEABLE
mol1yem MILD mo`tadel TEMPERATE
b1runbarf/tagarg mi1d.
)TS RAININGSNOWINGHAILING lit 2AINSNOWHAIL IS COMING
216 Unit 12: gardeS
b1d mi1d
)TS WINDY lit 7IND IS COMING
ra`d o barq mi1d.

lit 4HUNDER AND LIGHTNING ARE COMING
emruz hav1 cand darajast?

7HATS THE TEMPERATURE TODAY
bist o do daraje-ye s1ntiger1d

DEGREES CENTIGRADE
panj daraje zir-e sefr

DEGREES BELOW ZERO
emruz, hav1 bar1ye 2en1 mon1seb nist.

4ODAY THE WEATHER IS NOT SUITABLE FOR SWIMMING
Exercise 4
)F THE WEATHER GETS BETTER WELL GO TO THE PARK

)F YOU INVITE THEM THEYLL COME
)F YOU DONT INVITE THEM THEYLL BE UPSET
)F YOU GET YOUR DRIVING LICENCE )LL BUY YOU A PRESENT
)F YOU TELL HIM ABOUT IT )LL BE UPSET
)F YOU DONT TAKE THE MEDICINE YOU WONT GET WELL
7HATS THE WEATHER LIKE IN 4EHRAN TODAY
)TS SNOWING )TS DEGREES BELOW ZERO
Dialogue 2
What are your hobbies? (CD2; 34)
!N )RANIAN ! IS ABOUT TO VISIT HIS "RITISH )NTERNET FRIEND " IN

,ONDON 4HE "RITISH FRIEND IS RINGING TO FIND OUT WHAT THE )RANIANS
LIKES AND DISLIKES ARE SO HELL BE ABLE TO ENTERTAIN HIM BETTER 4HE
)RANIAN TOO ASKS QUESTIONS TO HELP HIM TO DECIDE WHAT SOUVENIRS
TO BRING FROM )RAN (ERES PART OF THEIR CONVERSATION
"
!
"
!
"
" SARGARMIHÄTUN CIE

! XUNDAN E KETÄB TAMÄÆÄ YE TELEVIZION VA AGE HAVÄ XUB BÄÆE
QADAM ZADAN TU PÄRK SARGARMIHÄ YE ÆOMÄ CIE
" GUÆ DÄDAN BE MUSIQI RAFTAN BE MUZE VA AGE VAQT DÄÆTE
BÄÆAM ÄÆPAZI QAZÄ YE IRÄNI E MOURED E ALÄQATUN CIE
! CELOU KABÄB XORÄKIHÄ YE IRÄNI E MOURED E ALÄQE YE ÆOMÄ CIE
" TU QAZÄHÄ FESENJUN TU ÆIRI NIHÄ SUHÄN O GAZ
" What are your hobbies?

! Reading books, watching TV and, if the weather is good,
walking in the park. What are your hobbies?
" Listening to music, going to museums and, if I have (the) time,
cooking! What’s your favourite Iranian dish?
! #HELO KABAB What are your favourite Iranian foods?
" Among the dishes FESENJUN among the sweets SUHAN and GAZ
Vocabulary A
CB
xundan (xun) READING TO READ
ket1b BOOK
tam121 WATCHING
qadam zadan (zan) WALKING TO WALK
gu2 d1dan (d) LISTENING TO LISTEN
musiqi MUSIC
raftan (r) GOING TO GO
muze MUSEUM
218 Unit 12: gardeS
vaqt TIME
12pazi COOKING
moured-e al1qe FAVOURITE
qaz1 FOOD DISH
xor1ki FOOD GENERAL
fesenjun A MEAT SAUCE SEE MENU IN 5$
2ir(i)nih1 SWEETS PASTRIES
suh1n A SWEET
gaz A SWEET

Contrastive stress (CD2; 35)
,ISTEN TO THE EXAMPLES
7HEN " ASKS ! A QUESTION ABOUT !S HOBBIES " USES THE POSSESSIVE
ENDING -etun -tun AFTER A VOWEL @YOUR IN HIS QUESTION
sargarmih1tun cie?
7HAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES
7HEN ! RECIPROCATES BY ASKING A SIMILAR QUESTION HE SAYS
sargarmih1-ye 2om1 cie?
4HUS STRESSING 2om1 @YOU 4HIS IS BECAUSE THE POSSESSIVE ENDING
-etun @YOUR IS NOT NORMALLY STRESSED AND THEREFORE CANNOT CARRY
THE CONTRASTIVE STRESS NEEDED FOR THE @ECHO QUESTION WHILE THE INDE-
PENDENT PRONOUN 2om1 @YOU can BE STRESSED CONTRASTIVELY
Note: !S WITH MOST 0ERSIAN WORDS THE STRESS FALLS ON THE LAST
SYLLABLE OF 2om1
-ORE EXAMPLES
m12inetun koj1st? 7HERES YOUR CAR
tu g1r13e. m12in-e 2om1 koj1st?

)TS IN THE GARAGE 7HERES YOUR CAR
! SHORT CUT FOR THE @ECHO QUESTION WOULD BE
m1l-e 2om1 koj1st?

7HERES YOURS 3EE @0OSSESSIVE PRONOUNS IN 5$
m12inetun ce range?
7HAT COLOUR IS YOUR CAR
1bi. m1l-e 2om1 ce range?

"LUE 7HAT COLOUR IS YOURS
Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks for the ‘echo’ questions. Follow the example.
! 1p1rtem1netun koj1st?
7HERES YOUR APARTMENT
" junub-e landan. )N THE SOUTH OF ,ONDON
???????? 7HERES YOUR APARTMENT
%XAMPLE 1p1rtem1n-e 2om1 koj1st?

7HERES YOUR APARTMENT
! m1h-e tavallodetun cie?

7HATS YOUR MONTH OF BIRTH
" sept1mbr. 3EPTEMBER
???????? 7HATS YOUR MONTH OF BIRTH
! 2om1re telefonetun cande?

7HATS YOUR PHONE NUMBER
" telefon nad1ram. ) DONT HAVE A PHONE
???????? 7HATS YOUR PHONE NUMBER
!
1p1rtem1netun cand t1 ot1q-e x1b d1re?
(OW MANY BEDROOMS DOES YOUR APARTMENT HAVE
" se t1. 4HREE
???????? (OW MANY BEDROOMS DOES YOUR APARTMENT
HAVE
! dar-e xunatun ce range?

7HAT COLOUR IS YOUR HOUSE DOOR
" me2ki. "LACK
???????? 7HAT COLOUR IS YOUR HOUSE DOOR
220 Unit 12: gardeS
!
h1feze-ye k1mpiuteretun ceqadre?
lit (OW MUCH LARGE IS THE MEMORY OF YOUR COMPUTER
" do meg1b1it. 4WO MEGABYTES
???????? (OW MUCH LARGE IS THE MEMORY OF YOUR
COMPUTER
Exercise 6
Rewrite "’s ‘echo’ questions in the previous exercise using a short cut.
Follow the example.
%XAMPLE " m1l-e 2om1 koj1st?

7HERES YOURS
With verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’

&OR THESE TWO VERBS WE USE THEIR SPECIAL STEMS b12 AND
d12te b12 RESPECTIVELY SIMILAR TO THE SUBJUNCTIVE FORMS INTRODUCED
IN 5$
age hav1 xub b12e, mirim birun.

)F THE WEATHER IS GOOD WELL GO OUT
age pesar-e xubi b12i, yek k1mpiuter-e t1ze bar1t mixaram.

)F YOU ARE A GOOD BOY )LL BUY YOU A NEW COMPUTER
age vaqt d12te b12am, in film-o mibinam.

)F ) HAVE THE TIME )LL SEE THIS lLM
age sabr d12te b12id, hame-ciz dorost mi2e!

)F YOU HAVE PATIENCE EVERYTHING WILL BE lit BECOME ALL RIGHT
Likes and dislikes
How to say: ‘I like soup.’

man az sup xo2am mi1d.
) LIKE SOUP
to az sup xo2et mi1d.
9OU LIKE SOUP
u az sup xo2e2 mi1d.
(ESHE LIKES SOUP
m1 az sup xo2emun mi1d.
7E LIKE SOUP
2om1 az sup xo2etun mi1d.
9OU LIKE SOUP
un(h)1 az sup xo2e2un mi1d.
4HEY LIKE SOUP
/N THE ABOVE EXPRESSION NOTE THAT
A THE WORD xo2 @PLEASED IS ATTACHED TO POSSESSIVEOBJECT
ENDINGS SEE 5$ AND 5$
B THE VERB USED THROUGHOUT IS mi1d lit @IT COMES FROM
umadan @TO COME SEE 5$
4O SAY @) LIKED WE USE THE PAST TENSE umad EG
az sup xo2am umad. ) LIKED THE SOUP
az sup xo2etun umad?
$ID YOU LIKE THE SOUP
.OTE THE NEGATIVE FORMS
az sup xo2am nemi1d.
) DONT LIKE SOUP
az sup xo2am nayumad.
) DIDNT LIKE THE SOUP
4O SAY @) DISLIKE SOUP REPLACE xo2 WITH bad:
az sup badam mi1d.
) DISLIKEHATE SOUP
222 Unit 12: gardeS
az sup badam nemi1d.

) DONT MIND SOUP
az sup badam umad.

) DISLIKEDHATED THE SOUP
az sup badam nayumad.

) DIDNT MIND THE SOUP
4HE VERB dust d12tan (d1r) @TO LIKE IS ALSO USED TO

EXPRESS LIKES AND DISLIKES OFTEN OF A MORE PERMANENT NATURE 4HUS
FOR @) LIKE SOUP WE MAY SAY EITHER OF THESE
sup dust d1ram. = az sup xo2am mi1d.
(OWEVER FOR @) LIKED THE SOUP IE REFERRING TO A SPECIFIC OCCASION

WE SAY
az sup xo2am umad.
2ATHER THAN
sup r1 dust d12tam.
Exercise 7
Complete these sentences, and then make them negative. Follow the
example.

man az filmh1-ye polisi ________.
) LIKE DETECTIVE FILMS
%XAMPLE
man az filmh1-ye polisi xo2am mi1d.

) LIKE DETECTIVE FILMS
man az filmh1-ye polisi xo2am nemi1d.

) DONT LIKE DETECTIVE FILMS
to az filmh1-ye polisi ________.
9OU LIKE DETECTIVE FILMS
u az filmh1-ye polisi ________.

(ESHE LIKES DETECTIVE FILMS
m1 az filmh1-ye polisi ________.
7E LIKE DETECTIVE FILMS

2om1 az filmh1-ye polisi ________.
9OU LIKE DETECTIVE FILMS

unh1 az filmh1-ye polisi ________.
4HEY LIKE DETECTIVE FILMS
Exercise 8
Complete these sentences, and then make them negative. Follow the
example.
man az film ________. ) LIKED THE FILM
%XAMPLE man az film xo2am umad.

) LIKED THE FILM
man az film xo2am nayumad.

) DIDNT LIKE THE FILM
to az film ________. 9OU LIKED THE FILM

u az film ________. (ESHE LIKED THE FILM
m1 az film ________. 7E LIKED THE FILM
2om1 az film ________. 9OU LIKED THE FILM
unh1 az film ________. 4HEY LIKED THE FILM
How to say: ‘What do you like about . . . ?’

az ce ciz-e . . . xo2etun mi1d?
7HAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT
az ce ciz-e ir1n xo2etun mi1d?

7HAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT )RAN
-ORE COLLOQUIAL WOULD BE
az ci-e ir1n xo2etun mi1d?

224 Unit 12: gardeS
az hame-ciz-e ir1n xo2am mi1d

) LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT )RAN
1h1 y1dam umad: az r1nandegi tu ir1n xo2am nemi1d.

!HA ) REMEMBER ) DONT LIKE DRIVING IN )RAN
Exercise 9
$O YOU LIKE )RANIAN FOODFILMS 9ES VERY MUCH

$ID YOU LIKE THE FILMMEAL .OT MUCH
%VERYTHING ITS FOOD ITS SCENERY ITS CULTURE ITS PEOPLE ITS
TRAFFIC
0HOTOGRAPHY PAINTING LISTENING TO MUSIC SPORTS 7HAT ARE your
HOBBIES
7HATS YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECT
&INE ARTS 7HATS yours
7HOS YOUR FAVOURITE ACTORSINGER
)F YOURE A GOOD GIRL )LL TAKE YOU TO THE CINEMA
)F ) HAVE MONEY )LL GO TO )RAN THIS SUMMER

0ETER HAS JUST FOUND THIS RECORDED MESSAGE ON HIS ANSWERING MACHINE
)T IS FROM AN )RANIAN FRIEND WHO LIVES IN -ANCHESTER
SALÄM FAQAT MIXÄSTAM BEGAM KE HAFTE YE ÄYANDE AGE HAVÄ XUB

BÄÆE BARÄYE GARDEÆ BE LANDAN MIÄIM MIDUNI KE SARGARMI E OMDE YE
MAN O XÄNOMAM TE{ÄTRE VA AZ TE{ÄTRHÄ YE LANDAN XEILI XOÆEMUN MIÄD
AGE VAQT DÄÆTE BÄÆI BÄ MÄ BIÄI XOÆ HÄL MIÆIM BÄ YEK TIR DO NEÆUN
MIZANIM HAM HAMDIGA RO MIBINIM VA HAM YEK NAMÄYEÆNÄME YE XUB
BE OMID E DIDÄR
ALI MORDÄD
7HERE DOES 0ETER LIVE 0ROVIDE EVIDENCE

7HATS !LIS HOBBY
7HATS !LIS PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK AND WHAT DOES IT DEPEND ON
7HAT OFFER IS !LI MAKING AND ON WHAT CONDITION
7HAT TWO BIRDS ARE THEY GOING TO KILL AND WITH WHAT STONE
Unit Thirteen
xarid
Shopping

s BUY THINGS IN AN )RANIAN SHOP
s GO THROUGH THE RITUALS OF HAGGLING
s ENGAGE IN THE POLITE RITUAL OF ta`1rof
s TALK ABOUT CLOTHES COLOURS FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
s TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU WOULD DO IF
s TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU WOULD HAVE DONE IF
Unit 13: Shopping 227
Dialogue 1
Haggling (CD2; 37)
(AGGLING IS COMMON IN SMALL SHOPS IN )RAN 3HAHIN 3 IS IN

A CLOTHES SHOP TALKING TO THE ASSISTANT A
3
A
3
A
3
A
3
A
3
3 ÄqÄ IN ÅÄKET CANDE

A AGE CUNE NAZANID BIST HEZÄR TOMAN AGE BEXÄID CUNE BEZANID
SI HEZÄR TOMAN
3 KAMTAR AZ BIST HEZÄR TOMAN NEMIÆE
A ARZ KARDAM MAQTU { BIST HEZÄR TOMAN
3 ÅÄKETEÆ XUBE BIST HEZÄR TOMAN MIARZE AGE PUL E KÄl DÄÆTAM
MIXARIDAM
A CEQADR DÄRID
3 HIÅDAH HEZÄR TOMAN
A EIB NADÄRE XODÄ BARA KAT BEDE MOBÄRAK BÄÆE
3 MOTA ÆAKKERAM
3 Sir, how much is this cardigan?

A If you don’t haggle, 20,000 tumans. If you want to haggle,
30,000 tumans.
3 Would it not be possible to go below 20,000 tumans?
A As I humbly said (it’s) 20,000 tumans fixed.
3 The cardigan’s good; it is worth 20,000 tumans. If I had enough
money (with me), I’d buy (it).
228 Unit 13: xarid
A How much have you got?

3 18,000 tumans.
A Doesn’t matter; (may) God give (His) blessing. Congratulations!
3 Thanks.
A Vocabulary
CB
31ket CARDIGAN
cand HOW MUCH PRICE
cune zadan (zan) TO HAGGLE
bex1id IF YOU WANT
cune bezanid FOR YOU TO HAGGLE
kamtar LESS
nemi2e ITS NOT POSSIBLE
2odan (2) TO BE POSSIBLE
arz kardan (kon) TO SAY SOMETHING HUMBLY
maqtu` FIXED
31kete2 THE CARDIGAN lit ITS CARDIGAN
miarze ITS WORTH
arzidan (arz) TO BE WORTH
pul MONEY
k1fi ENOUGH
mixaridam ) WOULD BUY
xaridan (xar) TO BUY
ceqadr HOW MUCH AMOUNT
eib PROBLEM
eib nad1re NO PROBLEM lit IT DOESNT HAVE
A PROBLEM
bar(a)kat BLESSING
bede MAY (E GIVE
mob1rak BLESSED
b12e MAY IT BE
mob1rak b12e #ONGRATULATIONS lit MAY IT BE
BLESSED

.OTE HOW THE POSSESSIVE ENDING -e2 @ITS IS USED AFTER
31ket @CARDIGAN TO PRODUCE 31kete2 MEANING @THE CARDIGAN
How to say: ‘If I knew Persian well, I would

understand what he says.’
,ET US SIMPLIFY THE SENTENCE AND SPLIT IT INTO TWO PARTS
A )F ) KNEW
B ) WOULD UNDERSTAND
4HE VERBS WE NEED ARE
6ERB dunestan TO KNOW

0AST STEM dunest
6ERB fahmidan TO UNDERSTAND
0AST STEM fahmid
&OR BOTH VERBS WE USE THE PAST STEM PREFIXED WITH mi- WITH THE
APPROPRIATE PERSONAL ENDINGS ADDED ON
A age midunestam )F ) KNEW

B mifahmidam ) WOULD UNDERSTAND
A B age midunestam, mifahmidam
)F ) KNEW ) WOULD UNDERSTAND
.OW THE FULL SENTENCE
age f1rsi xub midunestam, mifahmidam ci mige.

)F ) KNEW 0ERSIAN WELL ) WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT HE SAYS
Note: )N SUCH CONDITIONAL SENTENCES THE VERBS budan @TO BE

AND d12tan @TO HAVE DO NOT NORMALLY TAKE A mi- PREFIX
age f1rsim xub bud, mifahmidam ci mige.

)F MY 0ERSIAN WAS GOOD ) WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT HE SAYS
230 Unit 13: xarid
age bacce d12ti, mifahmidi ci migam!

)F YOU HAD CHILDREN YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT )M SAYING
age man j1-ye 2om1 budam, miraftam.

)F ) WERE YOU lit IN YOUR PLACE ) WOULD GO
age bacc(e)am inj1 bud, negar1ni nad12tam.

)F MY CHILD WAS HERE ) WOULDNT HAVE ANY WORRIES
age doxtaram inj1 bud, behtar bud.

)F MY DAUGHTER WAS HERE IT WOULD BE BETTER
age yek bar1dar d12tam, dige qami nad12tam!

)F ) HAD A BROTHER ) WOULDNT HAVE ANY OTHER ANXIETY lit WOE
age pul d12tam, m12in mixaridam.

)F ) HAD MONEY ) WOULD BUY A CAR
.OW A SENTENCE FROM THE ABOVE DIALOGUE
age pul-e k1fi d12tam, mixaridam.

)F ) HAD ENOUGH MONEY ) WOULD BUY IT
Exercise 1
There are 10 incomplete sentences in this exercise with two blanks
in each sentence. With the help of the English translations, fill in each
blank with the correct form of a verb from the box below. Follow the
example.
budan TO BE
d1dan TO GIVE
d12tan TO HAVE
goftan TO TELL TO SAY
neve2tan TO WRITE
tunestan TO BE ABLE
dunestan TO KNOW
fahmidan TO UNDERSTAND
kardan TO DO
safar kardan TO TRAVEL
age esme2-o ________ , behetun ________.

)F ) KNEW HIS NAME ) WOULD TELL YOU
%XAMPLE
age esme2-o midunestam, behetun migoftam.
)F ) KNEW HIS NAME ) WOULD TELL YOU
age f1rsi xub ________ , b1 m1dar-2ouharam f1rsi ________.

)F ) KNEW 0ERSIAN WELL ) WOULD SPEAK 0ERSIAN WITH MY MOTHER IN LAW
age ________ f1rsi benevisam, bar1ye x1nev1de-ye x1nomam

n1me ________.
)F ) WAS ABLE TO WRITE IN 0ERSIAN ) WOULD WRITE A LETTER TO MY WIFES
FAMILY
age to j1-ye man ________ , ce-k1r ________?

)F YOU WERE IN MY PLACE WHAT WOULD YOU DO
age man j1-ye to ________ , un k1r-o ________.

)F ) WASWERE IN YOUR PLACE ) WOULDNT DO THAT ACT
232 Unit 13: xarid
age milyuner ________ , dour-e dony1 ________.

)F ) WAS A MILLIONAIRE ) WOULD TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD
age xundanam xub ________ , ________ in t1blou ci mige.

)F MY READING WAS GOOD ) WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS SIGN SAYS
age pedaram inj1 ________ , behtar ________.

)F MY FATHER WAS HERE IT WOULD BE BETTER
age 1drese2-o ________ , behetun ________.

)F ) HAD HIS ADDRESS ) WOULD GIVE IT TO YOU
age zan/2ouhar ________ , ________ ci migam!

)F YOU HAD A WIFEHUSBAND YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT )M SAYING
Clothes (CD2; 38)
leb1s CLOTHES
kol1h HAT
rusari HEADSCARF
21l-e gardan SCARF
k1p2an BOMBER JACKET
kot JACKET
jeliqe WAISTCOAT VEST
pir1han col pirhan SHIRT DRESS
ker1v1t NECKTIE
boluz BLOUSE
zirpu2 UNDERWEAR
ti2ert 4 SHIRT
poliver PULLOVER
31ket CARDIGAN
p1ltou OVERCOAT
m1ntou ROBE WORN BY WOMEN
IN PUBLIC IN )RAN
b1r1ni col b1runi RAINCOAT

2alv1r TROUSERS
2alv1r-e jin JEANS
kot-o-2alv1r SUIT lit JACKET AND
TROUSERS
dastke2 GLOVES
kamarband BELT
d1man SKIRT
cakme BOOTS
kaf2 SHOES
jur1b SOCKS
yek joft jur1b A PAIR OF SOCKS
Exercise 2
(OW MUCH IS THIS HATHEADSCARFSHIRTRAINCOATSUITSKIRT

(OW MUCH ARE THESE TROUSERSGLOVESSHOESSOCKS
9OU HAVE A NICE SCARFJACKETNECKTIEOVERCOAT
)S THIS CAR WORTH TUMANS
)T IS WORTH THE PRICE BUT ITS EXPENSIVE FOR ME
7HAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE IN MY PLACE
7HAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE A MILLIONAIRE
)D BUILD A HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN
)F ) HAD A LOT OF MONEY )D TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD
)F MY MOTHER WAS HERE SHE WOULD BECOME ANGRY
)F ) COULD SPEAK 0ERSIAN WELL ) WOULD TELL HIM HOW MUCH ) LIKE HIS
COUNTRY
234 Unit 13: xarid
%MAM 3QUARE %SFAHAN 0HOTOGRAPH BY %ZZAT 2AFIEE
Dialogue 2
In a corner shop (CD2; 39)
! CUSTOMER C IS SHOPPING AT HER LOCAL GROCERY 4HE SHOPKEEPER IS

!LI A
C
A
C
A
C
A
C
A
C
A
C
A
C
A
C
C ALI ÄqÄ BEBAXÆID IN XIÄRH Ä KILUYI CANDE

A QALAMIH Ä KILUYI HAÆTSAD TOMAN TOPOLIH Ä KILUYI PUNSAD
TOMAN
C TOXM E MORQH Ä RO DUNEYI MIFO RUÆID YÄ KILUYI
A DUNEYI DEVIST TOMAN
C YEK KILU XIÄR E QALAMI O DAH TÄ TOXM E MORQ LOTF KONID
A BEFARMÄYID
C MOTA ÆAKKERAM CAND ÆOD
A BEFARMÄYID QÄBELI NADÄRE
C XÄHEÆ MIKONAM CAND ÆOD
A RUYE HAM DO HEZÄR O HAÆTSAD TOMAN
C BEBAXÆID FAQAT ESKENÄS E SAD TOMANI DÄRAM EÆKÄLI NADÄRE
A EIB NADÄRE
C BEFARMÄYID DAR ZEMN IN PANIR O DIRUZ AZATUN XARIDAM FÄSED
BE NAZAR MIÄD AGE MIXORDIM MARIZ MIÆODIM
A JEDDAN MA{ZERAT MIXÄM BEFARMÄYID IN PANIR TAZE AST
C XEILI MAMNUN XODÄ HÄFEZ
C Excuse me Mr Ali, how much are these cucumbers per kilo?

A The slim ones, 800 tumans per kilo; the plump ones,
500 tumans per kilo.
C Do you sell the eggs by number or by weight ( LIT by kilo)?
A 200 tumans each.
C Please give (me) one kilo of slim cucumbers and ten eggs.
A Here you are.
C Thanks. How much did it come to?
A Be my guest, it’s not worth a mention.
C I insist, how much did it come to?
A 2,800 tumans in total.
236 Unit 13: xarid
C Sorry, I only have 100-tuman notes. Is that OK?

A No problem.
C Here you are. In the meantime, I bought this cheese from you
yesterday. It seems bad/off/mouldy. If we had eaten (it), we
would have become ill!
A I do apologise. Here you are, this cheese is fresh.
C Thanks very much. Goodbye.
A Vocabulary
CB
1q1 AN HONORIFIC TITLE USED BEFORE
OR AFTER A MALE NAME
xi1r CUCUMBER
kilu KILO
kiluyi PER KILO
qalami SLIM
qalamih1 SLIM ONES
topoli PLUMP
topolih1 PLUMP ONES
toxm-e morq EGG
dune NUMBER
duneyi BY NUMBER
mif(o)ru2id YOU SELL
foruxtan (foru2) TO SELL
kiluyi BY KILOWEIGHT
duneyi EACH
lotf konid KINDLY GIVE
lotf kardan (kon) KINDLY TO GIVE
q1beli nad1re ITS NOT WORTHY OF YOU
DONT MENTION IT
x1he2 mikonam ) REQUEST INSIST
ruye-ham IN TOTAL
esken1s BANKNOTE
sad toman TUMANS
sad-tomani TUMAN NOTE

e2k1l PROBLEM DIFFICULTY
eib nad1re NO PROBLEM lit IT DOESNT
HAVE A DEFECT
dar zemn IN THE MEANTIME
panir CHEESE
diruz YESTERDAY
azatun FROM YOU
xaridam ) BOUGHT
f1sed BAD OFF ROTTEN MOULDY
be nazar umadan (1) TO SEEM lit TO COME TO VIEW
mariz ILL
jeddan SERIOUSLY REALLY
ma`zerat x1stan (x1) TO APOLOGISE
t1ze FRESH

How to say: ‘If we had eaten (it), we would have

become ill.’
6ERBS NEEDED
xordan TO EAT 0AST STEM xord

2odan TO BECOME 0AST STEM 2od
4HE SAME FORM IS OFTEN USED FOR CONDITIONALS TYPES AND 4HUS
FOR BOTH VERBS WE USE THE PAST STEM PREFIXED WITH mi- WITH THE
APPROPRIATE PERSONAL ENDINGS ADDED ON
238 Unit 13: xarid
age mixordam, mariz mi2odam.

)F ) HAD EATEN IT ) WOULD HAVE BECOME ILL
age mixordi, mariz mi2odi.

)F YOU HAD EATEN IT YOU WOULD HAVE BECOME ILL
age mixord, mariz mi2od.*

)F SHE HAD EATEN IT SHE WOULD HAVE BECOME ILL
age mixordim, mariz mi2odim.

)F WE HAD EATEN IT WE WOULD HAVE BECOME ILL
age mixordid, mariz mi2odid.

)F YOU HAD EATEN IT YOU WOULD HAVE BECOME ILL
age mixordand, mariz mi2odand.

)F THEY HAD EATEN IT THEY WOULD HAVE BECOME ILL
.O PERSONAL ENDING IS USED FOR THIRD PERSON SINGULAR SHE IT
4O MAKE EITHER VERB NEGATIVE WE ADD THE PREFIX ne-
age nemixordam, mariz nemi2odam.

)F ) HAD NOT EATEN IT ) WOULD NOT HAVE BECOME ILL
)N CONDITIONAL SENTENCES TYPE THE VERB IN THE @IF CLAUSE MAY ALSO
BE EXPRESSED IN THE PAST PERFECT SEE 5$
age xorde budim, mariz mi2odim.

)F WE HAD EATEN IT WE WOULD HAVE BECOME ILL
!ND THE NEGATIVE FORMS
age naxorde budim, mariz nemi2odim.

)F WE HAD NOT EATEN IT WE WOULD NOT HAVE BECOME ILL
Note: !S DEMONSTRATED IN THE ABOVE EXAMPLE THE NEGATIVE PREFIX IS

PRONOUNCED ne- BEFORE mi- AND na- ELSEWHERE
"ASED ON THE ABOVE EXPLANATIONS BOTH FORMS A AND B IN THE
EXAMPLES BELOW ARE ACCEPTABLE
)F THE CAR HADNT BROKEN DOWN HE WOULD HAVE COME
A
age m12in xar1b nemi2od, miumad.
B
age m12in xar1b na2ode bud, miumad.
)F YOU HAD NOT MARRIED ME ) WOULD HAVE BECOME UPSET
A
age b1 man ezdev1j nemikardi, n1r1hat mi2odam!
B
age b1 man ezdev1j nakarde budi, n1r1hat mi2odam!
)F ) HAD GONE THERE ON FOOT ) WOULD HAVE ARRIVED LATE
A
age pi1de miraftam, dir miresidam.
B
age pi1de rafte budam, dir miresidam.
)F YOU HAD COME EARLIER WE WOULD HAVE GONE TOGETHER
A
age zudtar miumadi, b1-ham miraftim.
B
age zudtar umade budi, b1-ham miraftim.
Exercise 3
Match a number with a letter and then translate into English. The first
one has been done for you.
240 Unit 13: xarid
;D=
age un s1ndevic-e f1sed-o mixordi,
)F YOU HAD EATEN THAT ROTTEN SANDWICH YOU WOULD HAVE
BECOME ILL
; =
age mouzu` r1 be pedaram migofti,
; =
age dirtar az xune harkat mikardim,
; =
age panj daqiqe zudtar miumadi,
; =
age b1 man ezdev1j nemikardi,
; =
age man-o da`vat karde budi,
A xodko2i mikardam.
B bar1daram-o mididi.
C n1r1hat mi2odam.
D mariz mi2odi.
E be mehmunit miumadam.
F be-mouqe` nemiresidim.
Intonation
.OTE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE STRESS PATTERN OF kiluyi @PER KILO
AND kiluyi @BY KILOWEIGHT 4HE UNDERLINED SYLLABLE IS STRESSED
4HE ENDING i OR yi AFTER A VOWEL IS UNSTRESSED WHEN IT MEANS
@PEREACH AND STRESSED WHEN IT MEANS @BY
,ISTEN TO THESE
(CD2; 40)
kiluyi cande? (OW MUCH IS IT PER

KILO
kiluyi mif(o)ru2id? $O YOU SELL THEM BY
KILO
duneyi cand? (OW MUCH FOR EACH
duneyi mif(o)ru2id? $O YOU SELL THEM BY
NUMBER
.OTE THE STRESSED ENDING i IN A DIFFERENT FUNCTION

(CD2; 40)
bist pond TWENTY POUNDS a IN

ANY DENOMINATIONS
bist-pondi A TWENTY POUND NOTE
esken1s-e A TWENTY POUND NOTE
bist-pondi
hez1r toman TUMANS IN ANY
DENOMINATIONS
hez1r-tomani A TUMAN NOTE
esken1s-e A TUMAN NOTE
hez1r-tomani
panj1h ri1l RIALS IN ANY
DENOMINATIONS
panj1h-ri1li A RIAL COIN
sekke-ye A RIAL COIN
panj1h-ri1li
Exercise 4
Can you translate the following shopping list into Persian?
EGGS KILO OF TOMATOES

KILOS OF CUCUMBERS HALF A KILO OF CHEESE
WATERMELONS LOAVESPIECES OF BREAD
Exercise 5
Using the shopping list in the previous exercise, ask the shopkeeper:
FOR THE PRICE OF EACH ITEM

TO GIVE YOU THE REQUIRED AMOUNT NUMBER
Note: )N $IALOGUE THE SHOPKEEPER IS MERELY MAKING A ta`1rof SEE

5$ WHEN HE SAYS
befarm1yid, q1beli nad1re.

"E MY GUEST ITS NOT WORTH A MENTION
242 Unit 13: xarid
(E IS JUST BEING POLITE 4O THIS THE CUSTOMER CORRECTLY REPLIES
x1he2 mikonam, cand 2od?

) INSIST HOW MUCH DID IT COME TO
Exercise 6

1q1, in porteq1l(h)1 kiluyi cande?

1q1, in morq(h)1-ro kiluyi mif(o)ru2id y1 duneyi?

panj kilu berenj lotf konid va do t1 morq.

ruye-ham cand 2od?

befarm1yid, q1beli nad1re.

x1he2 mikonam. cand 2od?
More grocery items
miveh1 FRUITS
1lu PLUM
1n1n1s PINEAPPLE
angur GRAPES
porteq1l ORANGE
tut-farangi STRAWBERRY
xarboze MELON
zard1lu APRICOT
sib APPLE
gol1bi PEAR
limu LEMON
mouz BANANA
n1rgil COCONUT
holu PEACH
hendev1ne WATERMELON
col hendune
sabzij1t VEGETABLES
esfen1j SPINACH
b1denj1n AUBERGINE
pi1z ONION
xi1r CUCUMBER
sib-e zamini POTATO
sir GARLIC
2alqam TURNIP
felfel-e sabz GREEN PEPPER
k1hu LETTUCE
kadu COURGETTE
karafs CELERY
kalam CABBAGE
gol-kalam CAULImOWER
gouje-farangi TOMATO
havij CARROT
motafarreqe MISCELLANEOUS
2ir MILK
m1st YOGHURT
panir CHEESE
kare BUTTER
x1me CREAM
gu2t MEAT
n1n BREAD
morabb1 JAM
qand CUBE SUGAR
2ekar GRANULATED SUGAR
c1i TEA
qahve COFFEE
namak SALT
felfel PEPPER
244 Unit 13: xarid
Colours in ‘natural’ context!
rang COLOUR rou2an LIGHT tire DARK
1sem1n 1bi ast. 4HE SKY IS BLUE

abr x1kestari ast. #LOUD IS GREY
esfen1j sabz ast. 3PINACH IS GREEN
zoq1l si1h/me2ki #HARCOAL IS BLACK
ast.
2ir sefid ast. -ILK IS WHITE
gouje-farangi 4OMATO IS RED
qermez ast.
meigu surati ast. 0RAWN IS PINK
mouz zard ast. "ANANA IS YELLOW
qahve qahveyi ast. #OFFEE IS BROWN
n1renj n1renji ast. lit ! SOUR ORANGE
IS ORANGE
COLOUR
3ORRY COULDNT lND A @NATURAL CONTEXT FOR THIS ONE
sormeyi NAVY BLUE
%XAMPLES
m12inetun ce range? 7HAT COLOUR IS

YOUR CAR
1bi-e rou2an/tire LIGHTDARK BLUE
Exercise 7
/+ HOW MUCH DO ) OWE YOU

"E MY GUEST )TS NOT WORTH A MENTION
) INSIST HOW MUCH DID IT COME TO
&IVE THOUSAND TUMANS IN TOTAL
! TUMAN NOTE
! RIAL COIN
7ILL YOU KINDLY PASSGIVE THE SUGAR
7HAT COLOUR IS YOUR JACKET $ARK BROWN
) BOUGHT SOME TOMATOES AND LETTUCE ) FORGOT TO BUY SALT

)F YOU HAD SHAVED YOUR BEARD ) WOULDNT HAVE RECOGNISED YOU
)F ) HADNT TAKEN THE ANTIBIOTIC ) WOULDNT HAVE GOT BETTER
(ERE IS AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED TO -ASOUD IN HIS OWN WORDS
DIRUZ YEK PÄLTOU BARÄYE PEDARAM XARIDAM VAQTI UN O DID XEILI

XOÆ HÄL ÆOD AMMÄ HESS KARDAM KE AZ RANGEÆ ZIÄD XOÆEÆ NAYUMAD
BARÄYE PAS DÄDAN E PÄLTOU AZ MÄDARAM XÄHEÆ KARDAM KE BÄ MAN
BIÄD MÄDARAM ASLAN XEJÄLATI NIST AMMÄ MAN XEILI KAM RU HASTAM
SÄHEB E FORUÆGÄH PORSID PÄLTOU CEÆE GOFTAM HICCIÆ NIST FAQAT RANGEÆ
BARÄYE PEDARAM XEILI ROUÆANE FORUÆANDE GOFT EIB NADÄRE PEDARETUN O
JAVUNTAR NEÆUN MIDE MAN DIGE NEMIDUNESTAM CI BEGAM AGE MÄDARAM
BÄHÄM NAYUMADE BUD MAN BÄ HAMUN PÄLTOU BAR MIGAÆTAM XUNE
AMMÄ MÄDARAM BELÄFÄSELE GOFT PEDAR E IÆUN AZ IN RANG XOÆEÆ NEMIÄD
AGE ÆOMÄ JÄ YE U BUDID IN PÄLTOU RO BE PEDARETUN TAHMIL MIKARDID
246 Unit 13: xarid
FORUÆANDE JAVÄBI NADÄÆT O FOURAN PÄLTOU RO PAS GEREFT VALI QABL AZ

INKE AZ MAQÄZE BIÄIM BIRUN BÄ LABXAND BE MÄDARAM GOFT AGE ÆOMÄ
ZANAM BUDID YEK LIVÄN ZAHR BEHETUN MIDÄDAM MÄDARAM HAM BÄ
LABXAND GOFT AGE ÆOMÄ ÆOHARAM BUDID UN ZAHR O TÄ QATRE YE ÄXAREÆ
MIXORDAM
7HAT DID -ASOUD BUY AND FOR WHOM

7HAT MADE HIM CHANGE HIS MIND ABOUT HIS CHOICE
7HAT DIFFERENCE IN CHARACTER IS THERE BETWEEN -ASOUD AND HIS
MOTHER
7HAT ARGUMENT DID -ASOUDS MOTHER USE TO GET RESULTS
7HAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF HIS MOTHER HAD NOT BEEN THERE
#AN YOU SPOT EXAMPLES OF EVASION REASONING AND CONVICTION IN
THE STORY
7HAT SENSE OF HUMOUR IS EXPRESSED AND BY WHOM
Unit Fourteen
xadamAt
Services

s BUY STAMPS AND SEND AN ITEM BY REGISTERED MAIL
s ASK IF ITS POSSIBLE TO DO SOMETHING
s USE A PASSIVE CONSTRUCTION
s ENQUIRE ABOUT EXCHANGE RATES CHANGE DOLLARS INTO RIALS
s SAY SOMETHING MUSTSHOULD HAVE HAPPENED
s TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU HADDIDNT HAVE TO DO
248 Unit 14: xadamAt
Dialogue 1
At the post office (CD2; 42)
0ARTICIPANTS CUSTOMER C AND ASSISTANT A).
C
A
C
A
C
A
C
A
C
A
C
C BEBAXÆID PUL E NAQD O MIÆE BÄ POST FERESTÄD

A NA MOTA{ASSEFÄNE MITUNID BÄ HAVÄLE YE POSTI BEFE RESTID
C IN NÄMA RO MIXÄSTAM SEFÄREÆI KONAM
A BARÄYE KOJÄST
C KÄNÄDÄ.
A BEZÄRID RUYE TARÄZU LOTFAN
C BEFARMÄYID
A PUL E TAMB REÆ MIÆE HEZÄR O PUNSAD TOMAN
C BEFARMÄYID DAR ZEMN YEK SO{ÄL DÄÆTAM DO HAFTE PIÆ YEK
BASTE BÄ POST E SEFÄREÆI BE ENGELESTÄN FERESTÄDAM FEKR
MIKONID TÄ HÄLÄ RESIDE
A BÄYAD RESIDE BÄÆE MA{MULAN ZARF E YEK HAFTE MIRESE
C XEILI MAMNUN XODÄ HÄFEZ
C Excuse me, is it possible to send cash by post?

A I’m afraid not. You can send (it) by postal order.
C I would like to send this letter by registered mail.
Unit 14: Services 249
A Where to? LIT Where is it for?)

C Canada.
A Put it on the scale, please.
C Here you are.
A The postage comes to 1,500 tumans.
C Here you are. Incidentally, I have ( LIT had) a question.
Two weeks ago, I sent a parcel by registered mail to England.
Do you think it’s got there by now?
A It must/should have arrived. It normally gets there within a
week.
C Much obliged. Goodbye.
Vocabulary A
CB
naqd CASH
mi2e IS IT POSSIBLE IT COMES TO
2odan (2) TO BE POSSIBLE TO BECOME
post POST MAIL
hav1le ORDER
posti POSTAL
bef(e)restid YOU CAN SEND
n1me LETTER
sef1re2i REGISTERED
sef1re2i kardan (kon) TO REGISTER
tar1zu SCALE
tam(b)r STAMP
pul-e tam(b)r POSTAGE lit MONEY FOR STAMP
dar zemn INCIDENTALLY
baste PARCEL
fekr kardan (kon) TO THINK
t1 h1l1 BY NOW UNTIL NOW
residan (res) TO REACHARRIVE
zarf-e WITHIN

Impersonal construction
How to say: ‘Is it possible to send . . . ?’

‘Can one send . . . ?’
4HE VERB 2odan (2) WHICH NORMALLY MEANS @TO BECOME IS
USED HERE WITH A PARTICULAR MEANING @TO BE POSSIBLE 4HE ACTUAL FORM
USED IS mi2e @IT IS POSSIBLE
mi2e ferest1d?
)S IT POSSIBLE TO SEND #AN ONE SEND
Note: 4HE VERB FOLLOWING mi2e COMES IN ITS PAST STEM FORM
WITHOUT ANY SUFFIX
-ORE EXAMPLES
inj1 mi2e ne2ast?

#AN ONE SIT HERE IE !RE WE ALLOWED TO SIT HERE
nu2idani mi2e bord tu sinem1?

#AN ONE TAKE A DRINK INSIDE THE CINEMA IE $O THE REGULATIONS
PERMIT
az in s1xtemun mi2e aks gereft?

#AN ONE TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS BUILDING
dar moq1bel-e zolm mi2e sokut kard?

#AN ONE KEEP SILENT VIS Ì VIS AGAINST OPPRESSIONINJUSTICE
Exercise 1
How do you ask, in Persian, whether you are allowed to do the following?
The vocabulary not introduced above is given in the box below.
sig1r ke2idan (ke2) TO SMOKE

p1rk kardan (kon) TO PARK
gereftan (gir) TO TAKE PICTURE
aks PHOTOGRAPH PICTURE
s1lon HALL
d1ru MEDICINE
t1ksi TAXI
bastani ICE CREAM
soxanr1n SPEAKER
3MOKE IN THE HALLTAXI

3END MEDICINE BY POST
3END AN EMAIL WITHON THIS COMPUTER
0ARK THE CAR THEREHERE
4AKE AN ICE CREAM INTO THE THEATRE
4AKE A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SPEAKER
How to say: ‘It must have arrived (by now).’

)N $IALOGUE THE CUSTOMER POSTED THE PARCEL TWO WEEKS AGO )T
NORMALLY GETS THERE WITHIN A WEEK 3O THE POST OFFICE ASSISTANT CON
CLUDES THAT
)T MUST SHOULD HAVE ARRIVED BY NOW
Formula 1 BELOW MAY BE USED TO EXPRESS THIS IN 0ERSIAN
b1yad MUST PAST STEM OF VERB SUFFIX e b12

PERSONAL ENDING
6ERB NEEDED residan TO ARRIVE PAST STEM resid
b1yad reside b12e.

)T MUST SHOULD HAVE ARRIVED
t1 h1l1 b1yad reside b12e.

)T MUST SHOULD HAVE ARRIVED BY NOW
)N THIS CATEGORY THE SPEAKER IS NORMALLY MAKING A GUESS OR ASSUMPTION
BASED ON COMMON SENSE OR PAST EXPERIENCE -ORE EXAMPLES
b1yad celo-kab1b xorde b12id.

9OU MUST HAVE EATEN chelo-kebab.
"ECAUSE YOU LIVED IN )RAN FOR YEARS AND THIS IS THE MOST
POPULAR DISH IN )RAN
6ERB USED xordan TO EAT PAST STEM xord
b1yad u r1 dide b12id.

9OU MUST HAVE SEEN HIM
(ES ALWAYS IN THE CANTEEN AT LUNCHTIME JOKING AND LAUGHING n
LOUDLY
6ERB USED didan TO SEE PAST STEM did
How to say: ‘They should have arrived by now.’

(But they haven’t!)
4HIS IS WHEN THE SPEAKER IS CONCERNED AS TO WHY THEY HAVE NOT ARRIVED
YET
Formula 2 BELOW MAY BE USED TO EXPRESS THIS IN 0ERSIAN
b1yad SHOULD PREFIX mi- PAST STEM OF VERB

PERSONAL ENDING
.O PERSONAL ENDING IS USED FOR THIRD PERSON SINGULAR SHE IT
t1 h1l1 b1yad miresidand.

4HEY SHOULD HAVE ARRIVED BY NOW
"UT THEY HAVENT 4HE SPEAKER IS WORRIED
t1 h1l1 b1yad telefon mikard.

(E SHOULD HAVE PHONED BY NOW
"UT HE HASNT 4HE SPEAKER IS WORRIED
6ERB USED telefon kardan TO PHONE
PAST STEM kard
How to say: ‘You should have eaten the meal.’

( But you didn’t!)
Formula 2 ABOVE MAY BE USED TO EXPRESS THIS IN 0ERSIAN !S SHOWN
BELOW THIS MAY SEND A VARIETY OF MESSAGES TO THE PERSON YOU ARE
TALKING TO
b1yad qaz1 r1 mixordi.

9OU SHOULD HAVE EATEN THE MEAL
"UT YOU DIDNT 9OU MISSED AN EXCELLENT MEAL /2 9OU DID A
BAD THING 4HE HOST WAS OFFENDED AS SHE HAD GONE TO A LOT OF
TROUBLE TO PREPARE THE MEAL
b1yad u r1 mididi.
9OU SHOULD HAVE SEEN HIM
0ITY YOU DIDNT SEE HIM (E WAS VERY FUNNY 9OU MISSED A GOOD
SHOW /2 9OU DID A BAD THING )T WAS YOUR SOCIALMORAL DUTY
TO VISIT HIM "UT YOU DIDNT
.OTE THE NEGATIVE FORM
panir-e f1sed r1 nab1yad mixordi.

9OU SHOULD NOT HAVE EATEN THE ROTTEN CHEESE
"UT YOU DID AND NOW YOURE SICK
How to say: ‘I had to eat.’

!GAIN Formula 2 ABOVE MAY BE USED TO EXPRESS THIS IN 0ERSIAN
b1yad mixordam. ) HAD TO EAT

3O ) DID OTHERWISE THE HOST WOULD HAVE BEEN OFFENDED
b1yad miraftam. ) HAD TO GO

3O ) DID BECAUSE HE WAS WAITING FOR ME
How to say: ‘I didn’t have to go.’

(ERE WE USE THE WORD majbur @FORCED PLUS THE APPROPRIATE
FORM OF THE VERB budan @TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE MAIN VERB IN
THIS CASE @TO GO (ERE IS THE FORMULA
majbur budan MAIN VERB IN SIMPLE

SUBJUNCTIVE FORM
3EE 5$ FOR THE SUBJUNCTIVE
4HIS FORMULA IS NOT @TIME BOUND SO IT CAN BE USED TO TALK ABOUT PAST
AS WELL AS PRESENT EVENTS
majbur budam beram. ) HAD TO GO

majbur nabudam beram. ) DIDNT HAVE TO GO
majburam beram. ) HAVE TO GO
majbur nistam beram. ) DONT HAVE TO GO
6ERB USED raftan (r) TO GO
Exercise 2
With the help of the English translations and explanations, fill in the
blanks with the appropriate form of a verb from the box below. The first
one has been done for you.
residan (res) TO ARRIVE

xordan (xor) TO EAT
budan (hast/b12) TO BE
da`vat kardan (kon) TO INVITE
telefon kardan (kon) TO PHONE
t1 h1l1 b1yad ________.

4HEY MUST SHOULD HAVE ARRIVED BY NOW
) GUESS THEY HAVE 4HEY LEFT TWO HOURS AGO )TS ONLY HALF AN HOURS
DRIVE
%XAMPLE
t1 h1l1 b1yad reside b12and.
4HEY MUSTSHOULD HAVE ARRIVED BY NOW
b1yad qaz1-ye it1li1yi ________.

9OU MUST HAVE HADEATEN )TALIAN FOOD
9OU HAVE TRAVELLED TO )TALY SO MANY TIMES
b1yad in 1hang r1 ________.

9OU MUST HAVE HEARD THIS SONG
4HEY ARE CONSTANTLY PLAYING IT ON THE RADIO46
t1 s1àt-e dah b1yad ________ xune.

(E SHOULD HAVE ARRIVED HOME BY OCLOCK
"UT HE HASNT )TS NEARLY 4HE FILM FINISHED AT AND WERE
ONLY HALF AN HOURS WALK FROM THE CINEMA
b1yad u r1 ________.
9OU SHOULD HAVE INVITED HIM
"UT YOU DIDNT .OW HE IS UPSETOFFENDED
b1yad 1ntibiutik r1 ________.

9OU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN lit EATEN THE ANTIBIOTIC
9OU DIDNT .OW YOURE GETTING SICKER
nab1yad u r1 ________.
9OU SHOULDNT HAVE INVITED HIM
"UT YOU DID .OW YOU REGRET IT
b1yad be ahmad ________.

) HAD TO PHONE !HMAD
(E WAS WAITING FOR MY PHONE CALL
majbur _______ bar12 hedye ________.

) DIDNT HAVE TO BUY A PRESENT FOR HIM
"UT ) DID BECAUSE ) WANTED TO
majbur ________ inj1 be2inam va soxanr1nih1-ye to r1 ________!

) DONT HAVE TO SIT HERE AND HEAR YOUR LECTURES
Other relevant expressions
post-e 1di ORDINARY MAIL imeil EMAIL

f1ks/faks FAX fotokopi PHOTOCOPY
az . . . fotokopi gereftan (gir)

TO TAKE A PHOTOCOPY OF
bar1ye in k1rt-post1l ceqadr tam(b)r l1zeme?

(OW MUCH STAMPSPOSTAGE IS NEEDED FOR THIS POSTCARD
Exercise 3
#AN ONE SMOKE INON THE AEROPLANE

)S IT POSSIBLE TO SEND THIS PARCEL BY REGISTERED MAIL
)S IT POSSIBLE TO TAKE A SANDWICHDRINK INTO THE THEATRE
9OU MUST HAVE HAD chelo-kebab 9OU HAVE BEEN TO )RAN SO MANY
TIMES
9OU MUST HAVE SEEN THEM 4HEY ARE ALWAYS IN THE CANTEEN
9OU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN lit EATEN THE MEDICINE
9OU SHOULD HAVE INVITED THEM
9OU SHOULDNT HAVE HAD THE MILK )T WAS OFF
(E SHOULDNT HAVE EATEN THAT SANDWICH )T WAS MINE
9OU SHOULDNT HAVE SPOKEN TO HIM IN THIS WAY (ES UPSET
) SHOULD HAVE GONE WITH THEM "UT ) DIDNT
) HAD TO GO WITH HIM !ND ) DID BECAUSE HE NEEDED HELP
(OW MUCH STAMPSPOSTAGE IS NEEDED FOR THIS LETTER
7HERE CAN ) TAKE SOME PHOTOCOPIES
7HERE CAN ) SEND A FAXAN EMAIL
Dialogue 2
Exchanging currencies (CD2; 43)
0ARTICIPANTS CUSTOMER C AND ASSISTANT A).
C
A
C
A
C
A
C
A
C
C BEBAXÆID NERX E DOLÄR CIE EMRUZ

A FORUÆ HEZÄR O DEVIST TOMAN XARID HEZÄR TOMAN
C MIXÄSTAM PUNSAD DOLÄR BE RIÄL TABDIL KONAM
A IN FORM O POR KONID LOTFAN
C BEFARMÄYID IN FORM IN H AM PUNSAD DOLÄR
A IN FORM MESL E INKE EMZÄ NAÆODE IN RESID O HAM EMZÄ
KONID LOTFAN
C MA{ZERAT MIXÄM BEFARMÄYID
A MOTA ÆAKKERAM BEFARMÄYID IN PUL QABLAN BÄ MÄÆIN ÆOMORDE
ÆODE VALI XODETUN HAM LOTFAN BEÆO MORID
C CAÆM DOROSTE XEILI MAMNUN
C Excuse me, what’s the (exchange) rate for the (US) dollar today?
A Selling, 1,200 tumans; buying, 1,000 tumans.
C I wanted to change $500 into rials.
A Fill in this form, please.
C Here you are: here’s the form; (and) here’s the $500.
A This form, it seems, has not been signed. Also sign this receipt,
please.
C I beg your pardon . . . Here you are.

A Thanks. Here you are. This money has already been counted by
the machine, but please also count (it) yourself.
C By all means . . . It’s correct, much obliged.
A Vocabulary
CB
nerx RATE
foru2 SELLING SALE
xarid BUYING
tabdil kardan (kon) TO CHANGE
form FORM
por kardan (kon) TO FILL IN
in-ham HERE IS lit THIS ALSO
mesl-e inke IT SEEMS
emz1 SIGNATURE
emz1 2odan (2) TO BE SIGNED
resid RECEIPT
emz1 kardan (kon) TO SIGN
qablan PREVIOUSLY ALREADY
2omordan (2omor) TO COUNT
2omorde 2odan (2) TO BE COUNTED
ca2m BY ALL MEANS

The passive
How to say: ‘to be counted’
4HE 0ERSIAN EQUIVALENT FOR @TO COUNT IS 2omordan (ERE IS
THE FORMULA TO PRODUCE THE EQUIVALENT OF @TO BE COUNTED
0AST STEM OF VERB SUFFIX -e 2odan TO BECOME
6ERB NEEDED 2omordan TO COUNT PAST STEM

2omord
(ERE IS THE RESULT
2omorde 2odan (2)

TO BE COUNTED lit TO BECOME COUNTED
(ERE IS AN EXAMPLE FROM THE ABOVE DIALOGUE
in pul qablan b1 m12in 2omorde 2ode.

4HIS MONEY HAS ALREADY BEEN COUNTED BY THE MACHINE
.OTE HOW THIS IS EXPRESSED IN THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE
dar in b1nk, pul hami2e b1 m12in 2omorde mi2e.

)N THIS BANK MONEY IS ALWAYS COUNTED BY THE MACHINE
-ORE EXAMPLES
poxtan TO COOK
poxte 2odan TO BE COOKED
in kab1b xub poxte na2ode!

4HIS KEBAB HAS NOT BEEN COOKED WELL
ko2tan TO KILL
ko2te 2odan TO BE KILLED
kenedi dar s1l-e hez1r o nohsad o 2ast o se ko2te 2od.

+ENNEDY WAS KILLED IN THE YEAR
Exercise 4
Using the above formula, fill in the blanks. The first one has been done
for you.
xordan TO EAT
%XAMPLE xorde 2odan TO BE EATEN
bastan TO CLOSE
???????? ???????? TO BE CLOSED
didan TO SEE
???????? ???????? TO BE SEEN
2enidan TO HEAR
???????? ???????? TO BE HEARD
goftan TO SAY TO TELL
???????? ???????? TO BE SAID TO BE TOLD
foruxtan TO SELL
???????? ???????? TO BE SOLD
xaridan TO BUY
???????? ???????? TO BE BOUGHT
2ostan TO WASH
???????? ???????? TO BE WASHED
!LSO NOTE THESE FORMS
emz1 SIGNATURE
emz1 kardan TO SIGN
emz1 2odan TO BE SIGNED
in form emz1 na2ode.

4HIS FORM HAS NOT BEEN SIGNED
e`l1m ANNOUNCING ANNOUNCEMENT

e`l1m kardan TO ANNOUNCE
e`l1m 2odan TO BE ANNOUNCED
nerx-e tabdil-e arz e`l1m 2ode ast.

&OREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED
b1z OPEN
b1z kardan TO OPEN
b1z 2odan TO BE OPENED
in n1me b1z 2ode!

4HIS LETTER HAS BEEN OPENED BY SOMEONE
1z1d FREE
1z1d kardan TO FREE
1z1d 2odan TO BE FREED
nelson m1ndel1 dar s1l-e hez1r o nohsad o navad az

zend1n 1z1d 2od.
.ELSON -ANDELA WAS FREED FROM PRISON IN THE YEAR
garm WARM
garm kardan TO WARM SOMETHING UP
garm 2odan TO BE WARMED UP
21metun garm 2ode.

9OUR DINNER HAS BEEN WARMED UP
majbur FORCED
majbur kardan TO FORCE
majbur 2odan TO BE FORCED
majbur 2odam film-o dob1re bebinam!

) WAS FORCED TO SEE THE lLM AGAIN Sound of Music
peid1 VISIBLE FOUND

peid1 kardan TO lND
peid1 2odan TO BE FOUND
suìc-e m12inam tu-ye satl-e 12q1l peid1 2od!

-Y CAR KEY WAS FOUND IN THE DUSTBIN
2ekast DEFEAT
2ekast d1dan (d) TO DEFEAT lit TO GIVE
DEFEAT
2ekast xordan (xor)

TO BE DEFEATED lit TO EAT DEFEAT ;HUMBLE PIE=
dar mos1beqe-ye diruz, tim-e m1 2ekast xord!

)N YESTERDAYS MATCH OUR TEAM WAS DEFEATED
Exercise 5
bebax2id, sed1tun 2enide

nemi2e.
saretun tu aks dide nemi2e
morq xub poxte na2ode.
in n1me emz1 na2ode.
panjare b1z 2od.
ali hanuz az zend1n 1z1d na2ode.

in sup xub garm na2ode.
s1àtam peid1 2od.
nerx-e arz hanuz e`l1m na2ode.

dar s1l-e hez1r o nohsad o navad o ha2t, tim-e futb1l-e 1mrik1
az tim-e ir1n 2ekast xord!
Other major currencies
pond POUND STERLING yen-e 31pon *APANESE YEN
Exercise 6
These are what C in the preceding dialogue did in the bank earlier today,
but they are mixed up. Can you put them in order by putting a letter
(a–f ) in each box?
pul-o (pul r1) be man d1d. ; =

form o punsad dol1r-o d1dam. ; =
nerx-e dol1r-o porsidam. ; =
pul-o 2omordam. ; =
resid-o emz1 kardam. ; =
yek form por kardam. ; =
Exercise 7
-ARTIN ,UTHER +ING WAS KILLED IN

4HE MEAT HAS NOT BEEN COOKED WELL
3UDDENLY THE DOOR WAS CLOSED
7HERES MY SANDWICH 3ORRY IT WAS EATEN
%XCUSE ME THIS CHEQUE HAS NOT BEEN SIGNED
!LI A IS MAKING AN ENQUIRY AT HIS LOCAL BANK 4HIS IS THE CONVERSATION

HE HAS WITH THE CLERK C
A
C
A
C
A
C
A BEBAXÆID NERX E ARZ BARÄYE EMRUZ E{LÄM ÆODE

C BÄYAD ÆODE BÄÆE YEK LAHZE SABR KONID LOTFAN BEBAXÆID
SÄ{AT E YÄZDAH E{LÄM MIÆE CI DÄRID
A HEZÄR POND MIXÄSTAM TABDIL KONAM
C NERX E XARID E DIRUZ HEZÄR O ÆEÆSAD TOMAN BUD BARÄYE NERX E
EMRUZ MITUNID BE ÆOMÄRE YE SISAD O HAÆTÄD O HAFT PANJÄH O
ÆEÆ TELEFON KONID
A MOTA{ASSEFÄNE AJALE DÄRAM BÄ HAMUN NERX E DIRUZ MIÆE FORUXT
C BALE IN FORM O POR KONID VA BEBARID BÄJE YE SE
7HAT DOES !LI WANT TO KNOW IN HIS FIRST QUESTION

7HAT ASSUMPTIONGUESS DOES THE CLERK MAKE
7HAT CORRECTION DOES THE CLERK MAKE
7HY HAS !LI COME TO THE BANK
7HAT COMPROMISE DOES HE HAVE TO MAKE AND WHY
Unit Fifteen
salAmat o behdASt
Health and hygiene

s USE POLITE TITLES
s TALK ABOUT AILMENTS
s ASK A CHEMIST FOR MEDICINE FOR A MINOR ILLNESS
s MAKE A MAJOR APOLOGY
s REPORT WHAT SOMEONE HAS SAID
Unit 15: Health and hygiene 265
Dialogue 1
Hello doctor (CD2; 45)
0ARVIZ P IS TALKING TO HIS DOCTOR D).
:P
:D
P
D
P
:D
P SALÄM ÄqÄ YE DOKTOR XEILI MA{ZERAT MIXÄM KE DIR UMADAM

D SALÄM BEFARMÄYID BEÆINID
P MOTA ÆAKKERAM HÄLAM XEILI BADE ÄqÄ YE DOKTOR
D MOÆKEL CIE
P SARAM DÄ{EM DARD MIKONE GALUM HAMIÆE XOÆKE QABL AZ QAZÄ
DELAM DARD MIGIRE BINIM AQLAB GEREFTE AST ÆABHÄ BE SAXTI
NAFAS MIKEÆAM NEMIZÄRE BEXÄBAM
D DAHÄNETUN O BÄZ KONID LOTFAN BEGID @Ä MERSI SE TÄ DÄRU
BARÄTUN MINEVISAM HAFTE YE ÄYANDE BIÄID BEBINIM NATIJE CI ÆODE
P Hello ( LIT Mr) Doctor. I do apologise for being ( LIT I came) late.
D Hello. Do sit down.
P Thank you. I’m very unwell doctor.
D What’s the problem?
P My head constantly aches. My throat is always dry. Before a
meal, my stomach begins to ache. My nose is often blocked.
At night, I breathe with difficulty. It’s stopping me from sleeping.
( LIT It does not let me sleep.)
D Open your mouth, please. Say ‘Ah’ . . . Thank you. I’m writing
out three medicines for you. Come (back) next week and we’ll
see what the outcome is.
266 Unit 15: salAmat o behdASt
A Vocabulary
CB
ma`zerat mix1m ) APOLOGISE lit ) WANTBEG
PARDON
dir LATE
umadam ) CAME
be2inid SIT DOWN
h1l HEALTH
mo2kel PROBLEM
sar HEAD
d1èm CONSTANTLY
dard ACHE PAIN
dard kardan (kon) TO ACHE
galu THROAT
xo2k DRY
del HEART ALSO @STOMACH
dard gereftan (gir) TO BEGIN TO ACHE
bini NOSE
gerefte BLOCKED
saxt DIFFICULT HARD
saxti DIFFICULTY
be-saxti WITH DIFFICULTY
nafas BREATH
ke2idan (ke2) TO DRAW TO PULL
nafas ke2idan (ke2) TO BREATHE
nemiz1re IT DOESNT LET
goz12tan (z1r) TO LET TO ALLOW
bex1bam FOR ME TO SLEEP
dah1n MOUTH
b1z konid OPEN
begid SAY
goftan (g) TO SAY
d1ru MEDICINE
minevisam ) WRITE
neve2tan (nevis) TO WRITE

1yande NEXT
bi1id COME
umadan (1) TO COME
bebinim FOR US TO SEE
didan (bin) TO SEE
natije OUTCOME RESULT

Titles
1q1 SIRGENTLEMAN 1q1-ye -R

x1nom LADYMADAM x1nom-e -S-RS
7E USE 1q1-ye AND x1nom-e BEFORE MOST TITLES WHICH IS

NOT ONLY A SIGN OF POLITENESS BUT ALSO AN INDICATION OF GENDER
1q1-ye/x1nom-e doktor ahmadi

lit -R-S $OCTOR !HMADI
1q1-ye/x1nom-e mohandes hu2angi

lit -R-S %NGINEER (OOSHANGI 4HIS IS A COMMON TITLE FOR
SOMEONE WITH AN ENGINEERING DEGREE
1q1-ye/x1nom-e raìs
lit -R-S #HAIRPERSONPRINCIPALCHIEFBOSS
1q1-ye/x1nom(-e) modir
lit -R-S $IRECTORMANAGERHEAD TEACHER
Noun derivation
4O TURN AN ADJECTIVE INTO A NOUN WE ADD THE STRESSED SUFFIX -i:
saxt DIFlCULT HARD m saxti DIFlCULTY

HARDSHIP
HARDNESS
4HE PATTERN be-saxti USED IN THE DIALOGUE MEANS @WITH DIFFI

CULTY )F THE ADJECTIVE ENDS WITH THE VOWEL e THE ENDING -gi IS
USED INSTEAD
xaste TIRED m xastegi TIREDNESS

FATIGUE
te2ne THIRSTY m te2negi THIRST
gorosne HUNGRY m gorosnegi HUNGER
1m1de READY m 1m1degi READINESS
PREPARED PREPARATION
)F THE ADJECTIVE ENDS WITH THE VOWEL i VARIOUS FORMS MAY BE USED
DEPENDING ON THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD 7ORDS BORROWED FROM !RABIC
NORMALLY HAVE THEIR OWN NOUN FORMS
qani RICH m qan1 RICHNESS

saxi GENEROUS m sax1vat GENEROSITY
melli NATIONAL m melliyat NATIONALITY
&OR WORDS OF 0ERSIAN ORIGIN WE SOMETIMES ADD budan @BEING
abr CLOUD abri CLOUDY abri-budan CLOUDINESS

IE THE FACT THAT IT IS CLOUDY
b1r1n RAIN b1r1ni RAINY b1r1ni-budan

RAININESS IE THE FACT THAT IT IS RAINY
b1r1ni-budan-e hav1 ta`siri bar mos1beqe-ye emruz nad1rad.

4HE FACT THAT IT IS RAINY lit THE RAININESS OF THE WEATHER HAS NO
IMPACT ON TODAYS MATCH "ECAUSE WE ARE PLAYING INDOORS
x1reji FOREIGN
x1reji-budan FOREIGNNESS
IE THE FACT THAT SOMEONESOMETHING IS FROM ABROAD
4HE FACT THAT THE CAR IS FOREIGN MADE lit ITS BEING FOREIGN HAS NO
IMPACT ON OUR DECISION EG TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY IT
!FTER OTHER VOWELS NOTABLY 1 AND u THE SUFFIX -yi IS NORMALLY USED
zib1 BEAUTIFUL m zib1yi BEAUTY

xo2-ru CHEERFUL m xo2-ruyi CHEERFULNESS
Exercise 1
Can you convert these adjectives into nouns? The first one has been
done for you.
1 xo2-h1l HAPPY m xo2-h1li HAPPINESS

2 21d JOYFUL m _______ _______ JOY
3 hasud JEALOUS m _______ _______ JEALOUSY
4 tanh1 ALONE m _______ _______ LONELINESS
5 por-ru CHEEKY m _______ _______ CHEEKINESS
6 h1mele PREGNANT m _______ _______ PREGNANCY
7 1v1re HOMELESS m _______ _______ HOMELESSNESS
8 tuf1ni STORMY m _______ _______ STORMINESS
IE THE FACT THAT IT IS STORMY
How to say: ‘I feel tired, hungry, thirsty,

etc.’
#ONSIDER THIS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN %NGLISH AND 0ERSIAN
%NGLISH USES THIS FORMULA 4O FEEL ADJECTIVE TO FEEL TIRED

HUNGRY THIRSTY ETC
0ERSIAN USES THIS FORMULA 4O FEEL NOUN TO FEEL TIREDNESS
HUNGER THIRST ETC
ehs1s FEELING
ehs1s kardan (kon) TO FEEL

ehs1s-e xastegi kardan TO FEEL TIRED
(kon)
ehs1s-e gorosnegi kardan TO FEEL HUNGRY
(kon)
ehs1s-e te2negi kardan TO FEEL THIRSTY
(kon)
ehs1s-e tanh1yi kardan TO FEEL LONELY
(kon)
gon1h GUILT SIN
ehs1s-e gon1h kardan TO FEEL GUILTY

(kon)
Parts of the body
mu HAIR
surat FACE
gu2 EAR
abru EYEBROW
ce2m EYE
mo3e EYELASH
bini NOSE
gune CHEEK
sebil MOUSTACHE
ri2 BEARD
lab LIP
dand1n TOOTH
zab1n TONGUE
lase GUM
c1ne CHIN
gardan NECK
galu THROAT
21ne SHOULDER
b1zu ARM
sar HEAD
dast HAND
kaf-e dast PALM OF HAND
po2t-e dast BACK OF HAND
ango2t-e dast lNGER
ango2t-e 2ast THUMB
1renj ELBOW
moc-e dast WRIST
moc-e p1 ANKLE
po2t BACK
kamar WAIST LOWER BACK
r1n THIGH
z1nu KNEE
p1 FOOT
s1q-e p1 LEG
moc-e p1 ANKLE
p12ne HEEL
ango2t-e p1 TOE
2ast-e p1 BIG TOE
More symptoms or conditions . . .
sar-dard HEADACHE
dand1n-dard TOOTHACHE
kamar-dard BACKACHE
gu2-dard EARACHE
galu-dard SORE THROAT
bi-x1bi SLEEPLESSNESS INSOMNIA
kam-e2teh1 HAVING LITTLE APPETITE
1sm ASTHMA
hass1siyat ALLERGY
esh1l DIARRHOEA
yobusat CONSTIPATION
estefr1q VOMITING
estefr1q kardan TO VOMIT
(kon)
sarm1 xordan TO CATCH A COLD
(xor)
sorfe kardan TO COUGH
(kon)
tab d12tan (d1r) TO HAVE A TEMPERATURE
atse kardan TO SNEEZE
(kon)
az binim 1b -Y NOSE IS STREAMING
mi1d. lit 7ATER IS COMING
FROM MY NOSE
sin(e)am cerk ) HAVE A CHEST INFECTION
karde.
suxtan (suz) TO BURNSTING
ce2mh1m -Y EYES ARE BURNING
misuze. STINGING
azole/azol1t MUSCLEMUSCLES
!RABIC PLURAL
tam1m-e azol1t-e badanam dard mikone.

!LL THE MUSCLES OF MY BODY ARE ACHING
Exercise 2
Match a letter with a number. The first one has been done for you.
2ECENTLY )VE LOST MUCH OF MY APPETITE ;E=

-OST OF THE TIME MY THROAT IS PAINFULSORE ; =
6OMITING AND DIARRHOEA TOGETHER ARE DANGEROUS ; =
!T NIGHT ) CANT SLEEP BECAUSE OF EARACHE ; =
7HEN ) EAT APPLES ) GET CONSTIPATION ; =
) AM ALLERGIC TO HOUSE DUST ; =
A
estefr1q o esh1l-e b1-ham xatarn1ke.
B
2abh1 az gu2-dard nemitunam bex1bam.
C
be gard-o-x1k-e xune hass1siyat d1ram.
D
bi2tar-e vaqth1 galum dard mikone.
E
axiran xeili kam-e2teh1 2od(e)am.
F
vaqti sib mixoram yobusat migiram.
Exercise 3
!T NIGHT MY NOSE GETS BLOCKED

) CANT BREATHE
)T DOESNT LET ME SLEEP
7HEN ) GO INTO A PARK ) SNEEZE A LOT
7HEN ) DO SOME VACUUM CLEANING ) COUGH A LOT
$URING THE NIGHT ) NEED TO GO TO THE TOILET SEVERAL TIMES
Dialogue 2
At the pharmacy (CD2; 46)
!LI ! IS TALKING TO HIS LOCAL CHEMIST #).
!
#
!
#
!
#
!
#
!
#
!
! BEBAXÆID BARÄYE GALU DARD CI DÄRID

# SE NOU { ÆARBAT DÄRIM VA DO NOU { QORS E MAKIDANI
! AZ ÆARBATH Ä KODUM BEHTARE
# RÄSTEÆ MOÆTARIH Ä BIÆTAR IN O MIXARAND
! XEILI XUB HAMUN O LOTF KONID DAR ZEMN BARÄYE SARMÄ XORDEGI
CI DÄRID
# BARÄYE XODETUN MIXÄID
! NA BARÄYE PESARAM DAH SÄLEÆE EMRUZ SOBH GOFT HÄLAM XUB
NIST NEMIRAM MADRESE FEKR MIKONAM SARMÄ XORDE
# BEFARMÄYID HAR CAHÄR SÄ{AT YEKI AZ IN QORSHÄ BEHEÆ BEDID VA
YEK QÄÆOQ HAM AZ IN ÆARBAT
! XEILI MAMNUN CAND ÆOD
# DO HEZÄR TOMAN
! BEFARMÄYID
! Excuse me, what have you got for a sore throat?

# We have three types of syrup and two kinds of sucking tablets
(lozenges).
! Of/among the syrups, which one is better?
# To be honest, customers buy this one more often.
! Very well, give me that one, please. Meanwhile, what have you
got for a cold?
# Is it for yourself?
! No, for my son. He’s 10 years old. This morning he said he
wasn’t feeling well; (and therefore) he wouldn’t go to school.
I think he’s got a cold.
# Here you are. Every four hours, give him one of these tablets
and also one spoonful of this syrup.
! Much obliged. How much did it come to?
# Two thousand tumans.
! Here you are.
A Vocabulary
CB
galu-dard SORE THROAT
nou` KIND TYPE SORT
2arbat SYRUP
qors TABLET PILL
makidan (mak) TO SUCK
makidani SUCKABLE
qors-e makidani LOZENGE lit SUCKABLE TABLET
r1ste2 TO BE HONEST lit ITS TRUTH
mo2tari CUSTOMER
bi2tar MORE OFTEN
mixarand THEY BUY
hamun THAT SAME ONE
lotf konid PLEASE GIVE
sarm1-xordegi THE STATE OF HAVING CAUGHT A COLD
xodetun YOURSELF
dah s1le2e HES YEARS OLD lit ITS YEARS OF HIM
har EVERY
q12oq SPOONFUL

Reported speech
How to say: ‘He said he was ill.’

#ONSIDER THESE SENTENCES
A 0ETER SAID @)M ILL

B 0ETER SAID THAT HE WAS ILL
! 0ERSIAN EQUIVALENT FOR B WOULD BE SIMILAR TO A ONLY WITHOUT THE

QUOTATION MARKS
A piter goft: ‘marizam.’ 0ETER SAID @)M ILL

B piter goft (ke) marizam.
0ETER SAID THAT HE WAS ILL lit 0ETER SAID THAT )M ILL
Important: )N 0ERSIAN REPORTED SPEECH PERSON AND PARTICULARLY

TENSE DO NOT NORMALLY CHANGE 4HUS SENTENCE B MAY ALSO TAKE
THIS FORM
piter goft (ke) marize.

0ETER SAID THAT HE WAS ILL lit 0ETER SAID THAT HES ILL
Note: 5SE OF THE WORD ke @THAT IS OPTIONAL n HENCE THE BRACKETS

(ERE IS A SENTENCE FROM THE DIALOGUE
goft h1lam xub nist; nemiram madrese.

(E SAID HE WASNT FEELING WELL AND THEREFORE HE WOULDNT
GO TO SCHOOL
lit (E SAID )M NOT FEELING WELL ) WONT GO
Exercise 4
Change these sentences into reported forms.
ahmad goft: ‘xaste-am’. !HMAD SAID @)M TIRED
%XAMPLE
ahmad goft (ke) xaste-am. !HMAD SAID THAT HE WAS TIRED
mehmunh1 goftand: ‘m1 gorosne-im!’

4HE GUESTS SAID @7E ARE HUNGRY
.OW SAY 4HE GUESTS SAID THAT THEY WERE HUNGRY
u porsid: ‘s1àt cande?’

(E ASKED @7HATS THE TIME
.OW SAY (E ASKED WHAT THE TIME WAS
bar1daram goft: ‘m12inam-o foruxtam.’

-Y BROTHER SAID @) SOLD MY CAR
.OW SAY -Y BROTHER SAID THAT HE HAD SOLD HIS CAR
hasan goft: ‘nemidunam televizion ce2e.’

(ASSAN SAID @) DONT KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH THE 46
.OW SAY (ASSAN SAID THAT HE DIDNT KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH
THE 46
More medicines
&OR MEDICINES TAKEN ORALLY WE USE THE VERB xordan
(xor) lit TO EAT
dav1 REMEDY LESS FORMAL ALTERNATIVE
FOR d1ru MEDICINE
2arbat-e sorfe COUGH SYRUP
mosakken PAIN KILLER
1ntibiutik ANTIBIOTIC
&OR kerem @CREAM WE USE m1lidan (m1l)
@TO RUB
&OR 1mpul @INJECTION WE USE zadan (zan)
@TO HIT JAB
parhiz AVOIDANCE DIET RECOMMENDED BY DOCTORS FOR
THEIR PATIENTS
az parhiz kardan (kon) TO AVOID
az (xordan-e) tor2i parhiz konid!
!VOID EATING PICKLES
Exercise 5
Match these medicines with the conditions they treat. The first one has
been done for you.
2arbat-e sorfe ;B=

1ntibiutik ; =
qors-e mosakken ; =
kerem ; =
qors-e makidani ; =
A galum misuze.
B xeili sorfe mikonam.
C sin(e)am cerk karde.
D sar-dard-e 2adid d1ram.
E azol1t-e po2tam dard mikone.
Exercise 6
%XCUSE ME WHAT HAVE YOU GOT FOR TOOTHACHEBACKACHE

7HICH OF THESE TOOTHPASTES IS BETTER
7HATS THE MATTER WITH YOU
)T SEEMS )VE GOT A COLD
3HE SAID SHE HAD MISSED THE OCLOCK TRAIN
(E ASKED IF ) WAS MARRIED
7HAT DID YOU SAY
) TOLD HIM ) WAS ENGAGED
,ISTEN TO THIS DIALOGUE BETWEEN !LI ! AND "EHZAD " AND ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS IN %NGLISH
!
"
!
"
!
"
!
"
!
"
!
"
! MIDUNI KE HODUD E YEK SÄ{AT TA{XIR DÄRI

" JEDDAN MA{ZERAT MIXÄM QARÄR BUD BÄ AHMAD BIÄM DO SÄ{AT
PIÆ TELEFON KARD O GOFT MÄÆIN O FORUXTE AM BEDUN E MÄÆIN
NEMITUNAM BIÄM XEILI XASTE AM MAN HAM CON TA{XIR DÄÆTAM
QATÄR O AZ DAST DÄDAM
! TO GOFTI AGE DIR ÆOD TELEFON MIKONAM
" VÄQE{AN ÆARMANDE AM TO HÄLET BEHTARE
! NA TAB DÄRAM TAMUM E BADANAM DARD MIKONE AZ ÆEDDAT E
DARD NEMITUNAM BEXÄBAM
" CIZI XORDE I
! NA EÆTEHÄ NADÄRAM
" DOKTOR DAVÄ NADÄD
! CERÄ YEK QORS E MAKIDANI DÄD YEK ÆARBAT E SORFE VA YEK
ÄMPUL E PENISILIN
" BE PENISILIN HASSÄSIYAT NADÄRI

! NA XOÆBAXTÄNE
" XOÆ BE HÄLET
#AN YOU IDENTIFY TWO INSTANCES OF APOLOGY 7HAT ARE THEY FOR
7HO PROMISED TO DO WHAT
7HAT EXPLANATION DOES HE GIVE FOR HIS FAILURE TO FULFIL HIS PROMISE
7HAT IS THE MATTER WITH !LI
(OW DO WE KNOW THAT "EHZAD ENVIES !LI
Unit Sixteen
ravAbet bA digarAn
Relations with other people

s USE POLITE WORDS FOR GIVING AND RECEIVING GIFTS
s OFFER CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES ON HAPPY OCCASIONS
s MAKE A SOCIAL PHONE CALL
s SEND YOUR REGARDS TO SOMEONE
s EXPRESS PLEASANT SURPRISE
s SUGGEST A JOINT ACTIVITY
s ARRANGE TO MEET A FRIEND
Unit 16: Relations with other people 281
Dialogue 1
Giving and receiving gifts (CD2; 48)
3IAM S IS CELEBRATING HIS BIRTHDAY (AMEED ( ONE OF HIS FRIENDS

HAS JUST ARRIVED
(
S
(
S
(
S
(
S
( SIÄM JÄN IN QÄBEL E TO NIST TAVALLODET MOBÄRAK

S XEILI MAMNUN HAMID JÄN SÄHEBEÆ QÄBELE XEILI ZAHMAT KEÆIDI
( XÄHEÆ MIKONAM CE ZAHMATI
S XOB DÄDÄÆ CETOU RE
( XUBE MERSI SALÄM MIRESUNE RÄSTI GOFT BEBAXÆID KE NEMITUNAM
BIÄM
S XÄHEÆ MIKONAM IN HARFHÄ CIE
( XOB PAS BAQIYE KOJÄND
S HANUZ NAYUMADE AND TO AVVALIN @MOÆTARI HASTI
( Dear Siam, this is just a little something for you ( LIT this is not
worthy of you). Happy birthday to you.
S (I’m) most grateful dear Hameed. Its owner (i.e. giver of the gift)
is worthy. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble.
( Not at all. What trouble?
S So, how’s (your) brother?
( He’s fine, thanks. He sends his regards. By the way, he said
sorry he couldn’t come ( LIT he said excuse me (for the fact) that
I can’t come).
282 Unit 16: ravAbet bA digarAn
S That’s OK, don’t mention it.

( So, where are the others, then?
S They haven’t come yet. You are the first ‘customer’
(metaphorically)!
A Vocabulary
CB
q1bel WORTHY
tavallod BIRTHDAY
mob1rak MAY IT BE BLESSED
tavallodet mob1rak (APPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
s1heb OWNER HERE THE PERSON
GIVING THE GIFT
zahmat TROUBLE
zahmat ke2idan (ke2) TO TAKE TROUBLE
d1d12 col BROTHER
miresune HE SENDSCONVEYS
resundan (resun) TO SENDCONVEY
r1sti BY THE WAY
harf WORD SPEECH
in harfh1 cie? $ONT MENTION IT /R
7HAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT
lit 7HAT ARE THESE WORDS
baqiye THE REST
koj1nd SHORT FOR
koj1 hastand
WHERE ARE THEY
hanuz YET
nayumad(e)and THEY HAVENT COME
umadan (1) TO COME
avvalin FIRST
mo2tari CUSTOMER

How to say: ‘first customer’
4HERE ARE TWO WAYS OF SAYING THIS
A mo2tari-e avval
B avvalin mo2tari
4HERE IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO BUT NOTE THE DIFFERENT
POSITION OF THE NOUN AS WELL AS THE PRESENCE OF ez1fe IN A 3EE 5$
FOR ez1fe !LSO NOTE THAT THE ORDINAL NUMBER TAKES AN -in SUFFIX
WHEN IT PRECEDES THE NOUN AS IN B 0ATTERN B SEEMS TO FEATURE IN
MORE FORMAL CONTEXTS THOUGH NOT INVARIABLY
panjomin s1lgard-e ezdev1j

lFTH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
sevvomin semin1r-e zab1n-2en1si

THIRD SEMINAR ON LINGUISTICS
avvalin b1r diruz qaz1-ye cini xordam.

) ATE #HINESE FOOD YESTERDAY FOR THE lRST TIME
dar ir1n, do-2anbe sevvomin ruz-e hafte ast.

)N )RAN -ONDAY IS THE THIRD DAY OF THE WEEK
4HE OPPOSITE OF avval @FIRST IS 1xar @LAST
ruz-e 1xar LAST DAY

1xarin ruz LAST DAY
dar ir1n, 1xarin ruz-e hafte jomè ast.

)N )RAN THE LAST DAY OF THE WEEK IS &RIDAY
!LSO NOTE THESE SPECIAL TIME PHRASES
av1yel-e oktobr EARLY /CTOBER lRST FEW DAYS

av1set-e oktobr MID /CTOBER MIDDLE FEW DAYS
av1xer-e oktobr LATE /CTOBER LAST FEW DAYS
Exercise 1
Put the ordinal number before the noun and make any necessary
changes.
ruz-e avval-e s1l FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR
%XAMPLE avvalin ruz-e s1l
ruz-e 1xar-e s1l LAST DAY OF THE YEAR

hafte-ye dovvom-e s1l SECOND WEEK OF THE YEAR
m1h-e sevvom-e s1l THIRD MONTH OF THE YEAR
fasl-e cah1rom-e s1l FOURTH SEASON OF THE YEAR
How to say: ‘Happy New Year/Birthday, etc.’
(ERE IS THE FORMULA
/CCASION mob1rak MAY IT BE BLESSED
%XAMPLES
s1l-e nou mob1rak (APPY .EW 9EAR

tavallodet mob1rak (APPY "IRTHDAY TO
YOU inf )
tavallodetun mob1rak (APPY "IRTHDAY f )
s1lgard-e ezdev1jetun mob1rak

(APPY 7EDDING !NNIVERSARY
Note: 4HE ABOVE PATTERN IS USED TO OFFER GOOD WISHES ON A MUCH

LONGER LIST OF OCCASIONS THAN IS CUSTOMARY IN %NGLISH 4HESE INCLUDE
WHEN A FRIEND HAS EG A NEW PAIR OF SHOES A NEW HAIRCUT ETC 3O
WHEN AN )RANIAN FRIEND SAYS TO YOU
kaf2-e nou mob1rak!

lit #ONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW SHOES
HE IS NOT BEING SARCASTIC n WITH THE MESSAGE @AT LONG LAST YOU GOT
YOURSELF A DECENT PAIR OF SHOES
Exercise 2
Today, you received this card through the post.
dust-e aziz
kerismas va s1l-e nou mob1rak!
sohr1b-e h12emi
7HO IS IT FROM
7HAT RELATION IS HE TO YOU
7HAT DOES IT SAY
Exercise 3
Can you produce a reply to the above card sending a similar
message?
A related expression
! 0ERSIAN EQUIVALENT FOR @TO CONGRATULATE SOMEONE ON SOMETHING IS
@SOMEONE @SOMETHING
@SOMETHING r1 be @SOMEONE tabrik goftan (g) [gu]
%XAMPLE
s1lgard-e ezdev1jet1n r1 be 2om1 tabrik miguyam.
) CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
! COLLOQUIAL FORM OF THE ABOVE WOULD BE
s1lgard-e ezdev1jetun-o behetun tabrik migam.
He sends his regards!
#ONSIDER THE EXPRESSION sal1m miresune @(E SENDS

HIS REGARDS AS USED IN THE PRECEDING DIALOGUE 7HEN SOMEONE !
ASKS ME ABOUT THE HEALTH OF A CLOSE FRIEND OR RELATIVE OF MINE " MY
NORMAL RESPONSE WOULD BE TO SAY @HESHE IS FINE FOLLOWED BY THE
ABOVE EXPRESSION 4HIS IS PURELY A POLITENESS FORMULA IMPLYING THAT "

HAS RESPECT FOR !
(ERE ARE SOME MORE RELATED EXPRESSIONS
be x1nev1de sal1m beresunid.

'IVE MY REGARDS TO YOUR FAMILY
! REPLY MIGHT BE ca2m "Y ALL MEANS

(ERE IS HOW YOU WOULD CONVEY THE GREETINGS
ahmad sal1m resund.

!HMAD SENT HIS REGARDS
Wish you had been there!
7HEN WE TALK ABOUT A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE WE NORMALLY USE AN EXPRES

SION WHICH LITERALLY TRANSLATES @9OUR PLACE WAS VACANT or @9OU WERE
MISSED 4HE MESSAGE IS @) WISH YOU HAD BEEN THERE SO YOU COULD HAVE
SHARED THE EXPERIENCE "ELOW IS THE EXPRESSION IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS
j1t x1li (bud). col/inf )

j1tun x1li (bud). col/f )
j1yat x1li bud. l/inf )
j1yet1n x1li bud. l/f )
%XAMPLES
j1tun x1li, qaz1 xeili xo2maze bud.

7ISH YOU WERE THERE THE FOOD WAS VERY TASTY
ta`til1t xo2 goza2t?

$ID YOU ENJOY THE HOLIDAY lit $ID THE HOLIDAY PASS PLEASANTLY
bale, j1tun x1li bud.

9ES WISH YOU HAD BEEN THERE
Exercise 4
Can you do these in Persian?
5SE THE FIRST LINE IN $IALOGUE ABOVE TO CONGRATULATE YOUR SPOUSE

ON YOUR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY AND PRESENT HIMHER WITH A GIFT
2ESPOND TO THE ABOVE
3AY @HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AN OLDER RELATIVE
3AY @HAPPY NEW HOUSEHOME TO A FRIEND
7RITE A BRIEF MESSAGE TO FAMILY FRIENDS CONGRATULATING THEM ON THEIR
TENTH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
2ESPOND TO QUESTIONS LIKE @(OWS YOUR FAMILY
!SK YOUR FRIEND TO GIVE YOUR REGARDS TO HIS PARENTS
4ELL A FRIEND THAT YOU HAD A PLEASANT TIME AT A PARTY
Dialogue 2
Arranging to meet (CD2; 49)
!LI ! RINGS HIS FRIEND "EHROOZ " TO ARRANGE AN OUTING
!
"
!
"
!
"
!
"
!
"
!
"
!
"
! SALÄM BEHRUZ JÄN

" SALÄM BAH BAH CE AJAB AZ IN TARAFH Ä XÄNOM O BACCEHÄ XUBAND
! HAME XUBAND SALÄM MIRESUNAND ÆOMÄ CETOU RID
" BACCEHÄ XUBAND AMMÄ XÄNOMAM YEK KAM SAREÆ DARD MIKONE
RU KÄNÄPE DERÄZ KEÆIDE
! ASR XÄNOMAM MIÄD DIDANEÆ
" XEILI MAMNUN XOB CETOU R ÆOD KE YÄD E MÄ KARDI
! GOFTAM ZANG BEZANAM HÄLET O BEPORSAM DAR ZEMN PIÆNAHÄD
KONAM KE AGE HÄLEÆ O DÄÆTE BÄÆI EMÆAB BERIM SINEMÄ
" FEKR E BADI NIST MAN HAM EMÆAB BARNÄMEYI NADÄRAM KOJÄ
HAMDIGA RO BEBINIM
! SÄ{AT E HAÆT JELO YE SINEMÄ ÄSIÄ XUBE
" ÄLIE
! BE XÄNOMET SALÄM BERESUN
" CAÆM TO HAM HAMIN TOU R
! HATMAN FE{LAN XODÄ HÄFEZ
" QORBÄNET
! Hello dear Behruz.

" Hello. Wow! What a surprise to hear from you in this part of the
world! Are (your) wife and children well?
! Everyone’s fine. They send their regards. How are you?
" The children are fine, but my wife has a slight headache. She’s
lying on the sofa.
! My wife will come to see her this evening.
" Thank you very much. So, what made you think of us? ( LIT How
come you remembered us?)
! I thought ( LIT I told (myself )) I’d give you a ring to ask how you
are; meanwhile to suggest that we go to the cinema tonight if
you’re in the mood.
" It’s not a bad idea. I don’t have a plan for tonight, either. Where
shall we meet each other?
! 8 o’clock outside ( LIT in front of ) the Asia Cinema, is that OK?
" That’s excellent.
! Give my regards to your wife.
" By all means, you too.
! Certainly. Goodbye for now.
" Cheerio.
Vocabulary A
CB
bah-bah! 7OW (OW LOVELY
ajab SURPRISE
tarafh1 SIDES QUARTERS AREA
k1n1pe SOFA SETTEE
der1z ke2ide SHE IS LYING DOWN
der1z ke2idan (ke2) TO LIE DOWN
asr EARLY EVENING
mi1d SHE WILL COME
didan TO SEE SEEING
didane2 TO SEE HER
ceto(u)r 2od HOW COME lit HOW IT BECAME
y1d-e m1 kardi YOU REMEMBERED US
y1d-e . . . kardan (kon) TO REMEMBER
goftam ) TOLD MYSELF ) THOUGHT
zang bezanam FOR ME TO RING
beporsam FOR ME TO ASKENQUIRE
porsidan (pors) TO ASKENQUIRE
dar zemn MEANWHILE
pi2nah1d SUGGESTION PROPOSAL
pi2nah1d kardan (kon) TO SUGGEST
h1l MOOD
h1le2-o lit THE MOOD FOR IT
d12te b12i IF YOU HAVE
em2ab TONIGHT THIS EVENING
fekr THOUGHT IDEA
barn1me PLAN
hamdige EACH OTHER
bebinim FOR US TO SEE
didan (bin) TO SEE
1li EXCELLENT
qorb1net CHEERIO lit YOUR SACRIFICE

Long time no see/hear from!
4HE EXPRESSION ce ajab az in taraf(h)1! LITER

ALLY MEANS @7HAT A SURPRISE TO SEE YOU PASS THROUGH THESE QUARTERS
7E SAY THIS TO FRIENDS OR RELATIVES WHO VISIT OR PHONE US AFTER A LONG
GAP IN COMMUNICATION ! COMMON REPLY MIGHT BE
x1he2 mikonam. m1 ke hami2e moz1hemim.

0LEASE DONT SAY THIS 7ERE ALWAYS TROUBLING YOU FOR SURE
Note THE SPECIAL USE OF ke @WHICHTHATWHO USED HERE TO ADD

EMPHASIS )T PRODUCES AN EFFECT SIMILAR TO @SURELY OR @FOR SURE IN
%NGLISH
‘I’m sitting’ v. ‘I’m eating’
(ERE IS AN EXCITING PIECE OF GRAMMAR 6ERBS NEEDED
ne2astan (2in) TO SIT DOWN

xordan (xor) TO EAT
)N %NGLISH BOTH VERBS @TO SIT AND @TO EAT ARE USUALLY PUT IN THE PRESENT
CONTINUOUS FORM TO DESCRIBE A CURRENT SITUATION AS IN
A )M SITTING ON THE SETTEE

B )M EATING A SANDWICH
! PURELY GRAMMATICAL EQUIVALENT FOR A AND B IN 0ERSIAN WOULD BE
!
man d1ram ru-ye k1n1pe mi2inam.
"
man d1ram s1ndevic mixoram.
3EE 5$ FOR THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS
)N TERMS OF MEANING HOWEVER WHILE " IS AN ACCEPTABLE EQUIVALENT

! IS NOT 4HIS IS BECAUSE ! MEANS @)M IN THE PROCESS OF SITTING DOWN
IE THE ACT OF @SITTING HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED YET /NE EXPLANATION
IS THAT THE VERB ne2astan MEANS @TO SIT DOWN IE @TO GET INTO
A SEATED POSITION 4HUS WHEN IT IS PUT INTO A CONTINUOUS FORM IT
MEANS THE PERSON IS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THE ACTION 4O PRODUCE
THE EQUIVALENT OF @)M SITTING IN 0ERSIAN WE ACTUALLY SAY @) HAVE SAT
DOWN TO SHOW THAT THE ACT OF @SITTING HAS BEEN COMPLETED 3EE
5$ FOR PRESENT PERFECT TENSE #OMPARE
A man ne2asteam. col ne2astam)

)M SITTING lit )VE SAT DOWN
B man d1ram mi2inam.
)M SITTING DOWN IE )M IN THE PROCESS OF SITTING DOWN
4HERE ARE QUITE A FEW OTHER VERBS WHICH FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY !MONG
THEM ARE
ist1dan (ist) TO STAND UP

x1bidan (x1b) TO GO TO SLEEP
pu2idan (pu2) TO WEAR TO PUT ON
der1z ke2idan (ke2) TO LIE DOWN
%XAMPLES
rez1 x1bide (ast).

2EZA IS SLEEPING lit 2EZA HAS GONE TO SLEEP
.EGATIVE
rez1 nax1bide (ast).

2EZA ISNT SLEEPING lit 2EZA HAS NOT GONE TO SLEEP
!LTERNATIVELY WE CAN USE THE WORD x1b MEANING @ASLEEP
rez1 x1be. 2EZAS ASLEEP

rez1 x1b nist. 2EZA ISNT ASLEEP
(ERE IS A SENTENCE FROM THE PRECEDING DIALOGUE
ru k1n1pe der1z ke2ide.

3HES LYING ON THE SOFA
Exercise 5
Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
unh1 ken1r-e panjare ________. (ist1dan)

4HEY ARE STANDING BY THE WINDOW
bacceh1 ________. (x1bidan)

4HE CHILDREN ARE SLEEPING
behtarin leb1se2-o ________. (pu2idan)

(ES WEARING HIS BEST CLOTHES
ru-ye taxt ________. (der1z ke2idan)

)M LYING ON THE BED
koj1 ________? (ne2astan)

7HERE ARE YOU SITTING
How to say: ‘I was sitting on the settee.’
&OR THIS WE SAY THE EQUIVALENT OF @) HAD SAT ON THE SETTEE SEE PAST
PERFECT TENSE IN 5$ 4HUS
ru-ye k1n1pe ne2aste budam.
4HE NEGATIVE FORM IS
ru-ye k1n1pe nan(e)2aste budam.

) WAS NOT SITTING ON THE SETTEE lit ) HAD NOT SAT ON THE SETTEE
Exercise 6
Change the sentences in the previous exercise into the past tense.
Example:
unh1 ken1r-e panjare ist1de budand.

4HEY WERE STANDING BY THE WINDOW
Are you in the mood for . . . ?
(ERE IS THE EXPRESSION WE NEED
h1l-e . . . (r1) d12tan (d1r)

TO BE IN THE MOOD FOR TO FEEL LIKE DOING lit TO HAVE THE
MOOD FOR
4HIS EXPRESSION IS USED MOSTLY IN QUESTIONS OR NEGATIVES
emruz h1l-e futb1l (r1) nad1ram.

)M NOT IN THE MOOD FOR FOOTBALL TODAY
em2ab h1l-e raftan be sinem1 r1 nad1ram.

4ONIGHT )M NOT IN THE MOOD FOR GOING TO THE CINEMA
.OTE HOW WE CAN SAY THE SAME SENTENCE WITH THE VERB IN THE SUB
JUNCTIVE FORM
LITERARY
em2ab h1la2 r1 nad1ram be sinem1 beravam.
4ONIGHT )M NOT IN THE MOOD TO GO TO THE CINEMA
! COLLOQUIAL FORM FOR THE ABOVE SENTENCE IS
em2ab h1le2-o nad1ram beram sinem1.
)N THE PRECEDING DIALOGUE ! SAYS
age h1le2-o d12te b12i . . .

)F YOURE IN THE RIGHT MOOD FOR IT OR )F YOU FEEL LIKE IT
Exercise 7
h1le2-o d1ri em2ab berim konsert?
na, em2ab h1le2-o nad1ram. b12e fard1 2ab.
h1le2-o d1rid emruz ba`d-az-zohr berim 2en1?
How to say: ‘to go/come to see someone’
(ERE ARE THE PATTERNS
@SOMEONE
be didan-e @SOMEONE raftan (r) TO GO TO SEE @SOMEONE
@SOMEONE
be didan-e @SOMEONE umadan (1) TO COME TO SEE @SOMEONE
%XAMPLES
diruz be didan-e ali raftam.

9ESTERDAY ) WENT TO SEE !LI
diruz be didan-e u raftam.

9ESTERDAY ) WENT TO SEE HIM
diruz be didane2 raftam.

diruz raftam didane2.

diruz ali be didan-e man umad.

9ESTERDAY !LI CAME TO SEE ME
diruz ali be didanam umad.

diruz ali umad didanam.

-ORE COLLOQUIAL
-OST COLLOQUIAL
(ERE IS THE FORM USED IN THE ABOVE DIALOGUE
asr x1nomam mi1d didane2.

-Y WIFE WILL COME TO SEE HER THIS EVENING
4HIS IS A SHORTENED FORM FOR
asr x1nomam be didan-e u mi1d.
Exercise 8
Rewrite these sentences in colloquial form, as in the example. (For object
endings, see U8D1.)
diruz be didan-e u raftam. m diruz raftam didane2.

________
di2ab be didan-e man umad. m ________
,AST NIGHT HE CAME TO SEE ME
________
em2ab be didan-e unh1 miram. m ________
4ONIGHT )LL GO TO SEE THEM
________
fard1 be didan-e 2om1 mi1m. m ________
4OMORROW )LL COME TO SEE YOU
________
1xar-e hafte-ye 1yande be didan-e dusth1mun mirim. m
________
.EXT WEEKEND WELL GO TO SEE OUR FRIENDS
Exercise 9
(ES LYING ON THE BED AND WATCHING 46

)M WEARING MY 3UNDAY BEST 7HAT ARE YOU WEARING
0LEASE BE QUIET THE CHILDREN ARE SLEEPING
4HEY ARE STANDING BY THE FIRE AND DRINKING HOT CHOCOLATE
-Y BROTHER IS WATCHING 46 AND MY MOTHER IS SITTING BESIDE HIM
,AST WEEKEND MY )RANIAN FRIEND CAME TO SEE ME
9ESTERDAY ) WENT TO SEE MY UNCLE
$O YOU FEEL LIKE GOING TO THE THEATRE TONIGHT
$O YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR THIS EVENING
7HEN AND WHERE SHALL WE MEET

-ARJAN HAS JUST RECEIVED THIS LETTER FROM :AHRA
MARJÄN E AZIZ
SALÄM OMIDVÄRAM HÄL E TO VA XÄNEVÄDE XUB BÄÆAD XEILI MAMNUN AZ
HEDYE YE QAÆANGI KE BARÄYAM FERESTÄDI HEIF KE DAR JAÆN E TAVALLODAM
NABUDI JÄYAT XÄLI BUD MAN HAM SÄLGARD E EZDEVÄJAT RÄ BE TO VA
ÆOUHARAT TABRIK MIGUYAM AL{ÄN KE DÄRAM IN NÄME RÄ BARÄYAT MINEV
ISAM PARVIZ RU YE TAXT DERÄZ KEÆIDE VA BE MUSIQI GUÆ MIKONAD VA
SUDÄBE HAM KENÄR E MIZ ISTÄDE VA MARÄ MAN RÄ TAMÄÆÄ MIKONAD
MIDÄNAM KE BÄ DÄÆTAN E BACCE YE KUCEK HAMIÆE KAMBUD E VAQT
DÄRI VALI AGAR HÄL E NÄME NEVEÆTAN RÄ DÄÆTI XOÆ HÄL MIÆAVIM DASTXATT E
ZIBÄYAT RÄ BEBINIM PARVIZ VA SUDÄBE SALÄM MIRESÄNAND SALÄM E MAN
RÄ HAM BE ÆOUHARAT BERESÄN VA DOXTAR E QAÆANGAT RÄ HAM BEBUS BE
OMID E DIDÄR
ZAHRÄ n ÆAHRIVAR
)S THEIR RELATIONSHIP FORMALINFORMAL 0ROVIDE EVIDENCE

7HY IS :AHRA THANKING -ARJAN
7HAT REGRET IS SHE EXPRESSING
(OW DO WE KNOW :AHRA HAS HAD A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE
7HAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT -ARJANS FAMILY
7HAT IS :AHRA CONGRATULATING -ARJAN ON
7HO WAS WITH :AHRA WHEN SHE WAS WRITING THIS LETTER
7HAT WERE THEY DOING AT THE TIME
7HAT COMPLIMENT IS :AHRA PAYING -ARJAN
Unit Seventeen
kAr va zabAnhA-ye xAreji

Business and foreign languages

s ARRANGE A BUSINESS MEETING DATE AND TIME
s END A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION OR PERSONAL CALL POLITELY
s EXPRESS DISAGREEMENT
s USE THE )RANIAN CALENDAR WEEK MONTHS SEASONS
s TALK ABOUT THE SKILLS OR THINGS YOU CAN OR CANNOT DO
s SAY HOW LONG YOU HAVE BEEN DOING SOMETHING
Dialogue 1
A business appointment (CD2; 52)
-R !MIRIS SECRETARY ! RINGS -R +ARIMIS SECRETARY + TO ARRANGE A

MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO BUSINESS COUNTERPARTS
!
+
!
+
!
+
!
+
Unit 17: Business and foreign languages 299
!
+
!
+
!
+
! BEBAXÆID DAFTAR E ÄqÄ YE KARIMI

+ BALE MAN MONÆIÆUN HASTAM BEFARMÄYID
! SALÄM MAN AZ DAFTAR E ÄqÄ YE AMIRI TELEFON MIKONAM
+ SALÄM XÄNOM CE FARMÄYEÆI DÄRID
! ÄqÄ YE AMIRI MÄYEL BUDAND BÄ ÄqÄ YE KARIMI MOLÄqÄT KONAND
+ EJÄZE BEDID TAQVIMEÆUN O NEGÄH KONAM BARÄYE KEI MIXÄND
! HAR CE ZUDTAR BEHTAR TARJIHAN IN HAFTE
+ IN HAFTE KE QEIR E MOMKENE MOTA { ASSEFÄNE HAFTE YE ÄYANDE
CETOU RE
! CE RUZI
+ SE ÆANBE BIST O CAHÄR E FARVARDIN
! XUBE CE SÄ{ATI
+ SE TÄ CAHÄR E BA{D AZ ZOHR XUBE
! BALE XUBE XEILI MAMNUN
+ XÄHEÆ MIKONAM
! Excuse me, (is that) Mr Karimi’s office?

+ Yes, I’m his secretary. Please go ahead.
! Hello, I’m calling from Mr Amiri’s office.
+ Hello madam, what can I do for you?
! Mr Amiri would like to have a meeting with Mr Karimi.
+ Let me have a look in his diary. When does he want it for?
! The sooner the better. Preferably this week.
+ As far as this week is concerned, it is impossible, I’m afraid.
How about next week?
! What day?
+ Tuesday 24 Farvardin.
! That’s fine, what time?
+ Will 3 to 4 in the afternoon be OK?
! Yes, it’s fine. Much obliged.
+ You’re welcome.
300 Unit 17: kAr va zabAnhA-ye xAreji
A Vocabulary
CB
daftar OFFICE
mon2i SECRETARY
farm1ye2 BUSINESS lit COMMAND
m1yel INCLINED
mol1q1t MEETING
b1 . . . mol1q1t kardan TO MEET WITH
(kon)
ej1ze PERMISSION
ej1ze bedid ALLOW ME
ej1ze d1dan (d) TO ALLOWLET lit TO GIVE
PERMISSION
taqvim DIARY CALENDAR
neg1h konam FOR ME TO LOOK
neg1h kardan (kon) TO LOOK
kei WHEN
har-ce zudtar behtar THE SOONER THE BETTER
qeir-e-momken IMPOSSIBLE
farvardin &ARVARDIN FIRST MONTH IN
)RANIAN CALENDAR

What can I do for you?
&OR THE ABOVE EXPRESSION WE NORMALLY USE THE WORD farm1ye2

@COMMAND
farm1ye2i A COMMAND
ce farm1ye2i d1rid?
7HAT CAN ) DO FOR YOU
lit 7HAT A COMMAND DO YOU HAVE
!LSO NOTE THE FOLLOWING EXCHANGE WHICH IS USED IN FORMAL SITUATIONS WHEN
LEAVING SOMEONE LEAVE TAKING OR ENDING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
A xob, farm1ye2i nad1rid?

/+ DO YOU NOT HAVE ANY OTHER BUSINESS WITH ME
B arzi nad1ram, mot(a)2akkeram.
.O lit ) HAVE NO SUBMISSION TO MAKE THANK YOU
Important Note: A IS USED BY THE VISITOR OR CALLER !LSO MAKE SURE

THAT YOU DO NOT SWITCH SUBJECTS 7E ALWAYS USE A IN REFERENCE TO
OTHERS AND B IN REFERENCE TO OURSELVES
! MUCH LESS FORMAL EXCHANGE USED CASUALLY BETWEEN FRIENDS WOULD
BE
n
xob, b1 man (dige) k1ri nad1ri?
lit /+ DO YOU NOT HAVE ANY MORE BUSINESS WITH ME
n na, mersi. .O THANKS
Exercise 1
9OU HAVE BEEN TALKING TO A BUSINESS COUNTERPART ON THE PHONE
(OW DO YOU END THE CONVERSATION POLITELY
9OU HAVE BEEN VISITING AN )RANIAN PARTNER (OW DO YOU TAKE LEAVE
POLITELY
(OW WOULD YOU RESPOND IN EITHER OF THE ABOVE SITUATIONS
Special use of ke
4HE GENERIC MEANING OF ke IS @THAT @WHICH @WHO (OWEVER IN

THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES THE WORD ke MEANS @AS FAR AS THE STATED
PERSONTHING IS CONCERNED #ONSIDER THE DIFFERENCE CREATED BY THE
PRESENCE OF ke IN EXAMPLES B AND D BELOW
A
man b1 in pi2nah1d mox1lefam.
)M OPPOSED TO THIS PROPOSAL Or ) DISAGREE WITH
B
man ke b1 in pi2nah1d mox1lefam.
!S FAR AS )M CONCERNED )M OPPOSED TO THIS PROPOSAL
Or !S FOR ME ) DISAGREE WITH THIS PROPOSAL
C
in hafte qeir-e-momkene.
lit 4HIS WEEK IS IMPOSSIBLE
D
in hafte ke qeir-e-momkene.
!S FAR AS THIS WEEK IS CONCERNED ITS IMPOSSIBLE
%XAMPLE D ABOVE APPEARED IN $IALOGUE
Exercise 2
j1-ye m1 ke xube.
pul ke masàleyi nist.
3 man ke az mek1nik-e otomobil hicci nemidunam.
The Iranian calendar (CD2; 53)
4HE )RANIAN YEAR HAS DAYS AND NORMALLY BEGINS ON -ARCH )T
HAS MONTHS n HAVE DAYS EACH n HAVE DAYS EACH
MONTH HAS DAYS EXCEPT IN LEAP YEARS WHEN IT HAS DAYS (ERE
IS THE FULL LIST
bah1r SPRING farvardin &ARVARDIN

ordibehe2t /RDIBEHESHT
xord1d +HORDAD
t1best1n tir 4IR
SUMMER mord1d -ORDAD
2ahrivar 3HAHRIVAR
p1yiz AUTUMN mehr -EHR
1b1n !BAN
1zar !ZAR
zemest1n dei $EY
WINTER bahman "AHMAN
esfand %SFAND
-ARCH
3ATURDAY
3UNDAY 21
-ONDAY 22
4UESDAY 23
7EDNESDAY
4HURSDAY
&RIDAY
Exercise 3
9OU WANT TO VISIT )RAN NEXT SPRING #AN YOU IDENTIFY THE MONTHS
9OUR )RANIAN FRIEND IS VISITING YOU DURING THE SUMMER .AME THE
MONTHS
9OU WANT TO GO ON A SKIING HOLIDAY IN )RAN .AME THE MONTHS
3CHOOLS OPEN IN THE FIRST MONTH OF AUTUMN .AME THE MONTH
Exercise 4
%XCUSE ME IS THIS THE +OOROSH #OMPANY 9ES WHAT CAN ) DO

FOR YOU
7HERE ARE YOU PHONING FROM )M PHONING FROM )RAN
!S FOR ME ) KNOW NOTHING ABOUT COMPUTERS
)LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEKSUMMERSPRING
.EXT WINTER )M GOING TO )RAN TO SKI
,AST AUTUMN MY )RANIAN FRIEND CAME TO ,ONDON

)D LIKE TO MEET YOU 7HEN
4HE SOONER THE BETTER (OW ABOUT THIS AFTERNOON
4HATS EXCELLENT 7HAT TIME
)S PM ANY GOOD
4HATS FINE )LL SEE YOU AT THEN
Dialogue 2
A job interview (CD2; 54)
0ETER *ACKSON * IS ATTENDING A JOB INTERVIEW FOR A VACANCY WITH

AN )RANIAN COMPANY # IS THE INTERVIEWER
#
*
#
*
#
*
#
*
#
*
#
*
#
*
#
# CAND TÄ ZABÄN BALADID

* ENGELISI KE ZABÄN E MÄDARIME VA FARÄNSE KAMI HAM FÄRSI
BALADAM
# ÆEKASTE NAFSI MIKONID FÄRSITUN XEILI XUBE
* LOTF DÄRID
# CAND VAQTE KE FÄRSI MIXUNID
* RUYE HAM PANJ SÄLE KE FÄRSI YÄD MIGIRAM SE SÄL DAR LANDAN VA
DO SÄL HAM TU ÄMRIKÄ
# TÄ HÄLÄ TARJOME KARDE ID
* KETÄB TARJOME NAKARDE AM AMMÄ MOKÄTEBÄT E BÄZARGÄNI
TARJOME KARDE AM
# KODUM BARÄTUN RÄHATTARE TARJOME AZ FÄRSI BE ENGELISI YÄ
BEL{AKS
* ENGELISI BE FÄRSI BARÄM ÄSUNTARE MAXSUSAN AGE FARHANG E LOQAT
DAR DASTRAS NABÄÆE
# CERÄ MIXÄID BARÄYE IN ÆERKAT KÄR KONID
* BE DO DALIL AVVAL INKE BE KÄR E TARJOME ALÄQE DÄRAM DOVVOM
INKE DUST DÄRAM CAND SÄL DAR IRÄN ZENDEGI KONAM TÄ BÄ
FARHANG E IRÄN AZ NAZDIK ÄÆE NÄ BEÆAM
# XOB ÆOMÄ AGE SO{ÄLI DÄRID BEFARMÄYID
* BALE TU IN FORMI KE BE MAN DÄDID YEK JOMLE HAST KE NEMI
FAHMAM MOMKENE BARÄM BE ENGELISI TARJOME AÆ KONID LOTFAN
# SA{Y MIKONAM
# How many languages do you speak?

* English, which is my mother tongue, and French. I also know
a bit of Persian.
# You’re being modest. Your Persian is very good.
* That’s (very) kind of you.
# How long have you been studying Persian?
* I’ve been learning Persian for five years in total: three years in
London and also two years in America.
# Have you done (any) translation so far?
* I haven’t translated any books, but I have translated business
correspondence.
# Which is easier for you: translating from Persian into English or
vice versa?
* English into Persian is easier for me, particularly if a dictionary
is not available.
# Why do you want to work for this company?

* For two reasons: first, I’m interested in translation work.
Second, I’d like to live in Iran for a few years in order to get to
know Iranian culture from close quarters.
# Right, if you have any questions, please go ahead.
* Yes, in this form which you gave me, there is one sentence that
I don’t understand. Would you translate it into English for me,
please?
# I’ll try.
A Vocabulary
CB
zab1n LANGUAGE
zab1n-e m1dari MOTHER TONGUE
balad ABLE TO DO THE STATED
THING
f1rsi baladam ) CAN SPEAK 0ERSIAN
2ekaste-nafsi kardan TO BE MODEST
(kon) SELF DEPRECATE
cand vaqte HOW LONG IS IT
mixunid YOU ARE STUDYING
xundan (xun) TO STUDYREAD
ruye-ham IN TOTAL
panj s1le ke ITS FIVE YEARS THAT
y1d migiram )M LEARNING
y1d gereftan (gir) TO LEARN
tarjome TRANSLATION
tarjome kardan (kon) TO TRANSLATE
mok1teb1t CORRESPONDENCE
b1zarg1ni COMMERCIAL BUSINESS
bar1tun FOR YOU
r1hat EASY COMFORTABLE
belàks VICE VERSA
bar1m FOR ME
1sun EASY
maxsusan PARTICULARLY
farhang-e loqat DICTIONARY
dar dastras AVAILABLE
dalil REASON
al1qe INTEREST
be . . . al1qe d12tan TO BE INTERESTED IN
(d1r) lit TO HAVE INTEREST
IN
zendegi LIFE
zendegi kardan (kon) TO LIVE
t1 IN ORDER TO
farhang CULTURE
az nazdik lit FROM NEARCLOSE FROM
CLOSE QUARTERS
12(e)n1 FAMILIAR
b1 . . . 12(e)n1 2odan TO GET TO KNOW lit TO
(2) BECOME FAMILIAR WITH
jomle SENTENCE
nemifahmam ) DONT UNDERSTAND
fahmidan (fahm) TO UNDERSTAND
sa`y mikonam )LL TRY

How to say: ‘Can you do X?’
4HE KEY WORD USED IS balad WHICH MEANS @ABLE TO DO THE STATED
THING )T IS USED WITH THE VERB @TO BE OR @TO BECOME
man balad hastam. ) CAN DO
man tenis balad hastam.

) CAN PLAY TENNIS lit ) AM ABLE TO DOPLAY TENNIS
man tenis baladam.

2EDUCED ) CAN PLAY TENNIS
.EGATIVE FORMS
man tenis balad nistam.

) CANT PLAY TENNIS
man ham hanuz xub balad na2od(e)am.

) HAVENT YET LEARNED IT PROPERLY EITHER
3INCE THIS IS A HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE PATTERN LET US ASSUME THAT WE CAN

ALL PLAY TENNIS
man tenis baladam. ) CAN PLAY TENNIS

to tenis baladi. 9OU inf CAN PLAY
TENNIS
u tenis balade. (ESHE CAN PLAY
TENNIS
m1 tenis baladim. 7E CAN PLAY TENNIS
2om1 tenis baladid. 9OU CAN PLAY TENNIS
unh1 tenis baladand. 4HEY CAN PLAY TENNIS
-ORE EXAMPLES
pi1no baladid? #AN YOU PLAY THE

PIANO
2en1 baladid? #AN YOU SWIM
r1nandegi baladid? #AN YOU DRIVE
asb-sav1ri baladid? #AN YOU DO HORSE
RIDING
na, asb-sav1ri balad nistam.

.O ) CANT DO HORSE RIDING
amm1 docarxe-sav1ri baladam.

"UT ) CAN DO CYCLING
engelisi baladid? #AN YOU SPEAK %NGLISH

f1rsi baladid? #AN YOU SPEAK 0ERSIAN
albatte, xeili xub baladam!

/F COURSE ) KNOW IT VERY WELL
Exercise 5
At a store in Tehran, you have been asked to fill in a form. Ask an
Iranian:
)F HESHE SPEAKS %NGLISH
)F HESHE CAN TRANSLATE A SENTENCE THAT YOU DONT UNDERSTAND
Exercise 6
man badminton xub baladam.
2om1 violon baladid?
bar1daram 2en1 xub balade.
m1 f1rsi xub baladim.
2om1 r1nandegi baladid?
man asb-sav1ri xub balad nistam.
pedaram mek1nik-e otomobil kami balade.
How to say: ‘I’ve been learning Persian for

5 years.’
,ITERALLY WE SAY THE EQUIVALENT OF @)T IS FIVE YEARS THAT ) AM LEARNING
0ERSIAN 3EE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE IN 5$ 4HUS
panj s1le (ke) f1rsi mixunam.
)VE BEEN STUDYINGLEARNING 0ERSIAN FOR lVE YEARS
4HE WORD ke @THAT IS OFTEN DROPPED IN COLLOQUIAL 0ERSIAN 4O
EMPHASISE THE LENGTH OF TIME SOMETHING HAS BEEN GOING ON WE USE
THE VERB d12tan (d1r) @TO HAVE AS AN AUXILIARY VERB
se s1le (ke) d1re akk1si mixune.

(ES BEEN LEARNING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THREE LONG YEARS
0ERHAPS SUGGESTING THAT @(E STILL CANT TAKE A GOOD PICTURE
4HE VERB xundan (xun) ALSO MEANS @TO SING AS IN
cah1r s1àte (ke) d1re mixune!

(ES BEEN SINGING FOR FOUR HOURS NON STOP 3UGGESTING
ADMIRATION OR BOREDOM
!LSO NOTE THESE FORMS EXPLANATIONS GIVEN IN 5$ MAY SHED SOME
LIGHT ON EXAMPLES AnC
A
yek s1àte ke inj1 ne2ast(e)am.
)VE BEEN SITTING HERE FOR AN HOUR
B
do s1àte ke inj1 ist1d(e)am.
)VE BEEN STANDING HERE FOR TWO HOURS
C
dah s1àte ke x1be.
(ES BEEN SLEEPINGASLEEP FOR TEN HOURS
D
se s1àte ke montazere.
(ES BEEN WAITING FOR THREE HOURS
E
cand vaqte ke inj1yid?
(OW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE
Exercise 7
Match a letter with a number.
se s1le ke inj1yim. ; D =
panj s1àte ke x1be. ; =
do s1àte ke montazerim. ; =

cah1r s1le ke d1ri 1lm1ni mixuni. ; =

dah s1le ke tu landan zendegi mikonim. ; =

se s1àte ke inj1 ne2ast(e)am. ; =

do s1àte ke inj1 ist1d(e)am. ; =
A )VE BEEN STANDING HERE FOR TWO HOURS

B 7EVE BEEN LIVING IN ,ONDON FOR TEN YEARS
C (ES BEEN SLEEPING FOR FIVE HOURS
D 7EVE BEEN HERE FOR THREE YEARS
E 7EVE BEEN WAITING FOR TWO HOURS
F )VE BEEN SITTING HERE FOR THREE HOURS
G 9OUVE BEEN LEARNING 'ERMAN FOR FOUR YEARS
Exercise 8
Read Dialogue 2 above and answer these questions. ( Try not to look
at the English translations!)
#AN YOU SPOT AN INSTANCE OF MODESTY OR UNDERSTATEMENT

7HO IS COMPLIMENTING WHOM AND ON WHAT
#AN YOU IDENTIFY AN EXAMPLE OF IRONY
7HAT DOES * SAY WHICH GOES AGAINST THE ACCEPTED NORMS IN
TRANSLATION
(OW DOES HE QUALIFY THIS
Exercise 9
#AN YOU SPEAK 3PANISH .O ) CAN SPEAK &RENCH

#AN HE PLAY THE PIANO 9ES HES A GOOD PIANIST
#AN YOU RIDE A MOTORBIKE .O BUT ) CAN RIDE A BICYCLE
#AN YOU TRANSLATE THIS SENTENCE INTO %NGLISH0ERSIAN FOR ME
PLEASE
(OW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN STANDING HERE
(OW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SITTING HERE
(OW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WAITING
(OW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN LEARNING %NGLISH
(OW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING IN %NGLAND
(OW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING FOR THIS COMPANY
) HAVE BEEN LEARNING 0ERSIAN FOR TWO YEARS
(AFEZ 4OMB 3HIRAZ 0HOTOGRAPH BY $ONAL /,EARY

&OLLOWING THE INTERVIEW IN $IALOGUE ABOVE 0ETER *ACKSON

RECEIVED THIS LETTER FROM THE )RANIAN COMPANY
INFO HAAFEZCHAAPCOM
ENTEÆÄRÄT E HÄFEZ
TEHRÄN XIÄBÄN E HÄFEZ PELÄK E
TELEFON FAKS
IMEIL INFO HAAFEZCHAAPCOM
TÄRIX ÄBÄN
JENÄB E ÄqÄ YE JAKSON
BÄ SALÄM VA TAÆAKKOR AZ INKE DAR MOSÄHEBE YE RUZ E ÆANBE
PÄNZDAH E ÄBÄN E HEZÄR O SISAD O HAÆTÄD O NOH ÆERKAT KARDID AZ
ÆOMÄ DA{VAT MIÆAVAD DAR RUZ E ÆANBE BIST O NOH E ÄBÄN E HEZÄR O
SISAD O HAÆTÄD O NOH SÄ{AT E HAÆT O NIM E SOBH BE DAFTAR E IN ÆERKAT
MORÄJE{E FARMÄYID MODIR E ÆERKAT MÄYEL AST BÄ ÆOMÄ DAR BÄRE YE
JOZ{IYÄT E KÄR MIZÄN E HOQUQ VA SÄYER E ÆARÄYET E ESTEXDÄM MOZÄKERE
KONAD
AGAR VAQT E PIÆNAHÄDI BARÄYE ÆOMÄ MONÄSEB NIST LOTFAN HAR CE
ZUDTAR BÄ ÆOMÄRE YE TELEFON YÄ IMEIL E FOUQ TAMÄS BEGIRID VA MOUZU{
RÄ BE MONÆI E ÆERKAT ETTELÄ{ DAHID DAR ZEMN FORM E PEIVAST RÄ POR
KONID VA HADD E AKSAR TÄ TÄRIX E BIST O ÆEÆ E ÄBÄN E HEZÄR O SISAD O
HAÆTÄD O NOH BE ÄDRES E IN ÆERKAT ERSÄL FARMÄYID
ERÄDATMAND
EHSÄN E JA{FARI
7HEN WAS * INTERVIEWED

(OW LONG AFTER THE INTERVIEW WAS THIS LETTER WRITTEN
7HAT IS THE WRITER ASKING * TO DO AND WHY
7HAT OPTION IS THE WRITER GIVING *
)F * DECIDES TO CHOOSE A DIFFERENT OPTION HOW CAN HE INFORM THE
WRITER
7HAT DEADLINE IS GIVEN AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT
Key to the exercises
Also included are:
(a) An English translation of the Listening Comprehension piece at

the end of each lesson.
(b) Answers to the reading exercise matching the English-Persian
equivalents on pp. xxxvi–xxxvii.
Unit 1
Exercise 1
1b, 2c, 3a, 4f, 5d, 6e
Exercise 2
1 ruz be-xeir 2 asr be-xeir 3
safar be-xeir 4 zohr be-xeir
Exercise 3
man xo2-h1l hastam. I am happy.
to xo2-h1l hasti. You (inf ) are happy.
u xo2-h1l ast. He/She is happy.
1n xo2-h1l ast. It/ That is happy.
m1 xo2-h1l hastim. We are happy.
2om1 xo2-h1l hastid. You are happy.
1nh1 xo2-h1l hastand. They are happy.
Exercise 4
1
sal1m 1q1. man piter ber1wn hastam.
316 Key to the exercises
2
1h1 bale, in peiq1m bar1ye 2om1st.
3
in hedye bar1ye 2om1st.
4
in hedye bar1ye 1q1-ye ahmadi ast.
5
in baste bar1ye x1nom-e ahmadi ast.
6
i2un x1nom-e ahmadi hastand.
7
i2un 1q1-ye k1mr1n hastand.
8
2om1 x1nom-e j1nson hastid?
Comprehension
A: Hello sir.
B: Hello madam. Good afternoon. What can I do for you?
A: Good afternoon. (Please) forgive me, are you Mr Kamran?
B: Yes, what can I do for you?
A: I am Ahmadi.
B: Ah yes, Ms Ahmadi, this ticket is for you. This message is also
for you.
A: Thanks very much.
B: Have a good journey.
A: Thanks. Goodbye.
B: Goodbye.
1 Late afternoon 2 If B is Mr Kamran 3 Ms Ahmadi 4 A ticket and a

message 5 A good journey for A
Unit 2
Exercise 1
(man) xo2-h1lam. I’m happy.
(to) xo2-h1li. You’re happy. (sing, inf )
(u) xo2-h1le. He/She’s happy.
(un) xo2-h1le. It/That’s happy.

(m1) xo2-h1lim. We’re happy.
(2om1) xo2-h1lid. You’re happy. ( pl/f )
(unh1) xo2-h1land. They’re happy.
Exercise 2
1 nistam 2 nistim 3 nisti 4 nistand
5 nistid 6 nist
Exercise 3
1 cetouri?
bad nistam, mersi.
2 cetourid?
yek kam xast(e)am.
3 m1m1n/b1b1 cetourand?
xuband, mersi.
4 x1nev1de cetourand?
xuband, mersi.
5 parviz cetoure?
xube, mersi.
6 (2om1) xubid?
xubam, mersi.
7 xasteyid?
na, nistam. yek kam gorosn(e)am.
Exercise 4
1 m12in-e man 2 telefon-e man 3 esm-e
u 4 1p1rtem1n-e m1 5 k1mpiuter-e
unh1
Exercise 5
1 film-e bad 2 b1b1-ye xub 3
m12in-e me2ki 4 mu-ye bur 5 leb1s-e 2ik
6 bu-ye xub 7 mu-ye boland 8
xune-ye bozorg
Exercise 6
1 m12inam 2 telefonam 3 esme2
4 1p1rtem1nemun 5 k1mpiutere2un
Exercise 7
1 man ham hamin-tour 2
m1 ham hamin-tour 3 piter ham hamin-tour
4 man ham hamin-tour 5
u ham hamin-tour 6 man ham hamin-tour
7 m1 ham hamin-tour 8
man ham hamin-tour
Exercise 8
1 esmetun 2 1drese2 3 melliyate2un
4 t1rix-e tavallodetun 5
2om1re(-ye) telefonetun
Exercise 9
1 m1daretun cetourand?
xuband, mersi 2 k1retun cie? doktoram
3 1p1rtem1netun qa2ange mamnun
4 in kie? un bar1darame 5 un
cie? n1h1rame 6 m12inetun koj1st?
inj1st. m1l-e 2om1 koj1st?
7 in m12in m1l-e kie? m1l-e mane.
Comprehension
A: Hello. I am Ahmad Kazemi.
B: Hello, how’re you?
A: I’m fine, thanks. How’re you?
B: I’m not bad, thanks. Where are you?
A: London.
B: Which hotel?
A: Tehran Hotel.
B: Are you alone?
A: No, my father, mother, sister and brother are also here.
B: Where’s your hotel?

A: Regent Street. Near Oxford Circus.
B: How’s the hotel?
A: It’s not bad. It’s small but nice.
1 London 2 Father, mother, sister and brother 3 Tehran Hotel 4 Regent

Street, near Oxford Circus 5 Small but nice/pretty
Unit 3
Exercise 1
1 tehr1ni 2 landani 3 p1risi
4 ma2hadi 5 esfah1ni 6 it1li1yi
Exercise 2
1 2om1 ir1ni hastid? 2
2om1 motaàhhel hastid? 3 mahall-e tav-
allodetun koj1st? 4 mahall-e k1retun koj1st?
5 x1nometun/2ouharetun koj1yi
hastand? 6 sargarmih1tun cie?
Exercise 3
1 1p1rtem1nh1 2 m12inh1 3
ruzn1meh1 4 ir1ni1n/ ir1nih1 5 dust1n/
dusth1 6 xo2-ruy1n/ xo2-ruh1.
Exercise 4
1 2om1 koj1yi hastid? 2
man landani/mancesteri hastam 3
man it1li1yi/1lm1ni/esp1ni1yi/far1nsavi
hastam 4 mahall-e tavallo-
dam landan/p1ris/niu-york ast 5
sargarmih1m musiqi o mot1leè ast 6 s1àtam
s1xt-e 31pone.
Exercise 5
1c, 2a, 3f, 4b, 5d, 6e
Exercise 6
1 man telefon nad1ram 2 to
belit nad1ri 3 u bist o panj s1l nad1re
4 m1 ot1q-e x1li nad1rim 5
2om1 vaqt nad1rid 6 unh1 pul nad1rand
Exercise 7
1 m12in-e/hay1t-e/xune-ye
qa2angi d1rid 2 lotf d1rid 3
bebax2id, vaqt nad1ram 4 cand s1l d1re?
si s1l d1re 5 i2un dustam
piter hastand i2un engelisi hastand
i2un m1daram hastand 6
xo2vaqtam man ham hamin-tour
7 cand t1 dust-e ir1ni d1rid?
8 panj t1 dust-e ir1ni d1ram
Comprehension
Hello. I am Parviz Alizadeh. I am married. My wife is an English teacher.
We are Muslim(s). My place of birth is Mashhad. I am a (civil) servant. I
am 35 years old. My wife is 31 years old. Her place of birth is America
but her nationality is Iranian. My hobby is cinema and my wife’s hobby
is painting. We have a small but pretty flat /apartment in Tehran.
1 Parviz Alizadeh 2 He is a civil servant (office worker) 3 Mashhad

4 English teacher 5 America 6 Iranian 7 Islam 8 He is 35; she is 31
9 He likes cinema; she paints 10 A flat in Tehran 11 Pretty/nice
Unit 4
Exercise 1
1 2anbe, ahmad be landan umad
2 yek-2anbe, be superm1rket
raftim 3 do-2anbe, be yek

restur1n-e ir1ni raftim 4
se-2anbe, man be yek ja2n-e tavallod raftam.
ahmad nayumad 5 cah1r-2anbe,
be estaxr-e 2en1 raftim 6
panj-2anbe, ahmad be ir1n raft 7
jomè, pedar o m1daram be xuneam umadand
Exercise. 2
1 2anbe, ahmad umad landan
2 yek-2anbe, raftim superm1rket
3 do-2anbe, raftim yek
restur1n-e ir1ni 4
se-2anbe, man raftam yek ja2n-e tavallod. ahmad nayumad
5 cah1r-2anbe, raftim estaxr-e
2en1 6 panj-2anbe, ahmad raft ir1n
7 jomè, pedar o m1daram
umadand xuneam
Exercise 3
1 m1 diruz b1 metro be landan raftim
We went to London by metro yesterday 2
2om1 emruz dir be kel1s umadid You came to class late
today 3 unh1 ruz-e
se-2anbe b1 hav1peim1 be ir1n raftand They went to Iran by airplane
on Tuesday 4 man ruz-e
2anbe b1 x1nomam be superm1rket raftam I went to the super-
market with my wife on Saturday 5
u ruz-e yek-2anbe b1 2ouhare2 be manzel-e m1 umad
She came to our house with her husband on Sunday.
Exercise 4
1 man diruz dar restur1n n1h1r
xordam 2 man diruz dar ket1bx-
une ket1b xundam 3 man di2ab
dar sinem1 yek film didam 4
man emruz sar-e k1r yek s1ndevic xordam 5
man emruz dar manzel qaz1-ye ir1ni

poxtam 6
man emruz ba`d-az-zohr yek barn1me-ye xub dar televizion
didam 7 1xar-e hafte ce-k1r kardid?
8 hicci! tamum-e ruz x1bidam!
xaste budam 9 ruz-e jomè be yek
ja2n-e tavallod raftam 10 xo2
goza2t – j1tun x1li bud!
Exercise 5
1 Yes 2 No 3 No 4 Yes 5 Yes 6 No 7 No 8 No 9 Yes 10 Yes
Exercise 6
1 Needed 2 Not needed 3 Needed 4 Not needed 5 Needed
6 Needed
Exercise 7
1 man jeimz r1 didam 2
yek nu2idani bar1ye u xaridam 3
bar1ye suz1n yek s1ndevic va yek
keik xaridam 4 u s1ndevic r1 xord
5 amm1 keik r1 naxord 6 be
u neg1h kardam 7 ... be u goftam . . .
8 man s1àt-e ha2t 21m xordam
9 man s1àt-e ha2t 21mam r1
xordam 10 man unh1 r1 da`vat
nakardam.
Exercise 8
1 ta`til1t xo2 goza2t? 2
bale, j1tun x1li bud! 3 ta`rifi nad12t! 4
k1r-e x1ssi nakardim 5
tu xune mundim o b1run-o tam121 kardim! 6
1xar-e hafte-ye 2om1 cetour bud? 7
2anbe, k1r kardam 8 yek-2anbe,
raftam xune-ye dustam 9 qaz1-ye ir1ni

xordim 10 man poxtam! 11
yek film-e ir1ni tam121 kardim 12 taxte-nard
b1zi kardim 13 do-2anbe, pedar
o m1daram umadand xune-am 14 b1-ham
n1h1r xordim 15 pedaram zarfh1-ro 2ost!
Comprehension
On Saturday evening I went to the birthday party of my friend Mahnaz.
You should have been there, we had a very good time. Her home is
not very far, but I went by bus because it was cold. She had fifty
guests! The food was excellent! It was her mother’s cooking (cuisine).
Her husband washed the dishes. I made (some) tea. We had the tea
with (some) cake. We had (some) ice cream, too. After dinner, we
saw/watched a comedy film. We laughed a lot. Then we listened to
Iranian music and danced. Then we gave the presents to Mahnaz.
She became very happy.
1 She went to a friend’s house 2 Saturday evening 3 Birthday party/

celebration 4 Simin’s friend 5 She says: ‘Wish you were there.’ 6 By
bus; it was cold 7 Fifty guests 8 Excellent 9 Mahnaz’s mother
10 Mahnaz’s husband washed them 11 She made tea 12 Tea, cake,
ice cream 13 They watched a comedy film 14 They listened and
danced to it 15 She got presents
Unit 5
Exercise 1
1 ru-ye 2 zir-e 3 d1xel-e 4 pahlu-ye 5
ru-be-ru-ye 6 jelo-ye 7 po2t-e 8 b1l1-ye 9
ken1r-e 10 dar taraf-e r1st-e
Exercise 2
(a) avval (b) dovvom (c) sevvom (d) nohom
(e) si o yekom (f ) haft1dom
Exercise 3
engelest1n, landan, kod-e posti-e ‘es d1belyu yek’, xi1b1n-e d1wn-

ing, pel1k-e dah
Exercise 4
1 miram 2 mixorim 3 mizane 4
mixunim 5 mikoni 6 cek mikonam 7
k1r mikonam 8 2en1 mikone 9 tam121
mikonand
Exercise 5
1 haft1d o yek, sefr,
bist o 2e2, ha2t1d o se 2 si o cah1r,
sizdah, punsad o noh 3
cehel o cah1r, panj1h o panj, do sefr, do 4
haftsad o ha2t1d o panj, si o cah1r, dav1-
zdah 5 haftsad o
ha2t1d o noh, sefr, 2e2sad o si o panj 6
punsad o se, 2ast o haft, navad o haft.
Exercise 6
1 1dres-e ahmad cie?
tehr1n, kod-e posti-e sad o 2ast o se,
haft1d o do, xi1b1n-e h1fez, pel1k-e bist o cah1r 2
fandak d1rid? bale, amm1 xar1be,
motaàssef1ne 3 1p1rtem1ne-
tun (dar) kodum tabaqe ast? tabaqe-ye cah1rom
4 s1ndevicam koj1st?
ru-ye miz, tu-ye 12pazxune ast 5
postxune ru-be-ru-ye pomp-e benzin, pahlu-ye
sinem1st 6 qalametun zir-e sandalie 7
birun-e sinem1 u r1 didam 8
nemidune koj1 hastim 9 midunand inj1
hastim? 10 midunid kie? 11
midunid in cie? 12 2anbeh1/

yek-2anbeh1 ce-k1r mikonid? 13 miram xarid.
Exercise 7
1 mi1id 2 mi1m 3 mi1d 4 mi1im 5
mi1nd 6 mi1m 7 mi1nd 8 mi1d
Exercise 8
1 kucektar 2 az 3 bozorgtar 4 zib1tar
5 behtar
Exercise 9
1 badtarin film 2 geruntarin m12in
3 arzuntarin 1p1rtem1n 4
bozorgtarin 2ahr 5 javuntarin zan 6
mosentarin mard 7 behtarin film 8 behtarin
qaz1
Exercise 10
1 x1har-e kucektar d1rid? 2
man se s1l az bar1daram bozorgtaram 3
2om1 bozorgtarin ozv-e x1nev1de
hastid? 4 pedaram do s1l az am-
meam bozorgtare 5
be nazar-e man, behtarin qaz1-ye ir1ni celou-kab1b ast
6 nazdiktarin restur1n-e ir1ni
koj1st? 7 m1 m1hi do
y1 se b1r be in restur1n mi1im 8
2om1 zi1d be in restur1n mi1id? 9
in bozorgtarin superm1rket tu in 2ahre 10
man televizion tam121 nemikonam 11
man (be) r1diou gu2 mikonam 12
2om1 har-ruz mi1id inj1? 13
unh1 har s1l nemi1nd engelest1n 14
unh1 har do s1l yek b1r mi1nd inj1 15
jomèh1 dir mi1im xune 16
t1bestun be kel1s-e f1rsi nemi1im.
Comprehension
We have a house in the west of Shiraz. Our address is this:
Shiraz, Post Code 18248, Sa`di Street, Narges Alleyway, No. 15,
Residence of Hoseini.
Opposite our alleyway there is a petrol station. On the right side of
the alleyway there is a pizza shop. On the left side of the alleyway
there is a bakery. In front of our house there is a post box. Inside the
alleyway, the fourth door on the left is our home.
Our house is not very big but my room is the largest room in our
home. My sister’s room is smaller but prettier than mine. She has
many pictures and posters in her room. I only have one big poster
of Shajarian in my room. In my opinion he is the best singer in Iran.
I listen to his songs every night. Every three or four years he performs
a concert in Shiraz. My paternal aunt and maternal uncle live in
Esfahan. They come to Shiraz to see Shajarian and hear his voice.
My cousin (maternal uncle’s son) plays the tÈr in his orchestra. We
have a very good time – wish you could be there!
1 West 2 House 3 Shiraz, Post Code 18248, Sa`di Street, Narges

Alleyway, No. 15, Residence of Hoseini 4 Petrol station 5 On the right
of the alleyway 6 Bakery 7 In front of their house 8 On the left side
9 Not very big 10 The writer/speaker 11 Her sister’s room is smaller
but prettier than hers 12 Many pictures and posters in her sister’s
room; only one big poster in her own room 13 Shajarian is the best
singer in Iran 14 Songs by Shajarian 15 Shajarian performs a concert
in Shiraz 16 Her aunt and uncle live there 17 Her aunt and uncle
come to Shiraz to see and listen to Shajarian 18 Her cousin (son of
her maternal uncle) 19 The tÈr 20 She wishes we could be there!
Unit 6
Exercise 1
1 mikonid 2 mimunam; tam121
mikonam 3 miram 4 safar mikonid 5
safar mikonid 6 eq1mat mikonid 7
mimunid 8 bar migardid
Exercise 2
1 b1 man mi1id? 2 b1 2om1 mi1m
3 u b1 m1 mi1d 4 m1 b1 2om1 mi1im
5 unh1 b1 man mi1nd 6
fard1 mi1m daftaretun 7
1xar-e hafte-ye 1yande be mehmunim mi1id?
Exercise 3
1 (3d), 2 (1g), 3 (6b), 4 (1c), 5 (5f), 6 (2e), 7 (4a)
Exercise 4
1 man d1ram sup mixoram. I’m eating
soup 2 m1 d1rim futb1l b1zi mikonim.
We’re playing football 3 unh1 d1rand
2en1 mikonand. They’re swimming 4
d1ram be r1dio gu2 mikonam. I’m listening to the radio
5 moàllem d1re f1rsi dars mide. The
teacher is teaching Persian 6 ki d1re pi1no
mizane? Who is playing the piano? 7
d1rim 21m dorost mikonim. We’re making dinner 8
d1rid imeilh1tun-o cek mikonid? Are you checking
your emails? 9 d1ram zarfh1-ro mi2uram.
I’m washing the dishes 10 x1haram
d1re ruzn1me mixune. My sister is reading a newspaper.
Exercise 5
1 cand vaqt inj1 mimunid? 2
yek m1h inj1 mimunam 3 koj1
eq1mat mikonid? 4 yek 1p1rtem1n ej1re
mikonam 5 al1n d1rid ce-k1r mikonid?
6 d1ram be axb1r gu2 mikonam 7
d1ram ruzn1me mixunam 8
in 1xar-e hafte ce-k1r mikonid? 9
hicci. tu xune mimunam 10 s1l-e 1yande
miram ir1n 11 d1re be 2om1 neg1h mikone
12 d1rid n1me minevisid? 13
d1rand miraqsand 14 d1ram belit/leb1s

mixaram 15 d1ram bar1ye s1l-e
nou xarid mikonam 16 mahn1z
d1re pesare2-o be madrese mibare.
Exercise 6
1 be2inid 2 bebandid 3 bezanid 4 begid
5 bedid 6 berid 7 borou 8 2id 9 bi1id
10 bi1rid 11 b1z kon 12 sabr konid.
Exercise 7
1 na2inid 2 nabandid 3 nazanid 4 nagid
5 nadid 6 narid 7 narou 8 na2id 9 nay1id
10 nay1rid 11 b1z nakon 12 sabr
nakonid.
Exercise 8
1 inj1 mi2inid, lotfan? 2
panjara-ro mibandi, lotfan? 3 kami
violon mizanid, lotfan? 4 esmetun-o migid,
lotfan? 5 2om1re telefonetun-o midid,
lotfan? 6 mirid ot1q-e dah, lotfan? 7
miri birun, lotfan? 8 boland mi2id,
lotfan? 9 mi1id inj1, lotfan? 10
kami 1b mi1rid, lotfan? 11 dar-o b1z
mikoni, lotfan? 12 yek lahze sabr
mikonid, lotfan?
Exercise 9
1 Shall we eat dinner? 2 Let’s go to a restaurant tonight 3 Which
restaurant shall we go to? 4 Shall I turn on the TV? 5 Let’s see what’s
on TV (lit what the TV has) 6 Now let’s watch TV for a little while
7 Shall I turn off the TV? 8 Now let’s sit down and see what granddad
is saying 9 Now let’s go to sleep.
Exercise 10
1 mive boxor 2 bi1 pahlu-ye man
be2in 3 lotfan s1l1d-o/namakdun-o
bede 4 lotfan yek kam 1b bi1r 5
lotfan dar-o/panjara-ro beband/b1z kon
6 lotfan c1i dorost kon 7
lotfan cer1q-o rou2an/x1mu2 kon 8
ket1bet-o bard1r 9 qalamet-o bez1r tu jibet 10
bex1b! 11 bid1r 2ou!
Exercise 11
1 s1ndevicetun-o koj1 bez1ram? 2
bi1rid inj1, lotfan 3 az ir1n
souq1ti mi1rid? 4 tu ja2n-e taval-
lodam git1r mizanid? 5 un sib-o naxorid
– xar1be 6 m1yonez-o midid, lotfan? 7
1xar-e hafte-ye goza2te ce-k1r
kardi? begu! 8 be mehmuni2 narou 9
21m ci boxorim? 10 be ahmad nagu 11
be harfe2 gu2 nakon 12
ce2mh1t-o beband/b1z kon 13 mehmuni
xo2 begzare 14
1xar-e hafte xo2 begzare. mamnun, 2om1 ham hamin-tour 15
man o pedaram
t1bestun-e 1yande mirim ir1n. xo2 begzare 16
ba`d-az-zohr berim superm1rket? 17 cand
nafarid? 18 cah1r nafarim:
man o x1nomam va do t1 bacce 19
lotfan bi1id xunamun va bacceh1tun-o ham bi1rid
20 lotfan negar1n nab12id 21
lotfan cand lahze sabr konid, zud bar
migardam xune 22 21metun-o bi1ram? 23
kodum film-o bebinim? 24
lotfan dige be inj1 nay1id!
Comprehension
J: Where shall I put this suitcace?
D: Put it in the boot (rear trunk). . . . OK, where are you going?
J: Ferdowsi Hotel, please. Do you know where it is?
D: Yes. . . . Where are you from?
J: Australia.
D: How long will you stay in Iran?
J: Two weeks. . . . Please stop right here in front of the
supermarket.
D: By all means, here you are.
J: Much obliged. How much did it come to?
D: A thousand tumans.
J: Here you are.
D: Thanks. Have a good time.
1 Where to put his suitcase. In the boot 2 D already knows where it

is 3 Australia 4 Two weeks 5 In front of the supermarket 6 A thousand
tumans 7 Have a good time.
Unit 7
Exercise 1
1 berid 2 berim 3 be2inam 4 bebandam
5 b1z konam 6 b12id 7 bedune 8 bebini
9 d12te b12am 10 nad12te b12e 11
b12e 12 nab12e
Exercise 2
1 emruz b1yad ahmad-o bebinam 2
em2ab behtare 21m naxoram 3
b1yad telefon d12te b12e 4
momkene m12in nad12te b12and 5
21yad pul-e xord d12te b12am 6 mom-
kene 1drese2-o d12te b12am 7 2om1 nab1-
yad negar1n b12id 8 unh1 momkene
dar manzel nab12and 9 fard1 21yad hav1
behtar be2e.
Exercise 3
1 bi1m 2 bi1id 3 bi1d 4 bi1im 5 bi1nd
Exercise 4
1 mitunam axb1r-o bebinam?
x1he2 mikonam 2
in film-o hamin al`1n b1yad bebini? na, mitunam fard1
bebinam 3 behtare inj1 na2inim 4
21yad 2om1re telefone2-o/1drese2-o
d12te b12am 5 b1yad sabr d12te b12id
6 b1yad xeili xo2-h1l b12id
Exercise 5
1 be 2 az 3 az 4 az 5 b1; be
Exercise 6
1 dastet dard nakone 2 saret dard
nakone
Exercise 7
1 I want to book a double room with a shower, please 2 We want a

four-star hotel 3 Preferably it should be in the town centre 4 How
much is this room per night? 5 Does this price include lunch, too?
Exercise 8
1 yek ot1q-e yek-
nafare b1 du2 bar1ye do hafte mix1m 2
qeimat 21mel-e 21m ham mi2e? na, un
jod1st 3 mix1stam do t1
j1 bar1ye ma2had rezerv konam 4
momkene/mitunam yek so`1l az 2om1 beporsam?
befarm1yid 5 mitunam b1 modir
sohbat konam? 6 cer1qh1-
ye hamum k1r nemikonand/xar1band 7 du2 1b
nad1re 8 fard1 be 2om1 telefon mikonam
9 montazer-e ki/ci hastid? 10

montazer-e axb1ram 11 montazer-e dustam
hastam 12 az man asab1ni hastid? 13
az dar1madetun r1zi hastid? 14
bale, amm1 az raìsam r1zi nistam!
Comprehension
G: Sir I’m not happy with this hotel at all.
M: What’s the problem sir?
G: I booked a large double room, but you gave us a single room
with an extra bed. I wanted a room with a bathroom and a
bathtub; you gave (us) a room with a shower. The telephone in
the room doesn’t work either.
M: I do apologise. I’m truly ashamed. Tonight a large double room
will become available. I can give you that room.
G: To be honest we intended to stay for three weeks, but given
the situation we might not stay even for one week. Meanwhile,
could you tell the guests next door to be a little more quiet at
night?
M: Certainly. Would you like to come with me to see the room?
G: Right now I’m waiting for a phone-call from England. I’ll come
to your office in an hour’s time.
M: OK, I’ll be waiting (for you).
1 He wanted a large double room, but was given a single room with
an extra bed; he wanted a room with a bathroom and a bathtub,
but was given a room with a shower; the telephone in the room is
broken 2 He apologises profusely 3 To give him a large double room,
which will be available tonight 4 He intended to stay for three weeks;
now he might not stay even for one week because of the unsatisfac-
tory situation/service 5 Guests next door are too noisy at night 6 To
show him the larger room 7 Because he is waiting for a phone-call
(from England).
Unit 8
Exercise 1
1 xordame2 2 didame2 3
x1mu2e2 kardam 4 x1mu2e2 konam? 5
tamume2 kon 6 na, zire2e! 7 be(he)2un
goftam 8 mitunam b1(h1)2un sohbat
konam? 9 hama2-o nemi-
tunam boxoram. nesfe2-o mixoram
Exercise 2
1e, 2c, 3d, 4a, 5f, 6b
Exercise 3
R:
bebax2id, in k1rt-post1l-o mitunid bar1m bexunid, lotfan?
You: x1he2 mikonam. az kie?
R: az dust-e oster1li1yim.
[after you have read the postcard]
R: xeili mamnun.
You: x1he2 mikonam.
Exercise 4
A
xi1bun-e dovvom dast-e cap. d1xel-e xi1bun, postxune
dast-e cape.
B mostaqim
berid. ba`d-az cah1r-r1h, markaz-e telefon dast-e r1ste.
C
bepicid tu xi1bun-e
avval dast-e r1st. ba`d mostaqim berid t1 xi1bun-e avval
dast-e cap. superm1rket sar-e nab2-e.
Exercise 5
1 keikam koj1st? xordame2! 2
cer1q x1mu2e. rou2ane2 kon, lotfan
3 pahlut be2inam? na, ru-be-rum

be2in 4 begam be(he)2? na, lotfan
be(he)2 nagu 5 in-o bar1t xaridam 6
mitunam b1h1tun bi1m? 7 midunid
ce2e? 8 in imeil-o mitunid
bar1m bexunid, lotfan? 9 s1àt cande, lotfan?
10 2e2 o nim 11 yek rob` be se 12
yek o rob` 13 panj daqiqe be dav1zdah.
14 y1zdah o panj daqiqe 15
bebax2id, s1àt nad1ram 16 bebax2id,
postxune koj1st? 17 az inj1 t1
istg1h ceqadr r1h ast? 18 pi1de ceqadr
tul mike2e? 19 pi1de nim s1àt r1h ast
20 b1 m12in panj daqiqe r1h ast
Exercise 6
1 Is there a television in your classroom? 2 Are there any Iranians in
your town? 3 Is there an Iranian restaurant in your area? 4 There
were five English guests in/at the party 5 Is there any ice cream in
the freezer? 6 There was but I ate (it)!
Exercise 7
You: bebax2id, s1àt d1rid, lotfan?
You:
in atr1f ‘k1fi-net’ hast? mix1m imeilh1m-o cek konam.
[At the Internet Café]
You: hazine-ye estef1de az
internet ceqadre?
You:
mitunam nim s1àt az un estef1de konam?
You:
mitunam az in k1mpiuter estef1de konam?
Exercise 8
1 ba`d-az inke 21m xordam,
miram xune 2 ba`d-az inke 21m
xordam, raftam xune 3
ba`d-az inke kel1s tamum 2od, mirim restur1n 4

ba`d-az inke kel1s tamum 2od, raftim
restur1n 5 ba`d-az inke
du2 gereftam, sobhune mixoram 6
ba`d-az inke du2 gereftam, sobhune xordam 7
ba`d-az inke sobhune
xordam, imeilh1m-o cek mikonam 8
ba`d-az inke sobhune xordam, imeilh1m-o
cek kardam
Exercise 9
1 qabl-az inke berim sinem1,
21m mixorim 2 qabl-az inke
berim sinem1, 21m xordim 3
qabl-az inke 21m boxoram, yek film mibinam 4
qabl-az inke 21m boxoram, yek film
didam 5 qabl-az inke film-o
bebinam, du2 migiram 6 qabl-
az inke film-o bebinam, du2 gereftam 7
qabl-az inke du2 begiram, be dustam telefon
mikonam 8 qabl-az
inke du2 begiram, be dustam telefon kardam 9
em2ab qabl-az inke bex1bam, be ir1n
telefon mikonam 10
di2ab qabl-az inke bex1bam, be ir1n telefon kardam
Exercise 10
1 ba`d-az xordan-e 21m, miram
xune 2 ba`d-az xordan-e 21m, raftam
xune 3 ba`d-az gereftan-e
du2, sobhune mixoram 4 ba`d-
az gereftan-e du2, sobhune xordam 5
ba`d-az xordan-e sobhune, imeilh1m-o cek
mikonam 6 ba`d-az
xordan-e sobhune, imeilh1m-o cek kardam
Exercise 11
1 qabl-az raftan be sinem1,
21m mixorim 2 qabl-az raftan
be sinem1, 21m xordim 3 qabl-
az xordan-e 21m, yek film mibinam 4
qabl-az xordan-e 21m, yek film didam 5
qabl-az didan-e film, du2 migiram 6
qabl-az didan-e film, du2 gereftam
7 qabl-az gereftan-e du2,
be dustam telefon mikonam 8
qabl-az gereftan-e du2, be dustam telefon kardam
Exercise 12
1
bebax2id, in atr1f postxune/kal1ntari/ket1bxune/super-
m1rket/k1fi-net hast? 2 tu yaxc1l 2ir hast?
3 tu mahalle-ye 2om1 ir1ni hast?
4 p1rs1l panj t1 ir1ni tu
kel1sam/ed1ream bud 5
qabl-az inke berid birun, cer1qh1-ro x1mu2 konid
lotfan 6 qabl-az
inke ed1ra-ro tark konam, be ahmad telefon kardam 7
ba`d-az inke hame-ye
mehmunh1 umadand, 21m mixorim 8
di2ab qabl-az inke bex1bam, imeilh1m-o
cek kardam 9 qabl-az xordan-e
sobhune, du2 gereftam 10
ba`d-az gereftan-e du2, yek nu2idani-e sard xordam
Comprehension
Hello. I am Jalal. I am phoning from (the) Atlas Hotel. I am happy with
the hotel, only the noise of traffic is a little too much. By the way, this
evening, after our touring is finished, my wife and I want to go to the
cinema. We would also like you to come with us. The film starts at 7
in the evening. So we’d better meet each other at 6 in order for us
to have time for a chat, too. Before we go to the cinema, we will have
dinner together. We have arranged to go to Hafez cinema. Opposite
the cinema there is a restaurant. We will be waiting for you in the

restaurant at 6 o’clock. Goodbye for now.
1 Jalal 2 Atlas Hotel 3 Happy, except for traffic noise 4 To the cinema
with his wife 5 It begins at 7 p.m. 6 To have dinner 7 Touring 8 Six
o’clock, to have a chat 9 In a restaurant
Unit 9
Exercise 1
1 g1hi 2 hami2e 3 ma`mulan 4
be-nodrat 5 ba`zi-vaqth1 6 aqlab
Exercise 2
1 hic-vaqt 2 hic-ciz 3 hic-j1 4
hic-k1r 5 hic-kas 6 hic-kodum
Exercise 3
1 naraftam 2 nakardam 3 nayumad 4
nagoft 5 nistand 6 nistid 7 nemidunam
8 nemidune
Exercise 4
A: What do you usually have for breakfast?
P: I never have breakfast.
A: Neither do I. Why don’t you have (breakfast)? Are you on a diet?
P: No way, what’s a diet?
A: Then why don’t you eat (breakfast)?
P: Because I’m lazy. Why don’t you eat (breakfast)?
A: Same here.
1F, 2F, 3T, 4T
Exercise 5
1 1xar-e hafte ma`mulan ce-k1r
mikonid? 2 man hic-vaqt tu xune
nemimunam 3 2om1 hic-vaqt mirid

birun? 4 m1 2anbeh1 be-nodrat
mirim birun 5 man him2e
2anbeh1 miram superm1rket 6 man
yek-2anbeh1 hic-k1r nemikonam 7 man
2abh1 hic-j1 nemiram 8
man ma`mulan tu xune mimunam o televizion tam121
mikonam 9 tu mehmuni b1
hic-kas sohbat nakardam 10 ma`mulan
n1h1r ci mixorid? 11 hic-ciz nemixoram 12
1xar-e hafte-ye goza2te ce-k1r kardid?
13 hic-k1r nakardam 14 raftam xarid
15 hic-ciz naxaridam 16
2abh1 hic-vaqt qahve nemixoram 17
2om1 hic-vaqt be restur1n-
e ir1ni mirid? bale, ba`zi-vaqth1 18
u aqlab b1 bacceh12 mi1d inj1 19
man g1hi b1 dusth1m miram 2en1
Exercise 6
1 man qaz1-ye ir1ni xordeam 2
to qaz1-ye ir1ni xordei 3
u qaz1-ye ir1ni xorde ast 4 m1 qaz1-
ye ir1ni xordeim 5 2om1 qaz1-ye
ir1ni xordeid 6 unh1 qaz1-ye ir1ni
xordeand
Exercise 7
1 man qaz1-ye ir1ni naxordeam 2
to qaz1-ye ir1ni naxordei 3
u qaz1-ye ir1ni naxorde ast 4 m1
qaz1-ye ir1ni naxordeim 5 2om1 qaz1-
ye ir1ni naxordeid 6 unh1 qaz1-ye
ir1ni naxordeand.
Exercise 8
1 2om1 hic-vaqt be 1mrik1 rafteid?
2 2om1 film-e ‘jeimz-b1nd’ r1
dideid? 3 2om1 hic-vaqt

qaz1-ye cini xordeid? 4 n1h1r/21m/
sobhune xordeid? 5 2om1 helikopter
sav1r 2odeid? 6 2om1 hic-vaqt
cizi gom kardeid? 7 sarm1 xordeid?
Exercise 9
1 m1m1n koj1st? rafte super-
m1rket 2 pedar o m1daretun
koj1nd? rafteand ir1n 3 m12in-e jadidam-o
dideid? 4 2om1 hic-vaqt cizi gom
kardeid? 5 man hami2e
suìc-e m12inam-o gom mikonam 6
bebax2id harfetun-o qat` mikonam,
suìc-e m12inam-o nadideid? 7 in m1hi t1ze
nist 8 in kab1b bu mide 9
surat-hes1b, lotfan
Comprehension
Hello. You know that I always write you a letter or an email. But this
time I decided to send a film. I must say that I have never spoken in
front of a camera. For this very reason I have panicked a little. You
will forgive (me). Today, (my) wife and children are not at home. They
have all gone on holiday. However I am not that much alone either:
right now a number of hungry bellies are waiting for me in the recep-
tion room! Five of my friends have come to see me. You will meet
them in a few minutes. In our house, my wife often does the cooking.
I rarely make a meal. I can only cook chelo-kebab. But this time, I have
tried to make a few types of food. At the end of the film, I will show
(you) the dining table. By the way, have you eaten Iranian food yet?
1 He usually sends letters or emails 2 This is the first time he is

speaking in front of a camera 3 He is alone: his family are on holiday.
He is not alone: his friends are visiting him 4 Hungry bellies are wait-
ing for him to feed them 5 His friends 6 His wife does the cooking;
he makes chelo-kebab 7 He has made different types of food 8 To
show the dining table at the end of the film 9 If the listener has ever
had Iranian food
Unit 10
Exercise 1
1 di2ab in vaqt,
d12tam televizion tam121 mikardam. Last night at this time, I was
watching TV 2
di2ab in vaqt, d12ti televizion tam121 mikardi. Last night at this
time, you were watching TV 3
di2ab in vaqt, d12t televizion tam121 mikard. Last night at
this time, s/he was watching TV 4
di2ab in vaqt, d12tim televizion tam121 mikardim.
Last night at this time, we were watching TV 5
di2ab in vaqt, d12tid televizion tam121
mikardid. Last night at this time, you were watching TV 6
di2ab in vaqt, d12tand televi-
zion tam121 mikardand. Last night at this time, they were watching TV
Exercise 2
1 di2ab in vaqt, televizion
tam121 nemikardam. Last night at this time, I was not watching
TV 2 di2ab in vaqt, tel-
evizion tam121 nemikardi. Last night at this time, you were not
watching TV 3 di2ab in
vaqt, televizion tam121 nemikard. Last night at this time, s/he was not
watching TV 4 di2ab in
vaqt, televizion tam121 nemikardim. Last night at this time, we were
not watching TV 5 di2ab
in vaqt, televizion tam121 nemikardid. Last night at this time, you
were not watching TV 6
di2ab in vaqt, televizion tam121 nemikardand. Last night at this
time, they were not watching TV
Exercise 3
1 (a) d12tam (b) k1r mikardam 2 (a)
d12tam (b) sohbat mikardam 3 (a) d12tim
(b) mixordim 4 (a) d12tand (b)
dars mixundand 5 (a) d12tid (b) miumadid
6 (a) d12tam (b) cek mikardam 7 (a)

d12t (b) mineve2t 8 (a) d12tim (b)
2en1 mikardim 9 (a) d12tid (b) y1d migereftid
10 (a) d12tam (b) gu2 mikardam
Exercise 4
1 tas1dof cetour ettef1q oft1d? 2
man d12tam b1
soràt-e panj1h kilumetr dar s1àt mirundam 3
yek m12in-e 1bi yek-daf è picid jelom
4 r1hnam12 rou2an nabud 5
tas1dof-o didam, amm1 nemitunam
be f1rsi touzih bedam 6 f1rsim zi1d
xub nist 7 motarjem/vakil l1zem d1ram
8 mitunam be sef1ratam telefon
konam? 9
tarjih midam avval b1 x1nev1deam sohbat konam. e2k1li nad1re?
10 di2ab in vaqt ce-k1r mikardid?
11 d12tam yek film-e ir1ni
tam121 mikardam 12 gozarn1mam-o gom
kardeam 13 12pazxunam
1te2 gerefte. lotfan komak konid 14
1p1rtem1nam-o dozd zade. lotfan yek nafar-o
bef(e)restid 15
hams1yamun qa2 karde. har-ce zudtar 1mbul1ns
bef(e)restid 16
2om1re telefon-e polis/1mbul1ns/1te2-ne21ni r1 mix1stam,
lotfan
Exercise 5
1 xode2 2 xodetun 3 xodemun 4
xode2un 5 xodam 6 xodet 7 xode2
Exercise 6
1 dide budam 2 dide budam 3 poxte
budam 4 2oru` 2ode bud 5 dorost
karde bud; xorde budam
Exercise 7
1 naxorde budam 2 nadide budam
3 sohbat nakarde budam 4 napoxte
budam 5 safar nakarde budam 6
2en1 nakarde budam 7 r1nandegi nakarde
budam
Exercise 8
(a) 3, (b) 1, (c) 2
Exercise 9
1 avvalin b1r kei be ir1n
raftid? panj s1l pi2 2 cer1 be ir1n raftid?
3 cand t1 ket1b dar-
b1re-ye ke2varetun xunde budam 4
cand t1 film-e ir1ni dide budam 5 be
ir1n al1qe-mand 2ode budam 6
qablan be x1var-e mi1ne narafte budid? 7
cer1, be er1q rafte budam 8 kasi b1 2om1
k1r d1re 9 ba`zi az
mehmunh1 mix1nd b1 2om1 sohbat konand 10
2om1 xodetun b1 ahmad sohbat kardid? 11
xodam-o tu 1ine didam
Comprehension
My wife and I were having a meal in a restaurant. About 8 o’clock,
the lights suddenly went out. Before that, two people were having a
meal at the table next to us. After about five minutes, the lights came
back on, but those two people had gone. My bag had also disap-
peared! One of them was tall and wearing a grey suit. His hair was
black and short. He had a thick moustache and sunglasses. The
second one had his back to me. I didn’t see his face. But his head
was bald. And his shirt was blue.
1 In a restaurant 2 His wife 3 They were having a meal 4 The lights

went out 5 The two men stole his bag 6 Tall; grey suit; short black hair;
moustache; sunglasses 7 He was sitting with his back towards Ali
Unit 11
Exercise 1
1
di2ab dar yek restur1n-e bozorg 21m xordim, amm1 qaz1 xub
nabud 2 deser ham bastani
xordam (va) ham keik 3 m1daram
na 21m xord (va) na deser 4 na qaz1
xub bud (va) na deser 5
1xar-e hafte-ye goza2te, na
kasi be xune-ye m1 umad (va) na m1 be xune-ye kasi raftim
Exercise 2
1
to mituni y1 bastani boxori (va) y1 keik. nemituni har-do r1 box-
ori! 2 mitunam ham
bastani boxoram (va) ham keik, lotfan? 3
emruz, na sobhune xordam (va) na n1h1r! 4
lotfan cand lahze sabr konid;
sed12un mikonam 5
mitunid yek kam bolandtar sohbat konid? sed1tun-o
nemi2(e)navam 6 jen1b-1li? hamid hastam
7 mix1stam b1 1q1-
ye jam2idi sohbat konam, lotfan
Exercise 3
1 dar 2ir1z yek xune d1ram
ke xeili qa2ange 2
diruz yek m12in xaridam ke xub k1r nemikone 3
belàxare yek otobus umad ke por az mos1-
fer bud 4 be yek 131ns
telefon kardam ke nazdik-e manzelemune 5
pedaram, ke dar landan k1r mikone,
diruz be ir1n raft
Exercise 4
1 m12ini ke be man foruxt
k1r nemikone 2 1dresi ke be
man d1d k1mel nist 3 filmi
ke didam xeili xaste-konande bud 4
1p1rtem1ni ke xaridam panj t1 ot1q-e x1b d1re
5 ket1bi ke be man d1did xeili
mofide 6 qaz1yi ke bar1m
poxt xeili xo2maze bud
Exercise 5
donb1l-e yek xune-ye ej1reyi migardam ke in mo2axxas1t-o d12te

b12e: se t1 ot1q-e x1b; yek hamm1m b1 do t1 tu1let; 12pazxune-ye
motavasset; markaz-e tehr1n; tarjihan nazdik-e markaz-e xarid;
ej1re m1hi yek milyun o devist hez1r toman y1 kamtar.
Exercise 6
1 donb1l-e ki migardid? 2
donb1l-e pesaram migardam 3 donb1l-e ci
migardid? 4 donb1l-e daftar-e telefonam
migardam 5 donb1l-e yek k1r-e t1ze
migardam 6
donb1l-e yek m12in migardam ke q1bel-e etmin1n b12e 7
dafè-ye ba`d xun-
eyi mixaram ke dah t1 ot1q-e x1b d12te b12e! 8
m12ini ke didid m1l-e man nabud 9
mardi ke m12in-o behe2 foruxtid inj1st
10 1q1yi ke
2om1re telefonetun-o aza2 gereftam xeili mehrabun bud
Comprehension
Hello. I am Alizadeh. I am phoning from London. The hotel we have
got is good but it’s too expensive. Therefore, we’re looking for a flat
that has three bedrooms and a large kitchen. Can you find (one) for
us? I’d be very grateful. We’ll be staying in London for one month.
Its rent mustn’t be more than £1000 per month. Preferably it should
be in Central London, or at least somewhere close to a metro station,
shopping centre, cinemas and those kinds of things. You know that
my wife’s hobby is shopping and the children’s hobby is cinema. I’m
most grateful for your kindness. Looking forward to seeing you.
Goodbye for now.
1 London 2 Looking for a flat because the hotel is too expensive

3 To find a flat 4 Three bedrooms, large kitchen, monthly rent under £1000
5 In Central London or near a metro station, shopping centre and
cinemas because his wife likes shopping and his children like cinema
Unit 12
Exercise 1
1 boxorid 2 bemunid 3 bi1id 4 bi1rid
5 qabul konid 6 bar garde
Exercise 2
1 age naxorid, n1r1hat mi2am 2
age namunid, n1r1hat mi2am 3
age nay1id, n1r1hat mi2im 4
age bacceh1tun-o (ham) nay1rid, n1r1hat
mi2im 5 age da`vat-
e m1-ro qabul nakonid, n1r1hat mi2im 6
age be ir1n bar nagarde, x1nev1d(e)a2
n1r1hat mi2and
Exercise 3
1 umad 2 telefon kard 3 l1zem d12ti
4 zang zad 5 telefon kone 6 telefon
kard 7 bi1d 8 umad 9 2odam
Exercise 4
1 age hav1 behtar be2e, mirim
p1rk 2 age da`vate2un konid, mi1nd
3 age da`vate2un nakonid,
n1r1hat mi2and 4
age gav1hi-n1mat-o begiri, yek hedye bar1t mixaram 5
age behe2 begid, n1r1hat mi2am 6
age d1ru r1 naxorid, xub nemi2id 7
emruz hav1-ye tehr1n cetoure? 8
barf mi1d. haft daraje zir-e sefre
Exercise 5
1 1p1rtem1n-e 2om1 koj1st? 2
m1h-e tavallod-e 2om1 cie? 3
2om1re telefon-e 2om1 cande? 4
1p1rtem1n-e 2om1 cand t1 ot1q-e x1b d1re? 5
dar-e xune-ye 2om1 ce range? 6
h1feze-ye k1mpiuter-e 2om1 ceqadre?
Exercise 6
1 m1l-e 2om1 koj1st? 2 m1l-e
2om1 cie? 3 m1l-e 2om1 cande? 4
m1l-e 2om1 cand t1 (ot1q-e x1b) d1re? 5
m1l-e 2om1 ce range? 6 m1l-e
2om1 ceqadre?
Exercise 7
1 xo2am mi1d; xo2am nemi1d
2 xo2et mi1d; xo2et nemi1d
3 xo2e2 mi1d; xo2e2 nemi1d
4 xo2emun mi1d; xo2emun nemi1d
5 xo2etun mi1d; xo2etun nemi1d
6 xo2e2un mi1d; xo2e2un nemi1d
Exercise 8
1 xo2am umad; xo2am nayumad 2
xo2et umad; xo2et nayumad 3
xo2e2 umad; xo2e2 nayumad 4 xo2e-
mun umad; xo2emun nayumad 5
xo2etun umad; xo2etun nayumad 6
xo2e2un umad; xo2e2un nayumad
Exercise 9
1 2om1 az
qaz1-ye/filmh1-ye ir1ni xo2etun mi1d? bale, xeili 2
2om1 az film/qaz1 xo2etun umad? na zi1d
3 2om1 az ci-e ir1n xo2etun mi1d?
4
hame-ciz: qaz1h12; manzareh12; farhange2; mardome2; ter1fike2!
5 sargarmih1tun cie? 6
akk1si, naqq12i,
gu2 kardan be musiqi, varze2. sargarmih1-ye 7om5 cie? 7
re2te-ye moured-e al1qatun cie? 8
honarh1-ye zib1. m1l-e 2om1 cie? 9
honarpi2e-ye/x1nande-ye mourede
al1qatun kie? 10 age dox-
tar-e xubi b12i, mibaramet sinem1 11
age pul d12te b12am, in t1bestun miram ir1n
Comprehension
Hello. I just wanted to say that next week, if the weather is good, we
will come to London for a tour. You know that the major hobby of me
and my wife is theatre and we like London theatres very much. We
will be happy if you have the time to come with us. We will kill two
birds with one stone (lit hit two targets with one arrow): we will see
both each other and a good play. Looking forward to seeing you. Ali,
14 Mordad (fifth month in Iranian calendar)
1 He lives in London. Ali is coming to London to see him 2 Theatre

3 To go for a tour of London, weather permitting 4 For Peter to join
Ali and his wife, if he is free 5 If Peter can join them, they can see
each other as well as a good play
Unit 13
Exercise 1
1 midunestam; migoftam 2 midunes-
tam; sohbat mikardam 3 mitunestam;
mineve2tam 4 budi; mikardi 5
budam; nemikardam 6 budam; safar
mikardam 7 bud; mifahmidam 8 bud; bud
9 d12tam; mid1dam 10 d12tid;
mifahmidid
Exercise 2
1 in kol1h/
rusari/pirhan/b1runi/kot (o) 2alv1r/d1man cande? 2
in 2alv1r/dastke2/kaf2/jur1b cande?
3 21l-e gardan-e/kot-e/
ker1v1t-e/p1lto-ye qa2angi d1rid 4
in m12in panj1h milyun toman miarze? 5
miarze, amm1 bar1ye man gerune 6
age j1-ye man budid ce-k1r mikardid? 7
age milyuner budid ce-k1r mikar-
did? 8 yek bim1-
rest1n bar1ye bacceh1-ye mariz mis1xtam 9
age zi1d pul d12tam, dour-e dony1 safar
mikardam 10 age m1daram
inj1 bud, asab1ni mi2od 11
age mitunestam
f1rsi xub sohbat konam, behe2 migoftam ceqadr az ke2vare2
xo2am mi1d
Exercise 3
1d If you had eaten that rotten sandwich, you would have become ill.
2c If you had told my father about the subject, I would have become
upset.
3f If we had left home later, we would not have arrived in time.
4b If you had come five minutes earlier, you would have seen my
brother.
5a If you had not married me, I would have committed suicide.
6e If you had invited me, I would have come to your party.
Exercise 4
punzdah t1 toxm-e morq; do kilu
xi1r; do t1 hendev1ne; yek kilu
gouje-farangi; nim kilu panir; se t1 n1n
Exercise 5
toxm-e morqh1 duneyi cande? How much
are the eggs each? punzdah t1 lotf konid.
Please give (me) fifteen of them. xi1rh1 kiluyi
cande? How much are the cucumbers per kilo?
do kilu lotf konid. Please give (me) two kilos.
hendev1neh1 kiluyi cande? How much are the watermelons per
kilo? do t1 bedid, lotfan. Please give (me) two of
them. gouje-farangih1 kiluyi cande?
How much are the tomatoes per kilo? yek kilu, lotfan.
One kilo, please. panir kiluyi cande? How much
is the cheese per kilo? nim kilu lotf konid.
Please give (me) half a kilo. nunh1 duneyi
cande? How much are the bread (loaves) each? se t1,
lotfan. Three of them, please.
Exercise 6
1 Sir, how much are these oranges per kilo? 2 Sir, do you sell these
chickens by kilo/weight or by number? 3 Please give me five kilos of
rice and two chickens 4 How much did it come to in total? 5 Be my
guest, it’s not worth a mention 6 I insist. How much did it come to?
Exercise 7
1 xob, cand 2od? 2 befarm1yid.
q1beli nad1re 3 x1he2 mikonam, cand
2od? 4 ruye-ham panj hez1r toman
5 yek esken1s-e devist-tomani
6 yek sekke-ye dah-ri1li 7
2ekar-o lotf mikonid? 8 kotetun
ce range? qahveyi-e tire 9
yek meqd1r gouje-farangi o k1hu xari-
dam. far1mu2 kardam namak bexaram! 10
age ri2etun-o tar12ide budid, nemi2(e)

n1xtametun 11 age
1ntibiutik-o nemixordam, behtar nemi2odam
Comprehension
Yesterday, I bought an overcoat for my father. When he saw it, he
became very happy, but I felt that he didn’t like its colour very much.
To take the overcoat back, I asked my mother to come with me. My
mother is not shy at all, but I’m very inhibited. The shop owner asked:
What’s wrong with the overcoat? I said: Nothing’s wrong with it, only
its colour is too bright for my father. The seller said: It doesn’t matter,
it shows your father (to be) younger. I no longer knew what to say. If
my mother had not come with me, I would have returned home with
that same overcoat! However, my mother immediately said: His father
doesn’t like this colour. If you were in his place, would you impose
this overcoat on your father? The seller had no answer and immedi-
ately took the overcoat back, but before we came out of the shop,
he said to my mother, with a smile: If you were my wife, I would give
you a glass of poison! My mother also said, with a smile: If you were
my husband, I would drink that poison to the last drop!
1 An overcoat for his father 2 His father did not like the colour 3 He
is shy/inhibited; his mother is the opposite 4 Surely, if the shopkeeper
was in Masoud’s place, he would not impose the ‘disliked’ overcoat
on his father 5 Masoud would have returned home with the same
overcoat 6 Evasion: When Masoud says that the colour of the over-
coat is too bright for his father, the shopkeeper dismissively states
that this is not a problem; it makes him look younger. Reasoning:
Masoud’s mother says: ‘His father doesn’t like this colour. If you were
in his place, would you impose this overcoat on your father?’
Conviction: ‘The seller had no answer.’ 7 When the shopkeeper says
to Masoud’s mother: ‘If you were my wife, I would give you a glass
of poison!’ his mother retorts: ‘If you were my husband, I would drink
that poison to the last drop!’
Unit 14
Exercise 1
1 tu-ye s1lon/t1ksi mi2e sig1r
ke2id? 2 d1ru mi2e b1 post ferest1d?
3 b1 in k1mpiuter mi2e imeil
ferest1d? 4 unj1/inj1 mi2e
m12in-o p1rk kard? 5 tu-ye te`1tr mi2e
bastani bord? 6 az soxanr1n
mi2e aks gereft?
Exercise 2
1 reside b12and 2 xorde b12id 3
2enide b12id 4 miresid 5 da`vat
mikardid 6 mixordid 7 da`vat mikar-
did 8 telefon mikardam 9 nabudam;
bexaram 10 nistam; be2(e)navam
Exercise 3
1 tu-ye hav1peim1 mi2e sig1r ke2id?
2 in basta-ro mi2e b1
post-e sef1re2i ferest1d? 3
tu-ye te`1tr mi2e s1ndevic/nu2idani bord? 4
2om1 b1yad celouk-
ab1b xorde b12id. 2om1 candin b1r be ir1n rafteid 5
b1yad unh1-ro dide b12id. hami2e
tu restur1nand 6 b1yad d1ru r1 mixordid
7 b1yad unh1-ro da`vat mikardid
8 2ir r1 nab1yad mixordid. xar1b
bud! 9 un s1ndevic-o
nab1yad mixord. m1l-e man bud! 10
b1 u nab1yad in-tour harf mizadid. n1r1hat 2ode! 11
b1yad b1h12un miraftam. (amm1
naraftam.) 12
b1yad b1h12 miraftam. va raftam, con (be) komak ni1z
d12t 13 bar1ye in n1me ceqadr
tambr l1zeme? 14 koj1 mitunam
cand t1 fotokopi begiram? 15
az koj1 mitunam faks/imeil (post-e elekteronik)

bef(e)restam?
Exercise 4
1 xorde 2odan 2 baste 2odan 3
dide 2odan 4 2enide 2odan 5 gofte 2odan
6 foruxte 2odan 7 xaride 2odan 8
2oste 2odan
Exercise 5
1 Excuse me, your voice can’t be heard 2 Your head can’t be seen
in the picture 3 The chicken has not been cooked well 4 This letter
has not been signed 5 The window was opened 6 Ali has not been
freed/released from prison yet 7 This soup has not been warmed up
well 8 My watch was found 9 Foreign currency rate (of exchange)
has not been announced yet 10 In the year 1998, the American
football (soccer) team was defeated by the Iranian team!
Exercise 6
1e, 2c, 3a, 4f, 5d, 6b
Exercise 7
1 m1rtin luter king dar
s1l-e hez1r o nohsad o 2ast o ha2t ko2te 2od 2
gu2t xub poxte na2ode. 3 yek-
daf è dar baste 2od 4
s1ndevicam koj1st? bebax2id, xorde 2od! 5
bebax2id, in cek emz1 na2ode
Comprehension
A: Excuse me, has the foreign currency rate (of exchange) been
announced for today?
C: It must have been. Wait a moment, please . . . I’m sorry, it will
be announced at 11 o’clock. What have you got?
A: I wanted to change £1,000.
C: The rate of purchasing for yesterday was 1,600 tumans. For
today’s rate you can phone this number: 38756.
A: I’m afraid I’m in a hurry. Is it possible to sell at yesterday’s rate?

C: Yes, fill in this form (and) take (it) to counter 3.
1 If today’s exchange rate has been announced 2 It must have been

announced by now 3 It will be announced at 11 o’clock 4 To change
£1,000 5 He has to sell the pounds at yesterday’s rate because he
is in a hurry.
Unit 15
Exercise 1
1 xo2-h1li 2 21di 3 hasudi 4
tanh1yi 5 por-ruyi 6 h1melegi 7 1v1regi
8 tuf1ni-budan
Exercise 2
1e, 2d, 3a, 4b, 5f, 6c
Exercise 3
1 2abh1 binim migire 2
nemitunam nafas beke2am 3 nemiz1re bex1bam
4 vaqti miram tu p1rk,
xeili atse mikonam 5 vaqti
j1ru mikonam, xeili sorfe mikonam 6
dar-tul-e 2ab, l1zeme ke candin b1r be tu1let
beram
Exercise 4
1 ahmad goft (ke) xast(e)am 2
mehmunh1 goftand (ke) m1 gorosneim
3 u porsid s1àt cande 4
bar1daram goft (ke) m12inam-o foruxtam
5 hasan goft (ke) nemi-
dunam televizion ce2e
Exercise 5
1b, 2c, 3d, 4e, 5a
Exercise 6
1 bebax2id, bar1ye
dandun-dard/kamar-dard ci d1rid? 2
az in xamir-dandunh1 kodum behtare? 3 cete?
4 mesl-e inke sarm1 xord(e)am 5
goft (ke) qat1r-e s1àt-e noh-o
az dast d1deam 6 porsid 2om1 motaàhhelid.
7 to ci gofti? 8 behe2
goftam (ke) n1mzad d1ram
Comprehension
A: Do you know that you’re about one hour late?
B: I’m really sorry. I was supposed to come with Ahmad. Two
hours ago, he phoned (and) said he had sold the car; he
couldn’t come without a car; he was very tired. As for me,
I missed the train because I was late.
A: You said you would phone if it was late.
B: I’m truly ashamed. Are you feeling better?
A: No, I have a temperature. All my body is aching. I can’t sleep
because of the severity of the pain.
B: Have you eaten anything?
A: No, I don’t have an appetite.
B: Didn’t the doctor give (you) any medicine?
A: Yes, he gave (me) a sucking tablet, a cough mixture and a
penicillin injection.
B: Aren’t you allergic to penicillin?
A: Fortunately not.
B: Lucky you!
1 B apologises for being late and for not phoning to say that he would
be late 2 Ahmad was supposed to give B a lift 3 He phoned two
hours ago to say that he had sold the car and that he could not come
without a car as he was very tired 4 He has a temperature. His body
aches all over. The pain is so severe he cannot sleep 5 When B
realises that A is not allergic to penicillin, he says: ‘Lucky you!’ This
suggests that B is allergic to it, and wishes he wasn’t.
Unit 16
Exercise 1
1 avvalin ruz-e s1l 2 1xarin ruz-e
s1l 3 dovvomin hafte-ye s1l 4
sevvomin m1h-e s1l 5 cah1romin fasl-e s1l
Exercise 2
1 Sohrab Hashemi 2 A friend 3 Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year
Exercise 3
sohr1b-e aziz Dear Sohrab
kerismas va s1l-e nou mob1rak!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
dust-e to . . . Your friend . . . (signed)
Exercise 4
1 azi-
zam, in (hedye) q1bel-e to nist. s1lgard-e ezdev1jemun mob1rak
2 s1hebe2 q1bele. xeili zah-
mat ke2idi 3 tavallodetun mob1rak 4
manzel-e nou mob1rak 5
dahomin s1lgard-e ezdev1jet1n r1 be 2om1
tabrik miguyam 6 xuband, sal1m miresu-
nand 7 be pedar (o) m1daret sal1m
beresun 8 j1t x1li, meh-
muni xeili xo2 goza2t
Exercise 5
1 ist1deand 2 x1bideand 3
pu2ide (ast) 4 der1z ke2ideam 5 ne2asteid
Exercise 6
1 unh1 ken1r-e panjare ist1de
budand 2 bacceh1 x1bide budand 3
behtarin leb1se2-o pu2ide bud 4

ru-ye taxt der1z ke2ide budam 5
koj1 ne2aste budid?
Exercise 7
1 Do you feel like going to a concert tonight? 2 No, I don’t feel like
it tonight. Leave it (for) tomorrow night 3 Do you feel like going for a
swim this afternoon?
Exercise 8
1 diruz raftam didane2 2
di2ab umad didanam 3 em2ab miram
didane2un 4 fard1 mi1m didanetun 5
1xar-e hafte-ye 1yande
mirim didan-e dusth1mun
Exercise 9
1 ru-ye taxt der1z
ke2ide o televizion tam121 mikone 2
man behtarin leb1sam-o pu2id(e)am. 2om1
ci pu2id(e)id? 3 lotfan s1ket
b12id; bacceh1 x1bid(e)and 4
ken1r-e box1ri ist1d(e)and o 2ir-k1k1ò mixorand
5 bar1daram
televizion tam121 mikone va m1daram pahlu2 ne2aste
6 1xar-e hafte-ye pi2
dust-e ir1nim umad didanam 7 diruz raftam
didan-e amum 8 em2ab h1le2-o d1ri
berim te`1tr? 9 em2ab barn1meyi d1ri?
10 kei va koj1 hamdiga-ro bebinim?
Comprehension
Dear Marjan
Hello. I hope you and your family are well. Thank you very much for
the nice present you sent me. Pity you were not (present) at my
birthday party. Wish you had been there. For my part, I congratulate
you and your husband on your wedding anniversary. Right now, as

I’m writing this letter to you, Parviz is lying on the bed and listening
to music and Sudabeh is standing by the desk and watching me. I
know that, having a young child, you are always short of time, but
should you feel like writing a letter, we would be happy to see your
beautiful handwriting. Parviz and Sudabeh send their regards. Please
also convey my greetings to your husband and give your pretty daugh-
ter a kiss. Looking forward to seeing you.
Zahra – 23 Shahrivar (Iranian calendar)
1 Informal. Zahra does not use a title with Marjan’s name, and she
uses to ‘you’ (inf ) 2 For the birthday present she had sent 3 Marjan
could not come to her birthday party 4 She says
j1yat x1li bud ‘wish you had been there’ 5 She is married and has
a young daughter 6 On her wedding anniversary 7 Her husband,
Parviz, and her daughter, Sudabeh 8 Parviz was lying on the bed and
listening to music. Sudabeh was standing by the desk and watching
her mother 9 On her ‘beautiful handwriting’
Unit 17
Exercise 1
1 xob, farm1ye2i nad1rid? 2
xob, farm1ye2i nad1rid? 3 arzi nad1ram
Exercise 2
1 As far as we are concerned, our seats are good 2 As far as money
is concerned, it’s no problem 3 As for me, I know nothing about car
mechanics.
Exercise 3
1 farvardin, ordibehe2t, xord1d 2
tir, mord1d, 2ahrivar 3 dei, bah-
man, esfand 4 mehr
Exercise 4
1 bebax2id, 2erkat-e kuro2?
bale, befarm1yid. 2 az koj1 telefon mikonid?
az ir1n telefon mikonam 3
man ke az k1mpiuter hicci nemidunam 4
hafte-ye/t1bestun-e/bah1r-e 1yande
mibinamet 5 zemestun-e
1yande miram ir1n bar1ye eski 6
p1yiz-e goza2te dust-e ir1nim umad landan 7
m1yel budam b1 2om1 mol1q1t konam.
kei? 8 har-ce zudtar behtar.
emruz ba`d-az-zohr cetoure? 9
1lie. ce s1àti? 10 se-ye ba`d-az-zohr
xube? 11 xube. pas s1àt-e se
mibinametun
Exercise 5
1 bebax2id, 2om1 engelisi baladid?
2 in jomla-ro
nemifahmam. mitunid tarjom(e)a2 konid, lotfan?
Exercise 6
1 I can play badminton well 2 Can you play the violin? 3 My brother
can swim well 4 We can speak Persian well 5 Can you drive? 6 I can’t
ride a horse well 7 My father knows a little about car mechanics.
Exercise 7
1d, 2c, 3e, 4g, 5b, 6f, 7a
Exercise 8
1 This is where J says he also knows ‘a bit of Persian’ 2 The inter-
viewer is complimenting J on his command of Persian 3 J is applying
for a translator’s job but asks the interviewer to translate a sentence
on the form 4 He says it is easier for him to translate from English
(his mother tongue) into Persian (a foreign language for him)
5 ‘Particularly if a dictionary is not available.’
Exercise 9
1 2om1 esp1nioli baladid?
na, far1nse baladam 2 pi1no balade?
bale, pi1nist-e xubie 3 motor (siklet)
sav1ri baladid? na, amm1 docarxe-
sav1ri baladam 4
in jomla-ro mitunid bar1m be engelisi/f1rsi tarjome
konid, lotfan? 5 cand vaqte inj1
ist1deid? 6 cand vaqte inj1 ne2asteid?
7 cand vaqte montazerid? 8
cand vaqte engelisi mixunid? 9
cand vaqte tu engelis zendegi mikonid? 10
cand vaqte bar1ye in 2erkat
k1r mikonid? 11 do s1le f1rsi mixunam
Comprehension
Hafez Publications
No. 790, Hafez Street, Tehran
Tel: 380156 Fax: 380157
Email: info@haafezchaap.com
Date: 16 Aban 1389
Dear Mr Jackson
With (my) greetings and gratitude for attending the interview on
Saturday 15 Aban 1389, you are invited to call at the office of this
company on Saturday 29 Aban 1389, at 8:30am. The company’s
director would like to talk to you about details of the job, amount of
salary and other terms and conditions of employment.
If the proposed time is not suitable for you, please contact the
above telephone number or email (address) as soon as possible and
inform the company’s secretary of the matter. Meanwhile, fill in the
attached form and send it to this company’s address by 26 Aban
1389 at the latest.
Yours sincerely
Ehsan Jafari
1 Saturday 15 Aban 1389 (Iranian calendar) 2 The following day

3 He is inviting J to go to the firm on Saturday 29 Aban 1389, at
8:30 a.m. The director wants to talk to him about the details of the
job, salary and other conditions of employment 4 If the proposed
time is unsuitable, he can change it 5 By phoning or emailing the
company’s secretary 6 He is asked to fill in a form and send it to the
company by 26 Aban 1389
Answers to the reading exercise matching the English–Persian equiv-

alents on pp. xxxvi–xxxviii.
17... 1... 23... 59...

70... ).~.J~ 14... ~.3~ 48... 27... ..::J
9... 5... 57... 60...
33... 68... 37... 21 ...
2 ... 35... 38 ... 50...
39... 67... 32 ... 69...
54... 43... 16... 51 ...

65···f~ 13... 6 ... 18...
44... ~ 7... 62... ~I)~ 61
45···lr~ 15... 24... l5..I)~ 22

3... 20... 4 ... 49...
64... 26... 25... ~) 58... U)~4.
30... 28... 63... 8 ...
46... 66... 19... 40...
55... 56... 11 ... 52...
10... 47... 12... 42... -
31 ... 53... 29...
34... ., 36... 41 ...
Reference grammar
This grammar summary is not exhaustive. To economise on space,

grammar sections given in the lessons have not been reproduced
here, but are cross-referenced.
1 Grammar of the sound

2 Grammar of the syllable
3 Grammar of the word
4 Grammar of the phrase
5 Grammar of the sentence
6 Grammar of communication
1 Grammar of the sound

The sounds of Persian are explained on pp. xiv and xix.
2 Grammar of the syllable

The syllable structure in Persian is: C+V+C+C (where C = consonant,
V = vowel). This means that a single vowel may carry only one
consonant before it, and a maximum of two consonants after it.
Examples:
sag ‘dog’; sang ‘stone’; bast ‘He/she closed’
In theory, this should not present the native English speaker with
much difficulty because English syllable structure allows a far
greater number of consonants before and after a single vowel:
C+C+C+V+C+C+C+C (e.g. the word ‘strengths’*). However, the two
languages differ in the way they distribute consonants within the
syllable. For instance, the sounds t and h occur in both languages.
362 Reference grammar
While Persian allows the final cluster t+h, English does not allow this.*
Examples in Persian:
sath ‘surface’, fath ‘conquest’.
* You will note that here we are talking about consonant sounds,
not letters!
3 Grammar of the word

Word stress
Persian words of more than two syllables are mostly stressed on the
last syllable. Here are some of the exceptions where the first syllable
carries the stress:
vali but; amm1 but; balke rather; cer1 why;

agar/age (col ) if; magar/mage (col ) except, but;
har-vaqt whenever; har-cand although;
har-kas whoever; zir1 because (l);
hic-kas nobody; hic-vaqt never;
hic-j1 nowhere; hic-ciz nothing.
Prefixes and suffixes
b1 with, having
b1-adab polite (lit with courtesy)
b1-er1de decisive (lit with willpower)
b1-sav1d literate, educated (lit with literacy)
b1-maze witty, cute (lit with taste)
bi without, lacking
bi-adab impolite (lit without courtesy)
bi-er1de indecisive (lit without willpower)
bi-sav1d illiterate (lit without literacy)
bi-maze bland, tasteless (lit without taste)
bi-k1r jobless, unemployed (lit without work)
por full (of )

por-k1r hardworking, workaholic (lit full of
work)
por-dar1mad lucrative, well-paid (lit full of income)
por-rang (of colour) dark (lit full of colour)
por-ru cheeky (lit full of face)
por-zur strong (lit full of strength)
por-mu hairy (lit full of hair)
kam (with/having) little

kam-k1r work-shy (lit of little work)
kam-dar1mad badly-paid (lit of little income)
kam-rang (of colour) light (lit with little colour)
kam-ru shy (lit with little face)
kam-zur weak (lit with little strength)
kam-mu having little hair
ham (similar to the English suffix ‘-mate’)

ham-k1r workmate, colleague
ham-kel1s classmate
ham-ot1q roommate
ham-safar travel mate
ham-tim team-mate
ham-x1ne housemate
ham-r1h companion (lit of the same way/route)
ham-zam1n simultaneous (lit same time)
ham-s1ye neighbour (lit sharing the same
shadow)
ham-sar spouse (lit of the same/equal head)
ham-vatan compatriot (lit of the same homeland)
Some of the different roles played by the suffix -i are shown in the
following examples. Note the stress pattern.
mard/mardi man/a man

mard/mardi man/manhood
xub/xubi good/goodness
abr/abri cloud/cloudy
telefon/telefoni telephone/telephonic;
by telephone
xordan/xordani eating/edible
sig1r/sig1ri cigarette/smoker
12q1l/12q1li garbage/garbage collector
n1nv1/n1nv1yi baker/bakery
We add the suffix -ande to the present stem of the verb to pro-
duce a noun of the agent or an adjective:
didan (bin) to see/view
binande viewer, onlooker
2enidan (2enav) to hear
2enavande hearer, listener
(radio audience)
zadan (zan) to hit
zanande hitter; gaudy, repulsive,
shocking
xaste kardan (kon) to tire; to bore
xaste-konande tiring; boring
The present stem can act as a suffix to produce nouns or adjectives:
violon violin
zadan (zan) to play
violon-zan violinist
pul money
d12tan (d1r) to have
pul-d1r rich, moneyed ( lit money haver)
doruq a lie
goftan [gu] to tell
doruq-gu liar; dishonest
quti tin, can
b1z kardan (kon) to open
quti-b1z-kon tin/can opener
For possessive endings/suffixes, see pp. 23ff.
Nouns
Plural markers are described at pp. 33ff.

After a number, or cand (t1) ‘how many’, ‘a few’, a noun
comes in a singular form:
panj k1mpiuter
five computers ( lit computer)
cand (t1) k1mpiuter?

How many computers? (lit computer)
Pronouns
Subject pronouns are dealt with at pp. 6ff.

The possessive endings introduced at pp. 23ff may also be used
as objects after verbs or prepositions (see p. 64). Examples:
didame2. I saw him/her/it.

be(h)e2 goftam. I told him/her. (lit I
said to him/her.)
do pond azam He borrowed two
qarz gereft. pounds from me.
Definite article for the object
When the object is known to both the speaker and the listener, the
speaker uses the word r1 after the object. It can be placed after
a name, a noun or a pronoun:
ahmad r1 didam. I saw Ahmad.

moàllem r1 didam. I saw the teacher.
u r1 didam. I saw him/her.
(See pp. 54ff.)

Adjectives and adverbs
Most adjectives may also be used as adverbs:

ahmad x1nande-ye xubie.
Ahmad is a good singer.
xub mixune. He sings well.
To produce a comparative form, we add the suffix -tar:
tehr1n az ma2had bozorg-tar ast.

Tehran is larger than Mashhad.
To produce a superlative form, we add the suffix -tarin:
tehr1n bozorg-tarin 2ahr-e ir1n ast.

Tehran is the largest city of/in Iran.
Irregular forms
These include:
xub good, well; behtar better; behtarin best
Note: Simple and comparative adjectives follow the noun; superlative
adjectives precede the noun.
m12in-e gerun (an) expensive car
m12in-e gerun-tar (a) more expensive car
gerun-tarin m12in the most expensive car
Prepositions
Some prepositions are formed by adding the ez1fe (a linking sound

-e, or -ye after a vowel) to a noun or an adverb (see section 4 below
for more on ez1fe).
d1xel interior
d1xel-e sinem1 in/inside the cinema
po2t back
po2t-e sinem1 behind the cinema
ru face; surface
ru-ye miz on the table
4 Grammar of the phrase

ezAfe
This is an -e sound which we add to a noun (or a noun phrase) to

link it to the following word(s). If the word immediately before the
ez1fe ends in a vowel, we use -ye instead. The use of ez1fe after a
noun often sends this message to the listener from the speaker:
I’m going to give you more information about the word(s) you
have just heard!
This ‘information’ may indicate ownership, origin, description, name,

and so on.
telefon-e jak Jack’s telephone

film-e ir1ni Iranian film
film-e bad bad film
film-e 1v1t1r the film Avatar
x1ne-ye bozorg big house
x1ne-ye bozorg-e m1 our big house
The ez1fe is also used in various prepositional phrases:
az taraf-e on behalf of (lit from

the side of )
be taraf-e towards (lit to the side
of )
az tariq-e by way of, via, through
be vasile-ye by means of
dar taraf-e cap-e on/to the left of
(See also pp. 21ff.)

5 Grammar of the sentence

Word order – statement
Here is a basic formula:
Subject + Time + Object + Manner + Place + Verb
pesaram be madrese mire.

My son goes to school.
pesaram har-ruz be madrese mire.

My son goes to school every day.
pesaram har-ruz b1 m12in be madrese mire.

My son goes to school by car every day.
man har-ruz pesaram r1 b1 m12in be madrese mibaram.

I take my son to school by car every day.
Word order – question
Structurally, questions are similar to statements. Their main difference

is in intonation.
2om1 ir1ni hastid.

( falling tone) You are Iranian.
2om1 ir1ni hastid?

( rising tone) Are you Iranian?
2om1 ki hastid?
( falling tone) Who are you?
2om1 koj1 hastid?

( falling tone) Where are you?
Intonation
You will note from the above examples that statements, as well as ques-
tions that begin with a question word (e.g. ‘who’, ‘where’, etc.) have a
falling tone. ‘Yes-no’ questions normally have a rising tone. This is similar
to English. However, in Persian, the question word normally carries the
sentence stress, while in English it is usually the verb that is stressed:
koj1 budi?
( ) Where were you? or Where have you been?
Note: A stressed question word in English would make the sentence
rather aggressive. The Persian sentence is neutral.
(See also pp. 7–8, 16 and 368.)
Verb – infinitive
Present and past stems
All Persian infinitives end with these two sounds -an, e.g.
xordan ‘to eat’, didan ‘to see’. Persian verbs have two stems
(or roots): present stem and past stem, used for present and past
tenses, respectively. The past stem is regularly obtainable from the
infinitive by omitting the last two sounds -an. Thus, the past stems
of the above verbs are xord and did, respectively. The
present stem is irregular. Therefore, with every new verb introduced,
its present stem is placed in round brackets after it:
xordan (xor) to eat
didan (bin) to see
Some verbs, such as those given above, are written and pronounced
in colloquial Persian as they are in literary Persian (i.e. newsreaders’
style). Some verbs may be colloquialised. This may affect only the
present stem (A), only the infinitive (B), or both (C):
(A) goftan (gu) to tell; to say (l )
goftan (g) to tell; to say (col )
(B) 1madan (1) to come (l )
umadan (1) to come (col )
(C) m1ndan (m1n) to stay (l )
mundan (mun) to stay (col )
To help the learner with written Persian (which mostly uses the liter-
ary style) both forms are provided in the Glossaries at the end of the
book. Only note that the literary present stem appears in square
brackets after the colloquial. Example:
goftan (g) [gu] to tell; to say
Infinitive used as a gerund

The gerund is a verbal-noun form, e.g. ‘eating’. ‘To eat’ and ‘eating’
are represented by the same form in Persian:
xordan to eat; eating
n1h1r s1ndevic xordam.
I ate a sandwich for lunch.
sargarmi-e man xordan ast!
My hobby is eating!
Tenses
Compared to English, Persian uses far fewer tense forms to refer

to acts or facts of past, present and future. Here’s the list using
my favourite verb xordan (xor) ‘to eat’. The following
scenario is not very exciting, but it provides a context for the various
tense forms used in English and Persian. The tense forms have been
underlined to make comparison easier.
Ahmad is in an Iranian restaurant contemplating his eating habits!
1
man har-ruz s1àt-e dav1zdah dar restur1n n1h1r mixoram.
I eat lunch in a restaurant at 12 o’clock every day.
2
diruz dar yek restur1n-e hendi n1h1r xordam.
I ate lunch in an Indian restaurant yesterday.
3*
fard1 dar yek restur1n-e it1li1yi n1h1r mixoram.
I will eat lunch in an Italian restaurant tomorrow.
(It takes Ahmad 2 hours to eat his lunch! He normally begins at 12
and finishes at 2 p.m. It is now a quarter past 2 p.m.)
4
n1h1r xorde-am.
I have eaten lunch.
5
diruz in vaqt, n1h1r xorde budam.
Yesterday (at) this time, I had eaten lunch.
6
fard1 in vaqt, n1h1r xorde-am.
Tomorrow (by/at) this time, I will have eaten lunch.
(It is now a quarter past 12 noon.)
7
(h1l1) d1ram n1h1r mixoram.
(Now) I am eating lunch.
8
diruz in vaqt, d12tam n1h1r mixordam.
Yesterday (at) this time, I was eating lunch.
9
fard1 in vaqt, d1ram n1h1r mixoram.
Tomorrow (at) this time, I will be eating lunch.
(It is now 1 p.m.)
10
yek s1àt ast ke d1ram n1h1r mixoram.
I have been eating lunch for one hour.
11
diruz in vaqt, yek s1àt bud ke d12tam n1h1r mixordam.
Yesterday (at) this time, I had been eating lunch for one hour.
12
fard1 in vaqt, yek s1àt ast ke d1ram n1h1r mixoram.
Tomorrow (at) this time, I will have been eating lunch for one hour.
*In literary Persian, the future tense is expressed according to this
formula:
x1h- + personal ending + past stem of verb

You will note that the literary present stem of the verb
‘to want’ is used as an auxiliary verb in the above formula. Here is
the full table:
Verb used: xordan (xor) to eat

Past stem: xord
man x1ham xord. I will eat.

to x1hi xord. You will eat. (inf )
u x1had xord. S/he will eat.
m1 x1him xord. We will eat.
2om1 x1hid xord. You will eat.
1nh1 x1hand xord. They will eat.
Subjunctive
When two verbs go together (and the second verb is somehow

affected or influenced by the first verb), the second verb takes a
simple subjunctive form:
Prefix be- + present stem of verb + personal ending
Thus:
dunestan (dun) to know

midunam. I know.
b1yad bedunam. I must /should know.
21yad bedunam. I might know.
momkene bedunam. I may know.
mix1m bedunam. I want to know.
mix1stam bedunam. I wanted to know.
When the second verb relates to past act or fact, it takes a perfect
subjunctive form:
Past stem of verb + -e + b12 + personal ending

Thus:
didan to see
man u r1 dideam. I have seen him.
21yad u r1 dide I might have seen him.
b12am.
b1yad u r1 dide I must have seen him.
b12am.
Passive voice
To turn an active verb into a passive form, we add the suffix -e

to its past stem followed by the verb 2odan (2) ‘to
become’:
poxtan to cook m
poxte 2odan (2) to be cooked
didan to see m
dide 2odan (2) to be seen
foruxtan to sell m
foruxte 2odan (2) to be sold
Intransitive, transitive, causative
When added to the present stem of a verb, the suffix -1ndan

(col -undan) turns an intransitive or transitive verb into causative:
x1bidan (x1b) to sleep

x1b1ndan (x1b1n) to cause . . . to sleep
xandidan (xand) to laugh
xand1ndan (xand1n) to cause . . . to laugh
xordan (xor) to eat
xor1ndan (xor1n) to cause . . . to eat
Conditionals
Type 1
age 1ntibiutik-o boxori, xub mi2i.

If you take the antibiotic, you’ll get well.
Type 2
age pul d12tam, yek m12in-e nou mixaridam.

If I had money, I would buy a new car.
age j1-ye man budi, ce-k1r mikardi?

If you were in my place, what would you do?
age f1rsi midunestam, mifahmidam ci mige.

If I knew Persian, I would understand what he says/said.
Type 3
age to telefon nemikardi, man telefon mikardam.

If you hadn’t phoned (me), I would have phoned (you).
Expressing a wish
(ei) k12 midunestam.

I wish I knew. (But I don’t.)
(ei) k12 21m naxorde budam.

I wish I hadn’t eaten dinner. (But I did).
Imperative
Add the prefix be- to the present stem. For the formal, also add
the personal ending id:
Verb needed: ne2astan (2in) ‘to sit down’.
be2in. Sit down. (inf )

be2inid. Sit down. (f )
6 Grammar of communication
‘Using the waste product of our respiratory system, we make one
of the most beautiful phenomena in existence, i.e. language.’ This
beautiful phenomenon has given mankind plenty of pleasure in the
form of poetry and literature. However, it can be equally devastating
and destructive if used inappropriately.
‘In cross-cultural communication, we often find ourselves bumping
our heads against invisible barriers.’ These invisible barriers can poten-
tially ruin relations between individuals, not to mention nations.
If we find a remark offensive, it is often because of its social inappro-
priateness rather than its grammatical inaccuracy. You can easily
hurt or offend a foreign friend with a perfectly grammatical sentence,
pronounced with a near-native accent!
We may have mastered all the ‘grammars’ mentioned above (1–5).
What may have been neglected here is the Grammar or Highway
Code of Communication, i.e. the culturally defined ‘rules of engage-
ment’: what to say to whom, where and when; how to say or not to
say it.
Let us remember that learning a foreign language without bother-
ing about the (often) culture-specific norms governing the use of that
language would be like learning how to drive a car without bothering
about the Highway Code!
What follows is only a small selection of the areas where English
and Persian do not seem to follow the same ‘Grammar of Commu-
nication’. These and many other similar areas need to be carefully
noted when speakers of English and Persian are attempting to
communicate with each other.
Politeness
People in both cultures are polite to one another, but the way in which
this is shown in language and behaviour is not always the same.
For instance, the frequency of occurrence of the word ‘please’ is far

greater in English than its dictionary equivalent in Persian: lotfan.
This often leads to misunderstanding in a cross-linguistic situation:
the English speaker may consider Iranians to be ‘rude because they
do not say “please” as often as they should’, while the Persian speaker
may conclude that his English friend does not wish their friendship
to grow any further to a point where what he considers to be an
‘overuse’ of such formality markers as the word ‘please’ would be
unnecessary!
Taboos (personalness)
Certain topics are considered personal in one culture and perhaps

not so in the other. For instance, when an Iranian notices that his
friend has just bought something, the first question that comes to
his mind would be about the price: ‘How much did you pay for it?’
This is often regarded as ‘personal’ in England. Other ‘enquiries’
considered generally acceptable in Iran, and perhaps not so in England,
may include questions about other people’s age, income, religion and
politics.
Joking
Joking exists in both cultures, but the areas in which this is allowed
are not always the same. An Iranian couple living in England take
their newborn baby to their family doctor to register. Upon seeing the
baby, the doctor says: ‘Who does he look like, the milkman?’ Not
surprisingly, the couple are infuriated by the doctor’s remark, which
is apparently a standing joke in England!
Complimenting
In England, it may be socially acceptable for a man to compliment

another man on the appearance of his wife. Such practice is almost
completely unacceptable in Iran.
Soothing
When an Iranian, A, consults another Iranian, B, about his own prob-

lem and seeks B’s advice, one way in which B may attempt to soothe
A, before he can come up with a practical solution, would be to try
to play down the enormity of the problem, by saying:
mohem nist (lit: It’s not important.)
This has led to many instances of misunderstanding between Iranians

and English people. Two actual examples, one at a personal level
and the other at the international level:
1 One of my students, an English lady, reported that one Saturday,

late afternoon, she said to her Iranian husband: ‘The shops are about
to close and we still haven’t bought my birthday cake.’ The husband
replied: ‘It’s not important.’ The wife was, understandably, infuriated!
2 In a TV interview, a British official once expressed his fury at what
he perceived to be lack of concern on the part of an Iranian official
towards the problem about which the former had sought the assist-
ance of the latter. The cause of the fury, according to the British
official, was that the Iranian official had said that the matter was ‘not
important’!
It is noteworthy that what was aimed at soothing and giving reassur-

ance actually burned! By saying mohem nist (lit It’s not
important) the Iranian individual was in fact attempting to downplay
the problem – or the difficulty of its solution – rather than belittle the
victim of the problem!
See also ‘Language and culture notes’ in each of the 17 units above,
notably the following:
ta`1rof in U9D1
Congratulating in U16D1
Persian–English glossary
The present stem/root of Persian verbs is irregular. Thus, the present

stem of each verb is given in round brackets where the verb is intro-
duced. To make life even easier, the present stem of most common
verbs is also given as separate entries in the Persian–English glossary.
This will be helpful when you meet a verb which is either new or has
slipped your memory. All you need to do is to remove the prefixes
and suffixes from the verb, and the verb root emerges. You can now
look it up in the Persian–English glossary.
For those who do not wish to learn Persian script (yet!) here is an
indication of the order in which Persian words are arranged in the
Persian–English glossary.
1, a/e/o,u,i
b, p, t, j, c, h, x, d, z, r, z, 3, s, 2, s, z, t, z,
1, a/e/o, u, i, q, f, q, k, g, l, m, n, v, h, y
Note: This is just a rough guide as the position of each word is

dictated by its Persian spelling. A stroke (/) shows some of the ‘vulner-
able’ boundaries. A more reliable guide would be the alphabet itself
(see pp. xviii–xix).
1 ps for 1te2 gereftan (gir)

umadan/ to catch fire
1madan 1te2-ne21ni Fire
1b water; juice Brigade
1b1n Aban (eighth 1xar last, end
month in Iranian 1xare2 final
calendar) (price)
1b-o-hav1 climate 1xar-e hafte
1bi blue weekend
1p1rtem1n 1xarin last
apartment, flat 1dres address
1r col ps for 1m1de prepared,

1vordan ready
1renj elbow 1mbul1ns
1re yeah ambulance
1z1d free 1mpul injection
1z1d 2odan (2) 1mrik1 America
to be freed 1mrik1yi American
1z1d kardan (kon) 1n it, that l
to free 1n1n1s pineapple
131ns taxi agency 1ntibiutik
1s1nsor lift, antibiotic
elevator 1nj1 there l
1sm asthma 1nh1 they l
1sem1n sky 1v1regi
1sun easy homelessness
12 soup (Iranian) 1v1re homeless
12paz cook, 1v1z song
chef 1var l ps for
12pazx1ne kitchen 1vardan
12pazxune kitchen 1vardan (1var)
col to bring l
12pazi cooking 1vordan (1r)
12pazi kardan to bring col
(kon) to do (the) 1h1 Ah, Aha, Oh
cooking 1heste slow(ly)
12en1 familiar; 1hang song, tune
acquainted; 1yande coming,
acquaintance next
1ft1bi sunny 1ine mirror
1q1 an honorific abr cloud
title used before abru eyebrow
or after a male abri cloudy
name oper1tor operator
1q1 gentleman, sir ot1q room
1q1-ye Mr ot1q-e x1b
1q1y1n gentlemen bedroom
1lm1n Germany ot1q-e yek-nafare
1lm1ni German single room
1lu plum ettef1q oft1dan
1m1degi (oft) to happen
preparation, otobus bus
readiness ej1re rent
380 Persian–English glossary
ej1reyi rented, az . . . parhiz

rental, for rent kardan (kon)
ej1re kardan (kon) to avoid . . .
to rent az-pi2 already
ej1ze permission azatun from you
ej1ze bedid allow az dast d1dan (d)
(me) to lose (e.g. a
ej1ze d1dan (d) job); to miss
to allow/let (lit to (e.g. a train)
give permission) ezdev1j marriage
ejr1 performance ezdev1j kardan
ejr1 kardan (kon) (kon) to marry
to perform az-qabl already
ehs1s feeling az . . . lezzat
ehs1s kardan bordan (bar)
(kon) to feel to enjoy . . .
ehs1n Ehsan (male az nazdik lit from
name) near/close; from
ahmadi Ahmadi close quarters
(surname) es short for
axb1r news ast ‘is’ [in
axiran recently Esfahani accent]
ed1re office asb horse
(department/ asb-sav1ri horse
organisation) riding
er1datmand esp1geti spaghetti
sincerely (yours) esp1ni1 Spain
arz1n cheap l esp1ni1yi Spanish
arze2 value, worth ast is
arzun cheap col estexd1m
arzidan (arz) to be employment
worth estexd1m kardan
ers1l farmudan (kon) to employ
(farm1) to send estaxr pool
(used for others) l estaxr-e 2en1
ers1l kardan (kon) swimming pool
to send l oster1li1 Australia
orkestr orchestra oster1li1yi
az from; of; than Australian
az . . . estef1de estef1de use,
kardan (kon) using
to use . . . estefr1q vomiting
estefr1q kardan eq1mat kardan

(kon) to vomit (kon) to stay/
esfen1j spinach reside
esk1tland Scotland agar if l
esk1tlandi Scottish age if col
esken1s banknote al`1n now, right now
eski ski, skiing albatte of course
eski kardan (kon) alou hello
to ski (telephone)
esm name amm1 but
esh1l diarrhoea emruz today
e2teh1 appetite emruz ba`d-az-
e2k1l problem, zohr this
difficulty afternoon
e2k1li nad1re OK, emruz sobh this
it’s OK morning
esfah1ni Esfahani, em2ab tonight, this
of/from Esfahan evening
aslan at all; emz1 signature
originally emz1 2odan (2) to
ez1fe extra, be signed
additional emz1 kardan (kon)
atr1f sides; to sign
quarters omid hope
ettel1` information, omidv1r hopeful
awareness an1r pomegranate
ettel1`1t ente21r1t
information; publications
intelligence anj1m d1dan (d)
ettel1` d1dan (d) to do; to carry out
to inform and1xtan (and1z)
e`teb1r credit to throw/put (in)
e`l1m kardan (kon) and1z ps for
to announce and1xtan
aqlab often; and1ze size
frequently ango2t-e p1 toe
oft ps for ango2t-e dast
oft1dan finger
oft1dan (oft) ango2t-e 2ast
to fall thumb
eq1mat residence; engelest1n
stay England
engelis England imeil email

engelisi English in this
(language/person) in atr1f around
angur grapes here (lit these
av1xer-e oktobr quarters/sides)
late October internet Internet
av1set-e oktobr inj1 here, this
mid-October place
av1yel-e oktobr in harfh1 cie?
early October Don’t mention it.
avval first in-tour in this way
avvalin first inke the fact that
umadam I came inh1 these
umadan (1) in-ham here is
to come (lit this also)
un it, that; he, she ei-v1i! Oh dear!
col b1 by; with
unj1 there col b1 . . . 12en1
unke the fact that 2odan (2) to get
un-vaqt then to know . . . ;
(lit that time) to meet . . .
unh1 they, those (first time)
col b1 in hes1b given
ahl-e ir1n native of the situation
Iran b1b1 dad
ahl-e . . . budan b1b1-bozorg
(hast) to come granddad
from . . . b1je counter,
it1li1yi Italian cashier’s desk
ir1n Iran b1 . . . harf zadan
ir1ni Iranian (zan) to talk
ir1ni1n Iranians l to . . .
ir1nih1 Iranians b1xtan (b1z)
ist ps for to lose
ist1dan b1xti you lost
ist1dan (ist) b1d wind
to stand up b1denj1n
istg1h station; aubergine
stop b1r time(s)
i2un he, she pol; b1r1n rain
(originally) they b1r1ni rainy;
ei-k12 I wish raincoat
b1run rain col b1l1-ye above,

b1run umadan (1) over
to rain bel àks vice versa
b1runi rainy; b1nk bank
raincoat col b1h12un with
b1z ps for them
b1xtan b1h1m with me
b1z open b1-ham together
b1zarg1ni b1yad must,
commerce, should
commercial, bebax2id sorry,
business forgive/excuse
b1z 2odan (2) (me)
to be opened bebar take/carry
b1z kardan (kon) (please)
to open bebinam (for me
(something) to) see
b1z konid open bebiname2 (for me
(please) to) see it
b1zu arm bebinim (for us to)
b1zi game; playing see
b1zi kardan (kon) bepicid turn
to play (a game) (please)
b12 imp/sub stem bacce child
for budan bax2 ps for
b12ad l for bax2idan
b12e bax2idan (bax2)
b12e may it be; to forgive
let it be; OK; bex1bam (for me
so be it to) sleep
b12id may you be; bex1id (if ) you
(please) be want
b1 kasi ezdev1j bexunam (for me
kardan (kon) to) read
to marry bexuname2 (for
someone me to) read it
b1 kasi mol1q1t bad umadan (1)
kardan (kon) to dislike
to meet with badminton
someone badminton
b1l1 up, upstairs badan body
belàxare at last bedun-e without
bede (may He) barn1me plan;

give programme;
bez1ram shall I timetable
put berenj rice
bez1rid (for you to) berit1ni1 Britain
put; (please) put berit1ni1yi British
bez1rid ken1r set bozorg big, large;
aside old; great
bar ps for bozorg1n great
bordan people
bar on l bozorgtarin eldest;
bar1t for you inf biggest
bar1tun for you bozorg-s1l adult
bar1dar brother bastan (band)
bar12 for him/her/it to close, to shut
bar1m for me bastani ice cream
bar1mun for us baste parcel;
bar1ye for; for the closed
purpose of baste 2odan (2)
bar1yat for you l to be closed
inf be2e (it may)
bar1ye didan-e become; (if it)
x1leam in order becomes
to see my aunt be2inid sit down
bar1ye 2om1st (please)
(it)’s for you be2inim (for us to)
bar1yam for me l sit down
bar d12tan (d1r) ba`d then,
to pick up afterwards
bordan (bar) ba`dan later
to take/carry; ba`d-az after (time),
to win following; after
bordi you won (space), past
barf snow ba`d-az-zohr
barf umadan (1) afternoon
to snow ba`zi az some of
barq electricity; ba`zi-vaqth1
lightning sometimes
barqi electric(al) beferestid you
barakat blessing (can) send
bar ga2tan (gard) befarm1yid here
to return you are
befarm1yid go busidan (bus)

ahead please to kiss
befarm1yid What buq-e 1z1d dialling
can I do for you? tone
befarm1yid help be in; to
yourself bah1r spring
baqiye the rest (season)
begam (for me to) be-estel1h
say supposedly
begid (for you to) be omid-e in the
say/tell/ask hope of
bel1f1sele bah-bah! Wow!
immediately How lovely!
balad able to do behtar better
(or familiar with) behtarin best
the stated thing behtarin leb1s
balad 2odan (2) best clothes,
to learn Sunday best
boland long; tall; be(h)etun to you
loud be-xeir may it be
bolandtar taller; good
louder behz1di Behzadi
bolandtar sohbat (family name)
kardan (kon) be-zudi soon (in
to speak up the near future)
boland 2odan (2) be-saxti
to get up with difficulty
boluz blouse be . . . sal1m
bale yes resundan
belit ticket (resun) to say
band ps for hello to . . .
bastan be(h)e2 to him/her/
bandar port it
bu smell behe2 to him/her/it
bu d1dan (d) be . . . al1qe
to smell d12tan (d1r)
bud was to be interested
budan (hast) (b12) in . . .
to be be f1rsi in Persian
bur blond(e) be . . . komak
bus ps for kardan (kon)
busidan to help . . .
be-mouqe` in time p1rk kardan (kon)

be-nodrat rarely to park
be nazar umadan p1rking car park
(1) to seem p1ris Paris
be . . . neg1h p1risi Parisian
kardan (kon) p1sport passport
to look at . . . p12ne heel
bi1ram shall I bring p1kest1n Pakistan
bi1rand (for them p1kest1ni
to) bring Pakistani
bi1rid bring p1ltou overcoat
(please) p1nzdah fifteen
bi1id come (please) p1nsad five
bi-x1bi hundred
sleeplessness, p1yiz autumn
insomnia p1yin down
bid1r awake p1yin-e below,
bid1r 2odan (2) beneath
to wake up p1yintar further
birun out, outside down
birun-e outside poxtan (paz)
(of ) to cook
bist twenty poxte 2odan (2)
bist o yekom to be cooked
twenty-first pedar father
bi2tar more; more pedaretun
often; mostly your father
bi2tar-e vaqth1 pedaram
most of the my father
times pedar o m1dar
bim1r patient; ill, parents col
sick pazir1yi reception
bim1rest1n por full
hospital por az full of
bein-e between porteq1l orange
bin ps for por-ru cheeky
didan por-ruyi
bini nose cheekiness
p1 foot pors ps for
p1rti party porsidan
p1rs1l last year porsidan (pors)
p1rk park (garden) to ask /enquire
por kardan (kon) panj1h fifty

to fill in panj-tomani a
parviz Parviz five-tuman piece
(male name) panjare window
parhiz diet panj s1le ke it’s
(avoiding certain five years that
food items) panj-2anbe
pariruz day before Thursday
yesterday panjom fifth
periz socket panjomin fifth
(electricity) panir cheese
paz ps for penisilin penicillin
poxtan pust skin
pas so, then, in poster poster
that case pu2 ps for
pas-az . . . after . . . pu2idan
post mail, post pu2idan (pu2) to
post-e elekteronik wear, to put on
email pul money
postci postman pul-e tam(b)r
postxune post postage
office col (lit money for
posti postal stamp)
pas d1dan (d) to pul-d1r rich
return (something poliver pullover,
bought) sweater
pesar son, boy pond pound (£)
pas gereftan (gir) pahlu-ye beside,
to take back next to
(by seller) pahluyi adjacent,
po2t back next-door
po2t-e behind pi1de on foot
po2t-e dast back pi1de 2odan (2)
of hand to get off/out
pel1k number (on pi1de mi2am
a house door) I’ll get off/out
polis police pi1z onion
polisi detective, pi1no piano
relating to police pi1nist pianist
pomp-e benzin pitz1 pizza
petrol station pitz1-foru2i
panj five pizza shop
pic ps for t1s bald

picidan t1ksi taxi
picid s/he turned te`1tr theatre
picidan (pic) to turn tab fever,
peid1 kardan (kon) temperature
to find tab d12tan (d1r)
pir1han shirt, dress to have a
l temperature
pirhan shirt, dress tabdil conversion;
col changing
pi2 last, ago tabdil kardan
pi2-az . . . (kon) to change
before . . . tabrik
pi2-bini forecast congratulations
pi2-qaz1 starter tabrik goftan
pi2ke2 gift (g)[gu] to
pi2nah1d congratulate
suggestion, topoli plump
proposal topolih1 plump
pi2nah1d kardan ones
(kon) to suggest tahmil kardan
pi2nah1di (kon) to impose
proposed taxt (short for
peiq1m message taxtex1b)
peivast attached bed
t1 unit(s); piece(s); taxtex1b bed
up to; as far as; taxte-nard
in order to; until backgammon
t1best1n summer l toxm-e morq egg
t1bestun summer tar1zu scale
col tar12 ps for
ta`sir impact tar12idan
t1 h1l1 by now; tar12idan (tar12)
until now to shave
ta`xir delay ter1fik traffic
t1r tar (Iranian tarjome translation
musical tarjome kardan
instrument) (kon) to translate
t1rix date tarjihan preferably
t1rix-e tavallod tarjih d1dan (d)
date of birth to prefer
t1ze fresh; new tor2i pickles
tarak ps for telefon-e

tarakidan hameg1ni
tark kardan (kon) public telephone
to leave televizion
tarakidan (tarak) television
to burst tam1s gereftan
ta2akkor gratitude, (gir) to contact
thanks tam121 watching
ta2akkor kardan tam121 kardan
(kon) to thank (kon) to watch
te2negi thirst tam1m finished
te2ne thirsty tam1m-e all/whole
tas1dof accident, of
collision tam(b)r stamp
tasmim decision tamum finished col
tasmim gereftan tamum-e all/whole
(gir) to decide of col
ta`1rof polite ritual tamum 2odan
ta`1rof kardan to be finished
(kon) to stand on tamum kardan
ceremony (kon) to finish
ta`rif compliment (something)
ta`rifi nad12t tamiz clean
nothing to write tamiz kardan (kon)
home about to clean
ta`til closed (bank, tanbal lazy
etc.) tanh1 alone;
ta`til1t holiday(s) lonely
taqvim diary, tanh1yi loneliness
calendar tenis tennis
taklif homework tu in; into col
tekke piece tu1let toilet
tagarg hail tav1n ps for
tagarg umadan (1) tav1nestan
to hail tav1nestan (tav1n)
telefon telephone, to be able l
telephone (call) tut-farangi
telefon kardan strawberry
(kon) to touzih explanation
telephone touzih d1dan (d)
telefon-e hamr1h to explain
mobile phone tuf1n storm
tuf1ni stormy ja2n celebration

tuf1ni-budan ja2n-e tavallod
storminess birthday party/
tavallod celebration
birth; birthday ja2n gereftan (gir)
tavallodet to celebrate
mob1rak ja`fari Jafari (family
Happy birthday name)
to you joft pair
tum1n tuman jelom in front of
(Iranian currency me col
= 10 rials) jelo-ye in front of
toman tuman col jeliqe waistcoat,
(Iranian currency vest
= 10 rials) jomè Friday
tun ps for jomle sentence
tunestan jen1b-e 1q1-ye . . .
tunestan (tun) Dear Mr . . .
to be able col jen1b-1li?
tu-ye in; into col Who’s calling?
tehr1ni Tehrani, jonub south
from Tehran jav1b answer
tir arrow jav1b d1dan (d)
tire dark (colour) to answer
ti-2ert T-shirt jav1n young
tim team juje-kab1b chicken
s1nie second kebab
(1/60 minute) jur kind, sort,
j1 place, seat type col
j1tun your place jur1b sock(s)
j1ru kardan (kon) jougandomi grey
to sweep, to (of hair)
vacuum clean javun young col
j1leb interesting jib pocket
j1yat your place l jib-bor
j1yi somewhere pickpocket
josse build, body c1r-2une
jod1 separate broad-shouldered
jeddan seriously, c1q fat
really c1ne chin
jadid new (latest) c1i tea
jozìy1t details cap left
cer1 ‘yes’ to a cand how much;

negative what
question/ cand t1 how many
suggestion col; a few
cer1 why cand vaqt
cer1q light(s), lamp how long
cerk infection cand vaqte how
cerk kardan (kon) long is it
to become candin several
infected; to have candin b1r
an infection several times
ca2m by all means cang1l fork
(responding to a con because
request) cune bezanid
ce2m eye (for you to)
ce2e what’s wrong haggle
with it/him/her cune zadan (zan)
cetour how; how to haggle
about ce what
cetour 2od how cah1r four
come (lit how it cah1rdah
became) fourteen
cetour mage? cah1r-r1h
What about it? cross-roads;
Why do you ask? intersection
But why? cah1r-2anbe
ceqadr how much Wednesday
(amount) cah1rsad
cek cheque four hundred
cek kardan (kon) cah1rom fourth
to check cah1romin fourth
cakme boot(s) ce s1àti
cegune how l what time
celou-kab1b ce-k1r
chelo-kabab (rice what (activity)
with kebab) ce-k1r mikonid?
camedun suitcase What do you do?
camedunetun cehel forty
your suitcase ci what col
cand how many l ciz thing
cand how much cizi anything;
(price) something
ciz-e x1ssi hass1siyat allergy

anything special; hess kardan (kon)
any special thing to feel
cin China hasud jealous
cini Chinese hasudi jealousy
cie what’s hoquq salary
h1dese accident, hamum bathroom
incident col
h1zer ready hav1le order
h1zer 2odan (2) houle towel
to get ready hay1t garden;
h1zer kardan courtyard
(kon) to make heif pity, alas
ready x1reji from
h1fez Hafez (a overseas,
name) foreigner; foreign
h1fez protector x1ss special,
h1feze memory specific
h1l health, state of x1kestari grey
well-being; mood x1le aunt
h1l1 now (maternal)
h1letun your health x1li vacant; empty
h1le2-o mood for it x1mu2
h1melegi switched off
pregnancy x1mu2 2odan (2)
h1mele pregnant to go out (lights)
hatman certainly x1mu2 kardan
hadd-e aqal (kon) to switch/
at least turn off; to
hadd-e aksar extinguish
at most; x1me cream
at the latest x1nom wife,
hads zadan (zan) madam, lady
to guess x1nom-e Ms/Mrs
hodud-e about, x1nev1de family
approximately x1ne house, home
harf speech, x1var-e mi1ne
conversation Middle East
harkat kardan xob OK, so; well
(kon) to depart; xabar news item
to start a xej1lati shy
journey xod1 God
xod1 h1fez xandidan (xand)

Goodbye to laugh
[lit God be your xonak cool
protector] x1 col ps for
xod1 negahd1r x1stan
Goodbye x1b sleep,
[lit God be your sleeping; asleep
protector] l x1b ps for
xedmat service x1bidan
xar ps for x1bidan (x1b)
xaridan to sleep
xar1b broken x1stan (x1) [x1h]
(not working); to want; to ask
bad (rotten), x1nande singer
off x1h l ps for
xarboze melon x1stan
xord small x1har sister
xarid shopping, x1he2 request
buying x1he2 kardan
xarid kardan (kon) (kon) to request
to shop x1he2 mikonam
xaridam I bought I request (you
xaridan (xar) not to say such
to buy things)
xaride 2odan (2) x1he2 mikonam
to be bought please; I request
xastegi tiredness, x1he2 mikonam
fatigue no problem
xaste tired (responding to
xaste-konande apology)
boring, tiring x1he2 mikonam
xo2k dry you’re welcome
xatar danger x1he2 mikonam
xatarn1k by all means
dangerous xub fine, good,
xalij gulf well
xalij-e f1rs xub1n the good
Persian Gulf (i.e. good
xamir-dand1n people)
toothpaste xub 2odan (2)
xand ps for to get well
xandidan xod own; self
xodet your own; xo2-h1li happiness

yourself (inf ) xo2-ru friendly,
xodetun your own; cheerful
yourself xo2-ruy1n friendly/
xodetun your own; cheerful people
yourselves xo2maze tasty,
xode2 himself/ delicious
herself; his/her xo2vaqt pleased
own; itself/its own xo2vaqtam
xode2un I’m pleased
themselves; xun ps for
their own xundan
xodam my own; xundan (xun) to
myself read; to study; to
xodemun sing; reading col
ourselves; xune home, house
our own col
xor ps for xi1b1n street l
xordan xi1b1n-e d1wning
xor1ki food Downing Street
(general) xi1bun street col
xord (s/he) ate xi1r cucumber
xordam I ate xeili very; many;
xordan (xor) to much; a lot (of )
eat; to drink col; xeili mamnun
to have; to take much obliged
(medicine) xeilih1 many
xo2 happy; people
pleasant(ly) d col ps for
xo2 umadan (1) d1dan
to like; to fancy d1èm constantly
xo2 umadid d1xel-e inside (of );
welcome into
xo2baxt1ne luckily, d1d12 brother col
fortunately d1dan
xo2 begzare (d)[dah][deh] to
Have a nice time give; to pass vt
xo2 be h1let d1r ps for
lucky you; good bar d12tan
for you d1r ps for
xo2-tip handsome d12tan
xo2-h1l happy d1ru medicine
d1rid you have daraje degree

d12tam mirundam dard ache, pain
I was driving dar dastras
d12tan (d1r) available; within
(d12te-b12) access
to have dard kardan (kon)
d12te-b12 imp/sub to ache
stem for dard gereftan (gir)
d12tan to begin to ache
d12te-b12i (if you) dars lesson
have dorost correct(ly),
d1q hot right; just,
(temperature) exactly
d1m1d groom, dorost kardan
bridegroom; (kon) to make;
son-in-law to fix
d1man skirt dars xundan (xun)
d1n ps for to study
d1nestan dars d1dan (d)
d1nestan (d1n) to teach
to know l dars midam
d1ne2ju student I teach
d1ne2juy1n dars midid
students you teach
d1ne2g1h university dar zemn in the
d1yi uncle meantime,
(maternal) meanwhile;
doxtar daughter; incidentally
girl dar taraf-e cap-e
doxtar-d1yi cousin on the left
(maternal uncle’s side of
daughter) dar taraf-e r1st-e
dar at, in, on; door on the right
col side of
dar1mad income dar-tul-e during
der1z ke2idan dar moq1bel-e
(ke2) to lie down vis-à-vis,
der1z ke2ide (s/he) against
is lying (down) dary1 sea
darb door l dozd thief, robber,
dar-b1re-ye about, burglar
concerning dast hand
dast-poxt docarxe-sav1ri
cooking, cuisine bicyle riding,
dastxatt cycling
handwriting do-x1be two-
dastrasi access bedroomed; with
dast-e 2om1 two bedrooms
dard nakone dour-e around
Thank you dur far away, distant
dast-2uyi toilet durbin camera
dastke2 gloves dust friend
deser dessert dust1n friends
da`v1 fight n dust d12tan (d1r)
da`vat invitation to like
da`vat 2odan (2) dustam my friend
to be invited du2 shower
da`vat kardan do-2anbe Monday
(kon) to invite duq yoghurt drink
daftar office (salted)
(room, building); dovvom second
book dovvomi the
daftarce-ye second one
telefon dovvomin second
phonebook dun ps for
daf è-ye ba`d dunestan
next time dunestan (dun) to
daqiqe minute know (something)
doktor doctor col
del heart (also dune number, unit
‘stomach’!) col
dalil reason duneyi by number
donb1l-e . . . duneyi each
ga2tan (gard) devist two hundred
to look for . . . dah l ps for
dand1n tooth d1dan
dand1n-dard de(h) imp inf ps for
toothache d1dan
dony1 world dah ten
do two dah1n mouth
dav1 medicine col dah s1le2e s/he’s
dav1zdah twelve 10 years old
dob1re again (lit it’s 10 years
docarxe bicycle of him/her)
dahomin tenth r1h raftan (r)

did1r seeing, to go, to move;
meeting, to walk
visiting r1hnam1 indicator
didan (bin) to see; r1hnam1yi advice,
seeing guidance
didane2 to see raìs boss
her/him/it rob` quarter (of
dide 2odan (2) an hour)
to be seen rezerv kardan
dir late (kon) to book /
diruz yesterday reserve
di2ab last night re3im diet
dige else, other, re3im d1ram
more; no more; I’m on a diet
no longer; (lit I have diet)
from now res ps for
z1r col ps for residan
goz12tan restur1n restaurant,
r col ps for canteen
raftan resun ps for
r1 object marker resundan
r1hat easy, resundan (resun)
comfortable to convey/send
r1dio radio resid receipt
r1st right (not left); residan (res)
truth to arrive/reach
r1ste2 actually, re2te subject,
to be honest branch/field of
(lit its truth) study
r1sti by the way rez1 Reza (male
r1zi happy, name)
satisfied ra`d thunder
r1n thigh raftan (r) [rav]
r1nandegi [rou] to go;
driving going
r1nandegi rafte has gone
kardan (kon) raqs dance
to drive; to do raqs ps for
the driving raqsidan
r1h way, raqsidan (raqs)
distance to dance
rang colour ri2 beard

rav l ps for ri2-tar12 shaver
raftan z1nu knee
-ro object marker zab1n language,
col tongue
rou inf imp ps for zab1n-2en1s
raftan linguist
ru on col zab1n-2en1si
ru be facing linguistics
ru-be-ru-ye zab1n-e m1dari
opposite; facing mother tongue
ruz day zahmat trouble
ruzn1me zahmat d1dan (d)
newspaper to trouble/bother
ruzi per day; each zahmat ke2idan
day (ke2) to take
rusari headscarf trouble
rou2an switched zadan (zan) to hit;
on, on; light to play (musical
(colour) instrument)
rou2an 2odan (2) zarto2ti Zoroastrian
to come on zard yellow
(lights) zard1lu apricot
rou2an kardan zerang clever
(kon) to turn/ zoq1l charcoal
switch on; zel1nd-e nou New
to light Zealand
rolz-rois zemest1n winter
Rolls-Royce zemestun winter
run ps for col
rundan zan ps for
rundan (run) zadan
to drive col zan woman;
ru-ye on wife
ruye-ham in total zend1n prison
ri1zi maths zendegi life
ri1l rial (Iranian zendegi kardan
currency) (kon) to live
rixtan (riz) to pour; zang zadan (zan)
to spill to ring, to phone
riz ps for zud early, soon,
rixtan quick(ly)
zahr poison sabzi fresh herbs,

zahr1 Zahra greens
(female name) sabzij1t vegetables
zi1d many, plenty, sebil moustache
much sept1mbr
zib1 beautiful September
zib1yi beauty set1re star
zir-e under, below sax1vat generosity
zirpu2 underwear saxt difficult,
31pon Japan hard
31poni Japanese saxti difficulty;
31ket cardigan hardship
31kete2 the soxanr1n speaker
cardigan (lit its soxanr1ni
cardigan) speech; lecture;
s1xt-e ir1n made presentation
in Iran saxi generous l
s1xtem1n building sar head
s1xtemun building sar-e at; on
col sorx red
s1àt clock, watch, sard cold adj
time, hour sar-dard headache
s1àt cande? sar-e 2om1 dard
What time is it? nakone You’re
s1q-e p1 leg welcome
s1k bag, holdall soràt speed
s1ket quiet sorfe cough
s1k-dasti handbag, sorfe kardan (kon)
holdall to cough
s1l year sar-e k1r at work
s1l1d salad sark1r
s1lgard anniversary x1nom-e . . .
s1lon hall Dear Ms . . .
s1l-e nou New sargarmi hobby
Year sarm1 cold n
s1li a year; each/ sarm1-xordegi
per year cold n (state of
s1ntiger1d having caught
centigrade a cold)
s1ndevic sandwich sarm1 xordan
s1yer-e other l (xor) to catch
sabz green a cold
sormeyi navy blue superm1rket

seri1l serial supermarket
sari` fast suxtan (suz)
sos sauce to burn/sting
satl-e 12q1l sud1be Sudabeh
dustbin, garbage (female name)
can suz ps for
sa`y kardan (kon) suxtan
to try (to attempt) souq1t souvenir
sa`y mikonam sevvom third
I’ll try sevvomin third
sef1rat embassy suh1n a sweet
sef1re2 order se three
sef1re2 d1dan (d) sohr1b Sohrab
to order (male name)
sef1re2i registered se-2anbe Tuesday
(mail) si thirty
sef1re2i kardan si1h black
(kon) to register sib apple
(mail) sib-e zamini
safar journey, visit, potato
trip sir full (fully fed);
safar kardan (kon) garlic
to travel sizdah thirteen
sefid white sisad three
sokut silence hundred
sokut kardan sig1r cigarette
(kon) to keep sig1r ke2idan
silent/quiet (ke2) to smoke
sekke coin cigarette(s)
sal1m hello sinem1 cinema
sal1mat health sine chest
semin1r seminar si o yekom thirty-
senn age first
sangin heavy 2 col ps for
sav1r 2odan (2) 2odan
to get on/board 21d joyful
(a vehicle) 21di joy
so`1l question 21l-e gardan
suyic-e m12in scarf
car key 21m dinner
sup soup 21mel inclusive
21mel-e . . . 2odan 2ast sixty

(2) to include . . . 2atranj chess
21nzdah sixteen 2akk doubt
21ne shoulder 2ekar sugar
21yad maybe, (granulated)
perhaps; might 2ekast defeat
2ab night; evening; 2ekast xordan
eve (xor) to be
2abi per night defeated
2ajari1n Shajarian 2ekast d1dan (d)
(Iranian singer) to defeat
2axsi personal 2ekastan (2ekan)
2eddat severity to break
2odan (2)[2av][2ou] 2ekaste-nafsi
to become; to kardan (kon)
happen; to be to be modest
possible; to cost (self-deprecate)
2adid severe 2ekl shape
2ar1yet conditions, 2ekam belly
terms 2ekan ps for
2arbat syrup 2ekastan
2arq east 2alqam turnip
2erkat company, 2alv1r trousers
firm 2alv1r-e jin jeans
2erkat kardan 2om1 you (f )
(kon) to take 2om1re number
part 2om1re telefon
2armande telephone
ashamed number
2oru` 2odan (2) 2om1l north
to begin vi 2omor ps for
2oru` kardan (kon) 2omordan
to begin 2omordan (2omor)
(something) vt to count
2ast-e p1 big toe 2omorde clear(ly)
2ostan (2ur)[2ui] 2omorde 2odan (2)
to wash to be counted
2oste 2odan (2) 2emrun col for
to be washed 2emir1n
2e2 six Shemiran (place
2e2sad six hundred name)
2e2om sixth 2en1 swimming
2en1xtan (2en1s) s1heb owner

to recognise; to sobh morning
know (someone) sobh1ne
2en1s ps for breakfast l
2en1xtan sobhune breakfast
2en1 kardan (kon) col
to swim sabr patience
2anbe Saturday sabr kardan (kon)
2enav ps for to wait, to
2enidan exercise
2enou imp inf ps patience, to
for bear with (the
2enidan speaker)
2enidan (2enav/ sabur patient, with
2enou) to hear patience
2enide 2odan (2) sohbat speaking
to be heard sohbat kardan
2enidi did you (kon) to speak
hear sad hundred
2av l ps for sed1 voice; sound;
2odan noise
2ou imp inf ps for sed1 kardan (kon)
2odan to call
2ur col ps for sefr zero
2ostan sandali chair
2of13 central sanduq-e post
heating (radiator) postbox
2ouhar husband sanduq-e aqab
2ahr city, town car boot, trunk
2ahrivar Shahrivar surat face
(fifth month in surat-hes1b bill
Iranian calendar) (restaurant)
2ir milk; tap; lion surati pink
2ir-k1k1ò hot zedd opposite
chocolate, milk tabaqe floor, storey
chocolate drink tarafh1 sides,
2irin sweet quarters, area
2irinih1 sweets, tusi grey
pastries tul length
2ik chic tul ke2idan (ke2)
2in col ps for to take (time)
ne2astan zarf dish, container
zarf-e within aks gereftan (gir)

zolm injustice, to take a picture
oppression al1qe interest
zohr noon al1qe-mand
1di normal, interested
ordinary al1qe-mand be . . .
1li excellent interested in . . .
ajab surprise aliz1de Alizadeh
ajale hurry, rush, (surname)
haste aleih-e against
ajale d12tan (d1r) omde main, major
to be in a amu uncle
hurry (paternal)
ajale kardan (kon) omumi public
to hurry amme aunt
er1q Iraq (paternal)
arz submission, eib problem
something eib nad1re
humbly said no problem
arz kardan (kon) einak glasses
to say qaz1 dish, food,
(something) meal
humbly qarb west
arus bride; qa2 kardan (kon)
daughter-in-law to faint, to
arusi wedding collapse
aziz dear qam sorrow,
asab1ni angry sadness
asr afternoon (late), qan1 richness
early evening qani rich
azole/azol1t qeir-e-momken
muscle/muscles impossible
ozv member f1rsi Persian, Farsi
atse sneeze f1rsi baladam
atse kardan (kon) I can speak
to sneeze Persian
akk1s f1sed off, rotten,
photographer bad, mouldy
akk1si f1ks/faks fax
photography f1mil family
aks picture, (extended),
photograph relative(s)
fotokopi farhang culture

photocopy farhang-e loqat
far1mu2 kardan dictionary
(kon) to forget ferizer freezer
far1nsavi French fesenjun a meat
(person) sauce (see menu
far1nse French in U9D1)
(language), fe`lan for now
France faqat only
fard1 tomorrow fekr thought, idea
ferest ps for fekr kardan (kon)
ferest1dan to think
ferest1dan (ferest) felfel pepper
to send felfel-e sabz
farq difference green pepper
form form fandak lighter
farm1 ps for futb1l football
farmudan fouran instantly
farm1ye2 business fouq above
(lit command) (mentioned)
farmudan (farm1) fahm ps for
a polite fahmidan
substitute for fahmidan (fahm)
kardan in to understand
compound verbs film film
(used for others) q1bel worth;
farmudan (farm1) worthy
to say (used only q1bel-e etmin1n
for others) reliable
foruxtan (foru2) q1beli a /any worth
to sell q1beli nad1re
foruxte 2odan (2) it has no worth;
to be sold don’t mention it
forudg1h airport q12oq spoon(ful)
farvardin Farvardin qabl ago
(1st month in qablan previously,
Iranian calendar) before; already
foru2 ps for qabl-az before
foruxtan (+noun)
foru2 selling, sale qabl-az-inke
foru2g1h before
store, shop (+sentence)
qabul kardan k1p2an jacket:

(kon) to accept bomber jacket
qadd height k1r work, job;
qad-boland activity,
tall (person) something to do
qadam zadan k1rt card
(zan) walking; k1rt-e e`teb1ri
to walk credit card
qadimi old k1rt-post1l
(thing/friend) postcard
qar1r arranged; k1rd knife
arrangement k1r kardan (kon)
qar1r goz12tan to work
(z1r) to arrange k1rgar labourer,
qorb1n Sir (used manual worker
by a junior in k1rmand civil
rank addressing servant; white-
a senior) collar worker
qorb1net cheerio k1fi enough
(lit your sacrifice!) k1fi-net
qors tablet, pill Internet café
qors-e makidani k1mpiuter
lozenge (lit computer
suckable tablet) k1mr1n Kamran
qermez red (male name or
qa2ang pretty, nice surname)
qasd intention k1mel complete
qasd d12tan (d1r) k1n1pe sofa,
to intend settee
qat1r train k1n1d1 Canada
qatre drop k1n1d1yi Canadian
qat` kardan (kon) k1hu lettuce
to interrupt kot jacket
qofl lock ket1b book
qalam pen ket1bx1ne library
qalami slim ket1bxune library
qalamih1 col
slim ones kot-o-2alv1r suit
qand sugar (cube) (lit jacket and
qahve coffee trousers)
qahveyi brown kasif dirty
qeimat price koj1 where
koj1st where’s kel1s class

koj1nd short for kal1ntari police
koj1 station
hastand where kol1h hat
are they koloft thick
koj1-ye where in; kalam cabbage
which part of kaleme col kalame
koj1yi where from word
kod-e posti kalimi Jewish
postcode kam little
kadu courgette kam-e2teh1 having
kodum which little appetite
ker1v1t necktie kambud shortage
ker1ye kardan kamtar less
(kon) to hire komedi comedy
kardan (kon) to do kamar waist, lower
karafs celery back
kerem cream kamarband belt
(colour) kamar-dard
kare butter backache
kerismas kam-ru inhibited,
Christmas bashful
kas person komak help
kasi someone kam-kam
kasi r1 bid1r gradually, little by
kardan (kon) little
to wake kami a little, a bit
someone up kon ps for
ke2 ps for kardan
ke2idan ken1r side
ko2 ps for ken1r-e by (the
ko2tan side of )
ko2tan (ko2) to kill ken1r goz12tan
ko2te 2odan (2) (z1r) to put /set
to be killed aside
ke2var country konsert concert
ke2idan (ke2) ku Where is it?
to draw, to pull; (col )
to smoke kut1h short
kaf-e dast palm of kucek small; young
hand kucektar younger;
kaf2 shoe(s) smaller
kucektarin gard-o-x1k dust

youngest; gorosnegi hunger
smallest gorosne hungry
kuce alleyway gereftan (gir)
ke that, which, to get, to obtain,
who; surely to catch; to get
kohne old (worn blocked
out) gerefte blocked
kei when (question garm warm
word) garm 2odan (2)
ki who to be warmed up;
kif bag to become warm
keik cake garm kardan (kon)
kilu kilo to warm
kilumetr kilometre (something) up
kiluyi by kilo/ gerun expensive
weight col
kiluyi per kilo gaz a sweet
kie who’s (who is) goftam I told
g ps for (myself ); I
goftan thought
g1r13 garage goftan (g)[gu]
g1z gas to say, to tell
g1hi occasionally gofte 2odan (2)
goz12tan (z1r) to be said/told
[goz1r] to put, gol-kalam
to leave; to allow, cauliflower
to let gol1bi pear
gozarn1me gol1bi-2ekl
passport pear-shaped
goza2tan (gozar) galu throat
to pass vi galu-dard sore
(speaking of throat
time) gom kardan (kon)
goza2te last, past to lose
gard ps for gon1h guilt, sin
bar ga2tan gu l & inf imp ps
gard ps for for goftan
ga2tan gav1hi-n1me
gerd round driving licence
garde2 touring gouje-farangi
gardan neck tomato
gu2 ear libi Libya

gu2 d1dan (d) to libi1yi Libyan
listen; listening (person)
gu2 kardan (kon) limu lemon
to listen; listening liv1n glass,
gu2t meat tumbler
gu2-dard earache m1dar mother
gu2i receiver m1dar-zan
gune cheek mother-in-law
gir ps for (wife’s mother)
gereftan m1dar-2ouhar
l1zem necessary, mother-in-law
needed (husband’s
l1zem d1ram mother)
I need m1st yoghurt
l1zem d12tan (d1r) m121(a)ll1(h)
to need May God preserve
l1qar slim him, her, etc.
lab lip m12in car
leb1s clothes m12in-qor1ze
leb1s-e polou-xori jalopy, old
best bib and banger
tucker m1l ps for
labxand smile m1lidan
labxand zadan m1l belonging,
(zan) to smile property
lase gum m1l-e u his/hers
lahze moment m1l-e unh1 theirs
lez1 therefore m1l-e to yours inf
lotf kindness m1l-e 2om1 yours
lotfan please, m1l-e m1 ours
kindly m1l-e man mine
lotf kardan (kon) m1lidan (m1l)
to give (kindly) to rub
lotf konid kindly m1m1n mum
give m1ntou robe (worn
landan London by women in
landani Londoner public in Iran)
lav1zem m1h month; moon
appliances m1hi per month
lule pipe m1hi fish
lahje accent m1yel inclined
m1yonez majbur kardan

mayonnaise (kon) to force
mob1rak blessed, moc-e p1 ankle
(may it be) moc-e dast wrist
blessed mahall place
mob1rak b12e mahalle area,
Congratulations neighbourhood
(lit may it be mox1lef opposed;
blessed) in disagreement
motaàssef1ne mox1lef b1
unfortunately; opposed to; in
I’m afraid disagreement with
motaàhhel maxsusan
married particularly
motarjem med1d pencil
interpreter, madrese school
translator modir manager,
metro metro, tube director
mot(a)2akker moz1kere
thankful; grateful negotiation
mot(a)2akkeram moz1kere kardan
I’m grateful; (kon) to
thanks negotiate
motaqayyer mar1 me l (short
changeable for man r1)
motafarreqe mor1jeè farm1yid
miscellaneous please report/go
motanavve` varied (to . . . )
motavasset mor1jeè kardan
average; medium (kon) to refer/
motavalled-e ir1n report/go (to . . . )
born in Iran morabb1 jam
mesl-e inke marj1n Marjan
it seems (female name)
mesl-e like (similar mard man
to) mord1d Mordad
majbur forced, (5th month in
compelled Iranian calendar)
majbur budan mard1n men
(hast) to have to mardom people
majbur 2odan (2) mordan (mir)
to be forced to die
mersi thanks ma2hadi

martub humid Mashhadi, from
morq chicken, hen Mashhad (city)
markaz centre mos1hebe
markaz-e telefon interview
telecom/ mot1leè reading
telephone centre (general)
markaz-e tehr1n mo`tadel
centre of Tehran moderate,
mariz ill, sick temperate
moz1hem ma`zerat x1stan
nuisance (x1) to apologise
mo3e eyelash ma`zerat mix1m
mos1beqe match, I apologise (lit I
competition, race want/beg pardon)
mos1fer passenger moàllem teacher
mos1ferat ma`mulan usually,
travelling, normally
holidaying maq1ze shop
mos1vi equal mofid useful
mos1vi 2odim maqtu` fixed
we drew (lit we mak ps for
became equal) makidan
masàle issue mok1teb1t
mostaqim straight correspondence
maskan mek1nik
accommodation mechanics;
mosakken mechanic
painkiller makidan (mak)
mosalm1n Muslim to suck
mosen old (person) makidani suckable
masihi Christian meg1b1it
mo2tari customer megabyte
mo2axxas specific, mage but
known mal1fe sheet
mo2axxas1t (bedding)
distinctive mol1q1t meeting
features; mol1q1t kardan
specifications (kon) to meet
mo2kel problem; mol1yem mild
difficult melli national
me2ki black melliyat nationality
momken possible mundan (mun)

momkene it’s to stay, to remain
possible; may meh fog
mamnun grateful, meh-1lud foggy
obliged; thank mehrabun kind
you (person) col
man I, me mehm1n guest l
mon1seb suitable, mehm1ni party l
appropriate mehmun guest col
montazer waiting mehmuni party col
mancesteri from mehmunit your
Manchester; party
Mancunian mohandes
manzel home, engineer (also a
residence title)
mon2i secretary mi1d he/she/it
manzare view, comes or will
scenery come
manzara2 mi1m I come
its view mi1id you come
man-o me miarze it’s worth
mu hair mibax2id you will
motorsiklet forgive (me)
motorbike mibarid will you
motorsiklet-sav1ri take/carry
motorbike riding mitunid can you
moured-e al1qe mixarand they buy
favourite mixaridam I would
mouz banana buy
muze museum mix1m I want
musiqi music mixunid you are
mouzu` subject, studying/reading
matter, topic mixunide2 will you
movaffaq read it
successful meid1n square,
movaffaq b12id circus
good luck midunid you know
(lit may you be mir ps for
successful) mordan
mouqe` time miresune he/she
mun ps for sends/conveys
mundan mirim we’ll go
miz table; desk nab2 corner

miz1n amount, rate nabud wasn’t
mi2e is it possible; natije result,
it becomes; it outcome
comes to noxost-vazir
miforu2id you sell Prime Minister
migam I (will) nerx rate
say/tell nazdik near,
meigu prawn close
miguyam I say l nazdik-e near,
meil inclination close to
meil d1rid would nazdiki proximity;
you like vicinity
milyun million ne2astan (2in)
milyuner millionaire [ne2in] to sit
mimunid you (will) down
stay ne2un target
mimunim we’ll stay ne2un d1dan (d)
minevisam I write to show
mive fruit na2e (if ) it doesn’t
n1padid invisible become
n1padid 2odan (2) nesf half
to disappear nazar opinion,
n1r1hat upset; view
uncomfortable nafar person/
n1rgil coconut people (when
n1renj sour orange counting)
n1renji orange nafas breath
(colour) nafas ke2idan
n1mzad fiancé, (ke2) to breathe
fiancée, engaged naqq12i
n1me letter painting
n1n bread naqd cash
n1nv1yi bakery; neg1h kardan
baker’s shop (kon) to look
n1h1r lunch negar1n worried
n1h1r-xori dining negar1n budan
(room) (hast) (b12) to
nab12id may you worry, to be
not be worried
nab1yad must not; negar1ni worry,
should not anxiety
negahd1r protector noh nine

negah d12tan nohsad nine
(d1r) to stop (a hundred
vehicle); to hold, nohom ninth
to keep ni1z need
nam1ye2n1me ni1z d12tan (d1r)
play (theatre) to require, to
namak salt need
namakdun niru-ye entez1mi
saltcellar, police force
saltshaker nim half
nemiz1re it doesn’t nayumadeand
let they haven’t
nemi2e it’s not come
possible niu-york New York
nemifahmam o and col
I don’t -o object marker
understand col
nou new (brand va and
new) v1red 2odan (2)
navad ninety [2av] to arrive,
nouruz New Year’s to enter
Day (Iranian) v1qeàn truly
nuzdah nineteen v1qe` dar
nu2 ps for located in
nu2idan v1ledein parents l
nu21be drink v1ll1 well [from
(bottled) Arabic
neve2tan (nevis) wall1h by God]
to write v1n bathtub
nu2-e j1n varze2 sport
bon appetit vorud entrance
nu2idan (nu2) vas1yel means;
to drink l things
nu2idani drink, a vas1yel-e 2axsi
drink (hot, cold) personal effects/
nou` kind, type, belongings
sort vaz` situation
nun bread col vaqt time
nevis ps for vaqti when
neve2tan vakil lawyer
na no vali but, however
violon violin helikopter

h12emi Hashemi helicopter
(family name) ham too, also;
hotel hotel even
hejdah eighteen hamcenin also
hadaf purpose, aim hamdige each
hedye present, gift other
har any; every hamr1h companion
har cand vaqt yek hams1ye
b1r how often neighbour
har-ce whatever; hamk1r colleague
to whatever hamk1ri
degree cooperation
har-ce zudtar hameg1ni public
as soon as hamun that same
possible (one)
har-ce zudtar hame all
behtar the hame-ciz
sooner the better everything
har-do both hama2 all of it
har ruz every day hama2-o all of it
hez1r thousand (plus r1)
hazine cost hame-ye all of
hast ps for hami2e always
budan hamin same; this
hast is (normally same/very
emphatic); there hamin-j1 right here
is/are (lit this very
hastam (I) am place)
ha2t eight hamin-j1h1
ha2t1d eighty somewhere
ha2tsad here
eight hundred hamin-tour
haft seven same way
haft1d seventy hendev1ne
haft1dom watermelon
seventieth hendune
haftsad watermelon col
seven hundred hendi Indian
hafte week honar art
hefdah seventeen honar-pi2e actor,
holu peach actress
honarh1-ye zib1 y1d memory,

fine arts recollection
hanuz still, yet y1detun b12e
hav1 weather remember (lit let
hav1peim1 it be in your
airplane, memory)
aeroplane y1detun hast? Can
hu2angi Hooshangi you remember?
(surname) y1d-e . . . kardan
houl 2odan (2) (kon) to
to panic; remember . . . ;
to become to think of . . .
nervous y1d gereftan (gir)
havij carrot to learn
hic none; nil y1dam nist I can’t
hic-j1 nowhere; remember
not anywhere y1d migiram I’m
hic-ciz nothing; learning
anything y1zdah eleven
hic-k1r nothing, yobusat constipation
no activity yax ice
hic-kod1m neither; yaxband1n frost,
none frosty
hic-kodum neither; yaxc1l fridge
none col ya`ni i.e.; you mean
hic-kas nobody; yek one, a, an
no one yek b1r once
hic-vaqt ever; yek-daf è suddenly
never; at any yek-2anbe Sunday
time yeki one unit
hicci nothing; yeki2un one of
anything col them
-i a, an yen-e 31pon
y1 or Japanese yen
English–Persian glossary
Important Note: Verbs are given in infinitive forms. Thus, e.g., for
‘eat’ look under ‘to eat’.
a, an -i actually r1ste2
a few cand t1 address 1dres
a little, a bit kami adjacent, next-door
a lot (of ) xeili pahluyi
a; one yek adult bozorg-s1l
able to do (or advice, guidance
familiar with) the r1hnam1yi
stated thing balad after (time),
about, approximately following; after
hodud-e (space), past
about, concerning ba`d-az
dar-b1re-ye after . . . pas-az . . .
above (mentioned) afternoon
fouq ba`d-az-zohr
above, over b1l1-ye afternoon (late) asr
accent lahje again dob1re
access dastrasi against aleih-e
accident, collision age senn
tas1dof ago pi2
accident, incident ago qabl
h1dese Ah, Aha, Oh 1h1
accommodation aim, purpose
maskan hadaf
ache dard airplane, aeroplane
acquaintance; hav1peim1
acquainted 12en1 airport forudg1h
activity, something all hame
to do k1r all of hame-ye
actor, actress all of it (plus r1)
honar-pi2e hama2-o
all of it hama2 appliances lav1zem

all/whole of col apricot zard1lu
tamum-e area, neighbourhood
all/whole of mahalle
tam1m-e arm b1zu
allergy hass1siyat around dour-e
alleyway kuce around here (lit
allow (me) ej1ze these quarters/
bedid sides) in atr1f
alone; lonely tanh1 arranged;
already az-pi2 arrangement qar1r
already az-qabl arrow tir
already qablan art honar
also hamcenin as soon as possible
always hami2e har-ce zudtar
am hastam ashamed 2armande
ambulance asthma 1sm
1mbul1ns at all; originally
America 1mrik1 aslan
American 1mrik1yi at, in, on dar
amount, rate miz1n at last belàxare
and col o at least hadd-e aqal
and va at most; at the latest
angry asab1ni hadd-e aksar
ankle moc-e p1 at; on sar-e
anniversary s1lgard at work sar-e k1r
answer jav1b attached peivast
antibiotic 1ntibiutik aubergine b1denj1n
any har aunt (maternal) x1le
anything special; any aunt (paternal)
special thing ciz-e amme
x1ssi Australia oster1li1
anything; nothing col Australian
hicci oster1li1yi
anything; nothing autumn p1yiz
hic-ciz available; within
anything; something access dar
cizi dastras
apartment, flat average motavasset
1p1rtem1n awake bid1r
appetite e2teh1 back of hand po2t-e
apple sib dast
418 English–Persian glossary
back po2t below, under zir-e

backache belt kamarband
kamar-dard beside, next to
backgammon pahlu-ye
taxte-nard best behtarin
bad (rotten), off best bib and
xar1b tucker leb1s-e
bad, off, rotten polou-xori
f1sed best clothes
badminton behtarin leb1s
badminton better behtar
bag kif between bein-e
bag, holdall s1k bicycle docarxe
bakery; baker’s bicycle riding, cycling
shop n1nv1yi docarxe-sav1ri
bald t1s big bozorg
banana mouz big toe 2ast-e p1
bank b1nk big, large; old; great
banknote esken1s bozorg
bashful, inhibited bill (restaurant)
kam-ru surat-hes1b
bathroom col birth; birthday
hamum tavallod
bathtub v1n birthday party/
beard ri2 celebration ja2n-e
beautiful zib1 tavallod
beauty zib1yi black me2ki
because con black si1h
bed taxtex1b blessed, (may it
bedroom ot1q-e x1b be) blessed
before (+noun) mob1rak
qabl-az blessing barakat
before (+sentence) blocked gerefte
qabl-az-inke blond(e) bur
before qablan blouse boluz
before . . . pi2-az . . . blue 1bi
behind po2t-e body badan
belly 2ekam bon appetit nu2-e
belonging, property j1n
m1l book daftar
below, beneath book ket1b
p1yin-e boot(s) cakme
boring, tiring by kilo/weight kiluyi

xaste-konande by now; until now t1
born in Iran h1l1
motavalled-e by the way r1sti
ir1n by; with b1
boss raìs cabbage kalam
both har-do cake keik
boy, son pesar camera durbin
bread col nun Canada k1n1d1
bread n1n Canadian k1n1d1yi
breakfast col canteen, restaurant
sobhune restur1n
breakfast sobh1ne car m12in
breath nafas car boot sanduq-e
bride arus aqab
bridegroom d1m1d car key suyic-e
Britain berit1ni1 m12in
British berit1ni1yi car park p1rking
broad-shouldered card k1rt
c1r-2une cardigan 31ket
broken (not working) carrot havij
xar1b cash naqd
brother bar1dar cauliflower
brother col d1d12 gol-kalam
brown qahveyi celebration ja2n
build, body josse celery karafs
building col centigrade
s1xtemun s1ntiger1d
building s1xtem1n central heating
bus otobus (radiator) 2of13
but amm1 centre markaz
but mage centre of Tehran
but, however vali markaz-e tehr1n
butter kare certainly hatman
buying xarid chair sandali
by (the side of ) changeable
ken1r-e motaqayyer
by all means charcoal zoq1l
(responding to a cheap arz1n
request) ca2m cheap col arzun
by all means x1he2 cheek gune
mikonam cheekiness por-ruyi
cheeky por-ru cold n (state of

cheese panir having caught
chelo-kabab (rice a cold) sarm1-
with kebab) xordegi
celou-kab1b cold n sarm1
cheque cek colleague hamk1r
chess 2atranj colour rang
chest sine comedy komedi
chic 2ik comfortable r1hat
chicken kebab coming, next 1yande
juje-kab1b commerce,
chicken, hen morq commercial,
child bacce business
chin c1ne b1zarg1ni
China cin companion hamr1h
Chinese cini company, firm
Christian masihi 2erkat
Christmas kerismas competition
cigarette sig1r mos1beqe
cinema sinem1 complete k1mel
circus, square compliment ta`rif
meid1n computer k1mpiuter
city 2ahr concert konsert
civil servant; white- conditions, terms
collar worker 2ar1yet
k1rmand Congratulations
class kel1s mob1rak b12e
clean tamiz congratulations
clear(ly) 2omorde tabrik
clever zerang constantly d1èm
climate 1b-o-hav1 constipation
clock s1àt yobusat
closed (bank, etc.) conversation harf
ta`til conversion;
closed baste changing tabdil
clothes leb1s cook, chef 12paz
cloud abr cooking 12pazi
cloudy abri cooking, cuisine
coconut n1rgil dast-poxt
coffee qahve cool xonak
coin sekke cooperation hamk1ri
cold adj sard corner nab2
correct(ly) dorost Dear Ms . . . sark1r

correspondence x1nom-e . . .
mok1teb1t decision tasmim
cost hazine defeat 2ekast
cough sorfe degree daraje
counter, cashier’s delay ta`xir
desk b1je desk; table miz
country ke2var dessert deser
courgette kadu details jozìy1t
cousin (maternal detective, relating to
uncle’s daughter) police polisi
doxtar-d1yi dialling tone
cream (colour) buq-e 1z1d
kerem diarrhoea esh1l
cream x1me diary, calendar
credit e`teb1r taqvim
credit card k1rt-e dictionary farhang-e
e`teb1ri loqat
cross-roads; diet (avoiding certain
intersection food items) parhiz
cah1r-r1h diet re3im
cucumber xi1r difference farq
culture farhang difficult mo2kel
customer mo2tari difficult, hard saxt
dad b1b1 difficulty e2k1l
dance raqs difficulty; hardship
danger xatar saxti
dangerous dining (room)
xatarn1k n1h1r-xori
dark (colour) tire dinner 21m
date t1rix director, manager
date of birth t1rix-e modir
tavallod dirty kasif
daughter doxtar dish qaz1
daughter-in-law dish, container zarf
arus distinctive features;
day ruz specifications
day before yesterday mo2axxas1t
pariruz doctor doktor
dear aziz Don’t mention it.
Dear Mr . . . jen1b-e in harfh1 cie?
1q1-ye . . . door col dar
door l darb eleven y1zdah

doubt 2akk else, other, more
down p1yin dige
Downing Street email imeil
xi1b1n-e d1wning email post-e
dress col pirhan elekteronik
drink (bottled) embassy sef1rat
nu21be employment
drink n (hot, cold) estexd1m
nu2idani empty; vacant x1li
driving r1nandegi end 1xar
driving licence engaged n1mzad
gav1hi-n1me engineer; (also a
drop qatre title) mohandes
dry xo2k England engelest1n
during dar-tul-e England engelis
dust gard-o-x1k English (language/
dustbin satl-e person) engelisi
12q1l enough k1fi
each duneyi entrance vorud
each other hamdige equal mos1vi
ear gu2 Esfahani, of/from
earache gu2-dard Esfahan esfah1ni
early zud eve 2ab
early October even hatt1
av1yel-e oktobr evening 2ab
east 2arq ever; at any time
easy 1sun hic-vaqt
easy r1hat every har
egg toxm-e morq every day har ruz
eight ha2t everything hame-ciz
eight hundred excellent 1li
ha2tsad excuse (me); sorry
eighteen hejdah bebax2id
eighty ha2t1d expensive col gerun
elbow 1renj explanation touzih
eldest; biggest extra, additional
bozorgtarin ez1fe
electric(al) barqi eye ce2m
electricity; lightning eyebrow abru
barq eyelash mo3e
elevator, lift 1s1nsor face surat
facing ru be flat, apartment

familiar; acquainted; 1p1rtem1n
acquaintance floor, storey tabaqe
12en1 fog meh
family (extended) foggy meh-1lud
f1mil food (general) xor1ki
family x1nev1de food qaz1
far away, distant dur foot p1
Farsi f1rsi football futb1l
fast sari` for now fe`lan
fat c1q for you l inf bar1yat
father pedar for; for the purpose
favourite of bar1ye
moured-e al1qe forced, compelled
fax f1ks/faks majbur
feeling ehs1s forecast pi2-bini
fever, temperature foreign; from
tab overseas, foreigner
fiancé, fiancée x1reji
n1mzad forgive (me)
fifteen p1nzdah bebax2id
fifth panjom fork cang1l
fifth panjomin form form
fifty panj1h fortunately
fight n da`v1 xo2baxt1ne
film film forty cehel
final (price) 1xare2 four cah1r
fine arts honarh1-ye four hundred
zib1 cah1rsad
fine, good, well xub fourteen cah1rdah
finger ango2t-e dast fourth cah1rom
finished col fourth cah1romin
tamum France far1nse
finished tam1m free 1z1d
Fire Brigade freezer ferizer
1te2-ne21ni French (language)
first avval far1nse
first avvalin French (person)
fish m1hi far1nsavi
five panj frequently; often
five hundred p1nsad aqlab
fixed maqtu` fresh; new t1ze
fresh herbs, greens going raftan

sabzi good xub
Friday jomè Goodbye [lit God be
fridge yaxc1l your protector] l
friend dust xod1 negahd1r
friendly xo2-ru Goodbye [lit God be
friendly people your protector]
xo2-ruy1n xod1 h1fez
friends dust1n good luck movaffaq
from az b12id
from; of; than az gradually kam-kam
from now dige granddad
from you azatun b1b1-bozorg
frost yaxband1n grapes angur
fruit mive grateful
full por mot(a)2akker
full (fully fed) sir grateful, obliged
full of por az mamnun
game; playing b1zi gratitude, thanks
garage g1r13 ta2akkor
garbage can satl-e great bozorg
12q1l great people
garden; courtyard bozorg1n
hay1t green sabz
garlic sir green pepper
gas g1z felfel-e sabz
generosity sax1vat grey (of hair)
generous l saxi jougandomi
gentleman, sir 1q1 grey tusi
gentlemen 1q1y1n grey x1kestari
German 1lm1ni groom, bridegroom
Germany 1lm1n d1m1d
gift, present hedye guest col mehmun
girl doxtar guest mehm1n
given the situation guide r1hnam1
b1 in hes1b guilt, sin gon1h
glass, tumbler liv1n gulf xalij
glasses einak gum lase
gloves dastke2 hail tagarg
go ahead please hair mu
befarm1yid half nesf
God xod1 half nim
hall s1lon help komak

hand dast help yourself
handbag, holdall befarm1yid
s1k-dasti here, this place inj1
handsome xo2-tip here is (lit this also)
handwriting dastxatt in-ham
happiness xo2-h1li here you are
happy xo2-h1l befarm1yid
happy, satisfied r1zi himself/herself
happy; pleasant(ly) xode2
xo2 his/her own xode2
Happy birthday to his/hers m1l-e u
you tavallodet hobby sargarmi
mob1rak holiday(s) ta`til1t
hard, difficult saxt holidaying, travelling
hardship; difficulty mos1ferat
saxti home col xune
haste, rush ajale home, residence
hat kol1h manzel
Have a nice time homeless 1v1re
xo2 begzare homelessness
he, she u 1v1regi
he, she pol; homework taklif
(originally) they hope omid
i2un hopeful omidv1r
head sar horse asb
headache horse riding
sar-dard asb-sav1ri
headscarf rusari hospital bim1rest1n
health sal1mat hot (temperature)
health, state of d1q
well-being; hot chocolate, milk
mood h1l chocolate drink
heart (also 2ir-k1k1ò
‘stomach’!) del hotel hotel
heavy sangin hour s1àt
heel p12ne house col xune
height qadd house, home x1ne
helicopter helikopter how l cegune
hello (telephone) how about; how
alou cetour
hello sal1m how long cand vaqt
how long is it cand in the meantime

vaqte dar zemn
how many col; a few in this way in-tour
cand t1 in time be-mouqe`
how many l cand in total ruye-ham
how much (amount) in, at, on dar
ceqadr in; into col tu
how much (price) in; into col tu-ye
cand incidentally
how often har dar zemn
cand vaqt yek inclination meil
b1r inclined m1yel
how; how about inclusive 21mel
cetour income dar1mad
humid martub Indian hendi
hundred sad indicator r1hnam1
hunger gorosnegi infection cerk
hungry gorosne information,
hurry, rush ajale awareness ettel1`
husband 2ouhar information;
I, me man intelligence
I wish ei-k12 ettel1`1t
ice cream bastani inhibited, bashful
ice yax kam-ru
idea fekr injection 1mpul
if col age injustice zolm
if l agar inside (of ) d1xel-e
ill bim1r instantly fouran
ill, sick mariz intention qasd
immediately interest al1qe
bel1f1sele interested
impact ta`sir al1qe-mand
impossible interested in . . .
qeir-e-momken al1qe-mand
in be be . . .
in front of jelo-ye interesting j1leb
in order to t1 Internet internet
in order to see my Internet café
aunt bar1ye k1fi-net
didan-e x1leam interpreter motarjem
in the hope of interview mos1hebe
be omid-e into d1xel-e
into; in col tu kilo kilu

into; in col tu-ye kilometre kilumetr
invisible n1padid kind (person)
invitation da`vat col mehrabun
Iran ir1n kind, sort, type
Iranian ir1ni col jur
Iranians ir1nih1 kind, type, sort nou`
Iranians l ir1ni1n kindly, please lotfan
Iraq er1q kindness lotf
is (normally kitchen 12pazx1ne
emphatic) hast kitchen col
is ast 12pazxune
issue masàle knee z1nu
it seems mesl-e knife k1rd
inke labourer, manual
it, that l 1n worker k1rgar
it, that; he, she lady x1nom
col un language zab1n
Italian it1li1yi large bozorg
its own xode2 last 1xarin
itself xode2 last night di2ab
jacket kot last year p1rs1l
jacket: bomber last, ago pi2
jacket k1p2an last, end 1xar
jalopy, old banger last, past goza2te
m12in-qor1ze late dir
jam morabb1 late October
Japan 31pon av1xer-e oktobr
Japanese 31poni later ba`dan
Japanese yen yen-e lawyer vakil
31pon lazy tanbal
jealous hasud left cap
jealousy hasudi leg s1q-e p1
jeans 2alv1r-e jin lemon limu
Jewish kalimi length tul
job k1r less kamtar
journey, visit, trip lesson dars
safar letter n1me
joy 21di lettuce k1hu
joyful 21d library col ket1bxune
juice; water 1b library ket1bx1ne
just, exactly dorost Libya libi
Libyan (person) manager, director

libi1yi modir
life zendegi Mancunian; from
lift, elevator 1s1nsor Manchester
light (colour) rou2an mancesteri
light(s), lamp cer1q many xeili
lighter fandak many zi1d
lightning barq many of xeili az
like (similar to) marriage ezdev1j
mesl-e married motaàhhel
linguist match, competition
zab1n-2en1s mos1beqe
linguistics maths ri1zi
zab1n-2en1si may it be; let it be;
lion 2ir OK; so be it b12e
lip lab may you be; (please)
listening gu2 be b12id
d1dan (d) may; it’s possible
listening gu2 momkene
kardan (kon) maybe 21yad
little kam mayonnaise
located in v1qe` dar m1yonez
lock qofl me man-o
London landan meal qaz1
Londoner landani means; things
loneliness tanh1yi vas1yel
long; tall; loud meanwhile dar zemn
boland meat gu2t
loud boland mechanics;
lozenge qors-e mechanic
makidani mek1nik
luckily xo2baxt1ne medicine col dav1
lucky you; good medicine d1ru
for you xo2 be medium motavasset
h1let meeting mol1q1t
lunch n1h1r megabyte meg1b1it
madam x1nom melon xarboze
made in Iran s1xt-e member ozv
ir1n memory h1feze
mail, post post memory, recollection
main, major omde y1d
man mard men mard1n
message peiq1m motorbike

metro, tube metro motorsiklet
Middle East motorbike riding
x1var-e mi1ne motorsiklet-
mid-October sav1ri
av1set-e oktobr moustache sebil
might 21yad mouth dah1n
mild mol1yem Mr 1q1-ye
milk 2ir Ms/Mrs x1nom-e
million milyun much xeili
millionaire milyuner much zi1d
mine m1l-e man mum m1m1n
minute daqiqe muscle/muscles
mirror 1ine azole/azol1t
miscellaneous museum muze
motafarreqe music musiqi
mobile phone Muslim mosalm1n
telefon-e hamr1h must not; should
moderate, temperate not nab1yad
mo`tadel must, should b1yad
moment lahze my father pedaram
Monday do-2anbe my own xodam
money pul myself xodam
month; moon m1h name esm
mood h1l national melli
more dige nationality melliyat
more; more often; native of Iran
mostly bi2tar ahl-e ir1n
morning sobh navy blue sormeyi
most of the times near, close nazdik
bi2tar-e vaqth1 near, close to
mostly bi2tar nazdik-e
mother m1dar necessary l1zem
mother tongue neck gardan
zab1n-e m1dari necktie ker1v1t
mother-in-law need ni1z
(husband’s needed l1zem
mother) negotiation
m1dar-2ouhar moz1kere
mother-in-law (wife’s neighbour hams1ye
mother) neither; none
m1dar-zan hic-kod1m
neither; none col none; nil hic

hic-kodum noon zohr
never hic-vaqt normal 1di
new (brand new) north 2om1l
nou nose bini
new (latest) jadid nothing, no activity
new t1ze hic-k1r
New Year s1l-e nou nothing; anything col
New Year’s Day hicci
(Iranian) nouruz nothing; anything
New York niu-york hic-ciz
New Zealand now h1l1
zel1nd-e nou now, right now
news axb1r al`1n
news item xabar nowhere; not
newspaper ruzn1me anywhere hic-j1
next time dafè-ye nuisance moz1hem
ba`d number (on a house
next to, beside door) pel1k
pahlu-ye number 2om1re
next, coming number, unit col
1yande dune
nice, pretty qa2ang occasionally g1hi
night 2ab of course albatte
nine noh off, bad (rotten)
nine hundred xar1b
nohsad off, rotten, bad
nineteen nuzdah f1sed
ninety navad office (department/
ninth nohom organisation)
no na ed1re
no more; no longer office (room,
dige building) daftar
no problem often; frequently
(responding to aqlab
apology) x1he2 Oh dear! ei-v1i!
mikonam OK (lit let it be; so
no problem eib be it) b12e
nad1re OK, it’s OK e2k1li
nobody; no one nad1re
hic-kas OK, so; well xob
noise sed1 old (person) mosen
old (thing/friend) other l s1yer-e

qadimi our own xodemun
old (worn out) kohne ours m1l-e m1
on col ru ourselves xodemun
on l bar out, outside birun
on ru-ye outcome, result
on foot pi1de natije
on the left side of outside (of )
dar taraf-e cap-e birun-e
on the right side of overcoat p1ltou
dar taraf-e r1st-e own; self xod
on, switched on owner s1heb
rou2an pain dard
once yek b1r painkiller mosakken
one, a, an yek painting naqq12i
onion pi1z pair joft
only faqat Pakistan p1kest1n
open (please) b1z Pakistani p1kest1ni
konid palm of hand kaf-e
open b1z dast
operator oper1tor parcel; closed baste
opinion, view nazar parents col pedar o
opposed; in m1dar
disagreement parents l v1ledein
mox1lef Paris p1ris
opposed to; in Parisian p1risi
disagreement with park (garden) p1rk
mox1lef b1 particularly
opposite zedd maxsusan
opposite; facing party col mehmuni
ru-be-ru-ye party mehm1ni
or y1 party p1rti
orange (colour) passenger mos1fer
n1renji passport
orange porteq1l gozarn1me
orchestra orkestr passport p1sport
order hav1le past, last goza2te
order sef1re2 past; after
ordinary 1di ba`d-az
originally; at all patience sabr
aslan patient, with
other dige patience sabur
patient; ill, sick piece(s) t1

bim1r pill, tablet qors
peach holu pineapple 1n1n1s
pear gol1bi pink surati
pear-shaped pipe lule
gol1bi-2ekl pity, alas heif
pen qalam pizza pitz1
pencil med1d pizza shop
penicillin penisilin pitz1-foru2i
people mardom place mahall
pepper felfel place, seat j1
per kilo kiluyi plan; programme;
per month m1hi timetable
performance ejr1 barn1me
perhaps 21yad play (theatre)
permission ej1ze nam1ye2n1me
Persian f1rsi pleasant(ly) xo2
Persian Gulf please, kindly lotfan
xalij-e f1rs please; I request
person kas x1he2 mikonam
person/people pleased xo2vaqt
(when counting) plenty zi1d
nafar plum 1lu
personal 2axsi plump topoli
personal effects/ pocket jib
belongings poison zahr
vas1yel-e 2axsi police polis
petrol station police force niru-ye
pomp-e benzin entez1mi
phonebook police station
daftarce-ye kal1ntari
telefon pomegranate an1r
photocopy fotokopi pool estaxr
photographer akk1s port bandar
photography akk1si possible momken
pianist pi1nist post office col
piano pi1no postxune
pickles tor2i post, mail post
pickpocket jib-bor postage (lit money
picture, photograph for stamp) pul-e
aks tam(b)r
piece tekke postal posti
postbox sanduq-e publications

post ente21r1t
postcard k1rt-post1l pullover, sweater
postcode kod-e poliver
posti purpose, aim hadaf
poster poster quarter (of an hour)
postman postci rob`
potato sib-e zamini question so`1l
pound (£) pond quick(ly) zud
prawn meigu quiet s1ket
preferably tarjihan race mos1beqe
pregnancy h1melegi radio r1dio
pregnant h1mele rain b1r1n
preparation, readiness rain col b1run
1m1degi raincoat col b1runi
prepared, ready rainy; raincoat
1m1de b1r1ni
present, gift hedye rainy; raincoat col
pretty, nice qa2ang b1runi
previously qablan rarely be-nodrat
price qeimat rate nerx
Prime Minister readiness,
noxost-vazir preparation
prison zend1n 1m1degi
problem eib reading (general)
problem mo2kel mot1leè
problem, difficulty reading col
e2k1l xundan (xun)
programme ready h1zer
barn1me ready, prepared
property, belonging 1m1de
m1l reason dalil
proposed pi2nah1di receipt resid
protector h1fez receiver gu2i
protector negahd1r recently axiran
proximity; vicinity reception pazir1yi
nazdiki red qermez
public hameg1ni red sorx
public omumi registered (mail)
public telephone sef1re2i
telefon-e relative(s), extended
hameg1ni family f1mil
reliable q1bel-e same; this same/

etmin1n very hamin
remember (lit let sandwich
it be in your s1ndevic
memory) y1detun satisfied, happy r1zi
b12e Saturday 2anbe
rent ej1re sauce sos
rented, rental, for scale tar1zu
rent ej1reyi scarf 21l-e gardan
request x1he2 scenery manzare
residence; stay school madrese
eq1mat Scotland esk1tland
restaurant, canteen Scottish esk1tlandi
restur1n sea dary1
result, outcome seat j1
natije second (1/60 minute)
rial (Iranian currency) s1nie
ri1l second dovvom
rice berenj second dovvomin
rich pul-d1r secretary mon2i
rich qani seeing, meeting
richness qan1 did1r
right (not left) r1st seeing; to see didan
right here (lit this (bin)
very place) self; own xod
hamin-j1 selling, sale foru2
right now al`1n seminar semin1r
right, correct dorost sentence jomle
robe (worn by separate jod1
women in public September
in Iran) m1ntou sept1mbr
room ot1q serial seri1l
rotten, bad, off seriously, really
f1sed jeddan
round gerd service xedmat
salad s1l1d set aside bez1rid
salary hoquq ken1r
salt namak seven haft
saltcellar, saltshaker seven hundred
namakdun haftsad
same way seventeen hefdah
hamin-tour seventieth haft1dom
seventy haft1d Sir (used by a junior

several candin in rank addressing
several times candin a senior) qorb1n
b1r sir, gentleman 1q1
severe 2adid sister x1har
severity 2eddat sit down (please)
shape 2ekl be2inid
shaver ri2-tar12 situation vaz`
she, he pol; six 2e2
(originally) they six hundred 2e2sad
i2un sixteen 21nzdah
sheet (bedding) sixth 2e2om
mal1fe sixty 2ast
shirt, dress col size and1ze
pirhan ski, skiing eski
shirt, dress l pir1han skin pust
shoe(s) kaf2 skirt d1man
shop maq1ze sky 1sem1n
shopping, buying sleep, sleeping;
xarid asleep x1b
short kut1h sleeplessness,
shortage kambud insomnia bi-x1bi
should not; must not slim l1qar
nab1yad slim qalami
should, must b1yad slow(ly) 1heste
shoulder 21ne small; young kucek
shower du2 smell bu
shy xej1lati smile labxand
sick bim1r sneeze atse
sick, ill mariz snow barf
side ken1r so xob
side taraf so, then, in that
sides; quarters case pas
atr1f sock(s) jur1b
signature emz1 socket (electricity)
silence sokut periz
sin, guilt gon1h sofa, settee k1n1pe
sincerely (yours) some of ba`zi az
er1datmand someone kasi
singer x1nande something cizi
single room ot1q-e sometimes
yek-nafare ba`zi-vaqth1
somewhere j1yi stamp tam(b)r

son, boy pesar star set1re
song 1v1z starter pi2-qaz1
song, tune 1hang station; stop istg1h
son-in-law d1m1d still, yet hanuz
soon (in the near stop; station istg1h
future) be-zudi store, shop
soon zud foru2g1h
sore throat storm tuf1n
galu-dard storminess
sorrow, sadness tuf1ni-budan
qam stormy tuf1ni
sorry, forgive/excuse straight mostaqim
(me) bebax2id strawberry
sound sed1 tut-farangi
soup (Iranian) 12 street col xi1bun
soup sup street l xi1b1n
sour orange n1renj student d1ne2ju
south jonub students
souvenir souq1t d1ne2juy1n
spaghetti esp1geti subject, branch/field
Spain esp1ni1 of study re2te
Spanish esp1ni1yi subject, matter
speaker soxanr1n mouzu`
speaking sohbat successful movaffaq
special, specific suckable makidani
x1ss suddenly yek-dafè
specific, known sugar (cube) qand
mo2axxas sugar (granulated)
speech, conversation 2ekar
harf suggestion, proposal
speech; lecture; pi2nah1d
presentation suit (lit jacket
soxanr1ni and trousers)
speed soràt kot-o-2alv1r
spinach esfen1j suitable, appropriate
spoon(ful) q12oq mon1seb
sport varze2 suitcase camedun
spring (season) summer col
bah1r t1bestun
square, circus summer t1best1n
meid1n Sunday yek-2anbe
sunny 1ft1bi tennis tenis

supermarket tenth dahomin
superm1rket than az
supposedly Thank you dast-e
be-estel1h 2om1 dard
sweet 2irin nakone
sweets, pastries thank you mamnun
2irini thankful; grateful
swimming 2en1 mot(a)2akker
swimming pool thanks mersi
estaxr-e 2en1 thanks; I’m grateful
switched off x1mu2 mot(a)2akkeram
switched on rou2an that col un
syrup 2arbat that, which, who ke
table; desk miz the fact that inke
tablet, pill qors the fact that unke
tall (person) the rest baqiye
qad-boland the sooner the better
tall boland har-ce zudtar
taller; louder behtar
bolandtar theatre te`1tr
tap 2ir their own xode2un
target ne2un theirs m1l-e unh1
tasty, delicious themselves xode2un
xo2maze then (lit that time)
taxi t1ksi un-vaqt
taxi agency then, afterwards ba`d
131ns then, in that case
tea c1i pas
teacher moàllem there col unj1
team tim there is/are hast
Tehrani, from Tehran there l 1nj1
tehr1ni therefore lez1
telephone number these inh1
2om1re telefon they l 1nh1
telephone, telephone they, those col unh1
(call) telefon thick koloft
telephone/telecom thief, robber, burglar
centre markaz-e dozd
telefon thigh r1n
television televizion thing ciz
ten dah third sevvom
third sevvomin to allow/let (lit to

thirst te2negi give permission)
thirsty te2ne ej1ze d1dan (d)
thirteen sizdah to announce e`l1m
thirty si kardan (kon)
thirty-first si o to answer jav1b
yekom d1dan (d)
this in to apologise for . . .
this afternoon emruz be x1ter-e . . .
ba`d-az-zohr ma`zerat
this morning x1stan (x1)
emruz sobh to apologise to
those col unh1 someone az
thought, idea fekr kasi ma`zerat
thousand hez1r x1stan (x1)
three se to arrange qar1r
three hundred sisad goz12tan (z1r)
throat galu to arrive in . . .
thumb ango2t-e v1red-e . . .
2ast 2odan (2) [2av]
thunder ra`d to arrive, to enter
Thursday v1red 2odan (2)
panj-2anbe [2av]
ticket belit to arrive/reach
time mouqe` residan (res)
time s1àt to ask someone (to
time vaqt do . . . ) az kasi
time(s) b1r x1stan (x1)
timetable barn1me [x1h]
tired xaste to ask someone a
tiredness, fatigue question yek so`1l
xastegi az kasi porsidan
tiring, boring (pors)
xaste-konande to ask/enquire
to be porsidan (pors)
to accept qabul to attend . . .
kardan (kon) (a meeting)
to ache dard kardan dar . . . 2erkat
(kon) kardan (kon)
to allow, to let to avoid . . .
goz12tan (z1r) az . . . parhiz
[goz1r] kardan (kon)
to be budan (hast) to be opened b1z

(b12) 2odan (2)
to be able col to be possible
tunestan (tun) 2odan (2)[2av]
to be able l to be said/told gofte
tav1nestan (tav1n) 2odan (2)
to be bought xaride to be seen dide
2odan (2) 2odan (2)
to be closed baste to be signed emz1
2odan (2) 2odan (2)
to be cooked poxte to be sold foruxte
2odan (2) 2odan (2)
to be counted to be warmed up
2omorde garm 2odan (2)
2odan (2) to be washed 2oste
to be defeated by . . . 2odan (2)
az . . . 2ekast to be worried
xordan (xor) negar1n budan
to be finished (hast) (b12)
tamum 2odan to be worth arzidan
to be forced majbur (arz)
2odan (2) to bear with (the
to be freed 1z1d speaker) sabr
2odan (2) kardan (kon)
to be heard 2enide to become 2odan
2odan (2) (2)[2av][2ou]
to be honest (lit its to become warm
truth) r1ste2 garm 2odan (2)
to be in a hurry to begin vi 2oru`
ajale d12tan 2odan (2)
(d1r) to begin (something)
to be interested vt 2oru` kardan
in . . . be . . . al1qe (kon)
d12tan (d1r) to begin to ache dard
to be invited da`vat gereftan (gir)
2odan (2) to book/reserve
to be killed ko2te rezerv kardan
2odan (2) (kon)
to be modest to break 2ekastan
(self-deprecate) (2ekan)
2ekaste-nafsi to breathe nafas
kardan (kon) ke2idan (ke2)
to bring to convey/send
1vordan (1r) resundan
to bring l 1vardan (resun)
(1var) to cook poxtan
to burn/sting (paz)
suxtan (suz) to cost 2odan
to burst tarakidan (2)[2av]
(tarak) to cough sorfe
to buy xaridan (xar) kardan (kon)
to call sed1 kardan to count 2omordan
(kon) (2omor)
to catch gereftan to dance raqsidan
(gir) (raqs)
to catch a cold to decide tasmim
sarm1 xordan gereftan (gir)
(xor) to defeat someone
to catch fire 1te2 kasi r1 2ekast
gereftan (gir) d1dan (d)
to celebrate ja2n to depart; to start a
gereftan (gir) journey harkat
to change tabdil kardan (kon)
kardan (kon) to die mordan (mir)
to check cek to disappear
kardan (kon) n1padid
to clean tamiz 2odan (2)
kardan (kon) to dislike bad
to close, to shut umadan (1)
bastan (band) to do kardan (kon)
to come umadan (1) to do; to carry
to come from . . . out anj1m
ahl-e . . . budan d1dan (d)
(hast) to draw ke2idan
to come on (lights) (ke2)
rou2an 2odan (2) to drink col; to eat
to congratulate xordan (xor)
someone on to drink l nu2idan
something cizi r1 (nu2)
be kasi tabrik to drive col rundan
goftan (g)[gu] (run)
to contact someone to drive; to do the
b1 kasi tam1s driving r1nandegi
gereftan (gir) kardan (kon)
to eat xordan to free 1z1d

(xor) kardan (kon)
to employ someone to get gereftan
kasi r1 estexd1m (gir)
kardan (kon) to get blocked
to enjoy . . . gereftan (gir)
az . . . lezzat to get off/out
bordan (bar) of . . . (a vehicle)
to enter . . . az . . . pi1de
v1red-e . . . 2odan (2)
2odan (2) to get on/board . . .
[2av] (a vehicle)
to explain touzih sav1r-e . . .
d1dan (d) 2odan (2)
to extinguish, to to get ready h1zer
switch/turn off 2odan (2)
x1mu2 kardan to get to know . . . ;
(kon) to meet . . . (first
to faint, to collapse time) b1 . . . 12en1
qa2 kardan 2odan (2)
(kon) to get up boland
to fall oft1dan (oft) 2odan (2)
to feel ehs1s to get well xub
kardan (kon) 2odan (2)
to feel hess to give (kindly) lotf
kardan (kon) kardan (kon)
to fill in por kardan to give d1dan
(kon) (d)[dah][deh]
to find peid1 kardan to go out (lights)
(kon) x1mu2 2odan (2)
to finish (something) to go, to move; to
tamum kardan walk r1h raftan (r)
(kon) to go; going raftan
to fix; to make (r) [rav] [rou]
dorost kardan to guess hads
(kon) zadan (zan)
to force majbur to haggle cune
kardan (kon) zadan (zan)
to forget far1mu2 to hail tagarg
kardan (kon) umadan (1)
to forgive bax2idan to happen 2odan
(bax2) (2)[2av]
to happen ettef1q to invite someone

oft1dan (oft) to/for . . . kasi
to have d12tan r1 be/bar1ye . . .
(d1r)(d12te-b12) da`vat kardan
to have (to eat/drink) (kon)
xordan (xor) to keep silent/quiet
to have a sokut kardan
temperature tab (kon)
d12tan (d1r) to keep, to look after
to have an infection negah d12tan
cerk kardan (kon) (d1r)
to have to majbur to kill ko2tan (ko2)
budan (hast) to kiss busidan
to hear 2enidan (bus)
(2enav/2enou) to know (someone)
to help . . . 2en1xtan (2en1s)
be . . . komak to know (something)
kardan (kon) col dunestan
to hire ker1ye (dun)
kardan (kon) to know l d1nestan
to hit zadan (zan) (d1n)
to hold (e.g. receiver) to laugh at . . .
negah d12tan be . . . xandidan
(d1r) (xand)
to hurry ajale to learn balad
kardan (kon) 2odan (2)
to impose something to learn y1d
on someone cizi gereftan (gir)
r1 be kasi tahmil to leave tark
to include . . . to let, to allow
21mel-e . . . goz12tan (z1r)
2odan (2) [goz1r]
to inform someone to lie down der1z
of . . . . . . r1 be ke2idan (ke2)
kasi ettel1` to light; to switch/
d1dan (d) turn on rou2an
to intend qasd kardan (kon)
d12tan (d1r) to like dust
to interrupt someone d12tan (d1r)
harf-e kasi r1 to like; to fancy xo2
qat` kardan (kon) umadan (1)
to listen gu2 to need l1zem

d1dan (d) d12tan (d1r)
to listen gu2 to need/require . . .
kardan (kon) be . . . ni1z
to live zendegi d12tan (d1r)
kardan (kon) to negotiate
to look after . . . moz1kere kardan
az . . . negahd1ri (kon)
kardan (kon) to obtain gereftan
to look at . . . (gir)
be . . . neg1h to open (something)
kardan (kon) b1z kardan
to look for . . . (kon)
donb1l-e . . . to order sef1re2
ga2tan (gard) d1dan (d)
to lose b1xtan to panic houl
(b1z) 2odan (2)
to lose gom to park p1rk
to lose . . . (a job/a to participate in . . .
loved one) . . . r1 dar . . . 2erkat
az dast d1dan (d) kardan (kon)
to make ready h1zer to pass vi (speaking
kardan (kon) of time) goza2tan
to make; to fix (gozar)
dorost kardan to pass vt; to give
(kon) d1dan
to marry someone (d)[dah][deh]
b1 kasi ezdev1j to perform ejr1
to meet someone b1 to phone someone
kasi mol1q1t be kasi telefon
to meet with someone to pick up bar
b1 kasi mol1q1t d12tan (d1r)
kardan (kon) to play (a game)
to meet . . . (first b1zi kardan
time) b1 . . . 12en1 (kon)
2odan (2) to play (musical
to miss (a train) instrument) zadan
. . . r1 az dast (zan)
d1dan (d) to pour rixtan (riz)
to prefer + to x + r1 to ring someone be

be × tarjih kasi zang zadan
d1dan (d) (zan)
to pull ke2idan (ke2) to rub m1lidan (m1l)
to put, to leave to say (used only for
goz12tan (z1r) others) farmudan
[goz1r] (farm1)
to put/set aside to say hello to . . .
ken1r goz12tan be . . . sal1m
(z1r) resundan (resun)
to rain b1run to say, to tell goftan
umadan (1) (g)[gu]
to read col to see; seeing didan
xundan (xun) (bin)
to recognise to seem be nazar
2en1xtan (2en1s) umadan (1)
to refer/report/go to sell foruxtan
(to . . . ) mor1jeè (foru2)
kardan (kon) to send (used for
to register (mail) others) l ers1l
sef1re2i kardan farmudan
(kon) (farm1)
to remain mundan to send l ers1l
(mun) kardan (kon)
to remember . . . ; to send something
to think of . . . to someone cizi
y1d-e . . . r1 bar1ye kasi
kardan (kon) ferest1dan
to rent ej1re (ferest)
kardan (kon) to shave tar12idan
to request someone (tar12)
(to do . . . ) az kasi to shop xarid
x1he2 kardan kardan (kon)
(kon) to show ne2un
to require/need . . . d1dan (d)
be . . . ni1z d12tan to sign emz1
(d1r) kardan (kon)
to return bar ga2tan to sing col
(gard) xundan (xun)
to return (something to sit down
bought) pas ne2astan (2in)
d1dan (d) [ne2in]
to ski eski kardan to suggest pi2nah1d

(kon) kardan (kon)
to sleep x1bidan to sweep, to vacuum
(x1b) clean j1ru kardan
to smell (kon)
bu d1dan (d) to swim 2en1
to smile at . . . kardan (kon)
be . . . labxand to switch/turn off; to
zadan (zan) extinguish x1mu2
to smoke ke2idan kardan (kon)
(ke2) to switch/turn on; to
to smoke cigarette(s) light rou2an
sig1r ke2idan kardan (kon)
(ke2) to take (medicine)
to sneeze atse xordan (xor)
kardan (kon) to take (time) tul
to snow barf ke2idan (ke2)
umadan (1) to take a picture
to speak sohbat of . . . az . . . aks
kardan (kon) gereftan (gir)
to speak up to take back (by
bolandtar sohbat seller) pas
kardan (kon) gereftan (gir)
to spill rixtan (riz) to take part in . . .
to stand on dar . . . 2erkat
ceremony ta`1rof kardan (kon)
kardan (kon) to take trouble
to stand up zahmat ke2idan
ist1dan (ist) (ke2)
to stay, to remain to take/carry; to win
mundan (mun) bordan (bar)
to stay/reside to talk to . . .
eq1mat kardan b1 . . . harf zadan
(kon) (zan)
to stop (a vehicle) to teach dars d1dan
negah d12tan (d1r) (d)
to study col to telephone
xundan (xun) someone be kasi
to study dars telefon kardan
xundan (xun) (kon)
to suck makidan to tell, to say goftan
(mak) (g)[gu]
to thank someone to walk qadam

az kasi ta2akkor zadan (zan)
kardan (kon) to want; to ask
to think fekr x1stan (x1)
kardan (kon) [x1h]
to throw/put (in) to warm (something)
and1xtan up garm kardan
(and1z) (kon)
to translate tarjome to wash 2ostan
kardan (kon) (2ur)[2ui]
to travel to watch tam121
safar kardan kardan (kon)
(kon) to wear, to put on
to trouble/bother pu2idan (pu2)
someone be kasi to win bordan (bar)
zahmat d1dan (d) to work k1r kardan
to try (to attempt) (kon)
sa`y kardan to worry negar1n
(kon) budan (hast)
to turn picidan (b12)
(pic) to write neve2tan
to turn/switch on; to (nevis)
light rou2an today emruz
kardan (kon) toe ango2t-e p1
to understand together b1-ham
fahmidan (fahm) toilet dast-2uyi
to use . . . toilet tu1let
az . . . estef1de tomato
kardan (kon) gouje-farangi
to vacuum clean, to tomorrow fard1
sweep j1ru tongue zab1n
kardan (kon) tonight, this evening
to vomit estefr1q em2ab
kardan (kon) too ham
to wait, to exercise tooth dand1n
patience sabr toothache
kardan (kon) dand1n-dard
to wake someone toothpaste
up kasi r1 bid1r xamir-dand1n
kardan (kon) topic, matter
to wake up bid1r mouzu`
2odan (2) touring garde2
towel houle upset; uncomfortable

town 2ahr n1r1hat
traffic ter1fik use, using estef1de
train qat1r useful mofid
translation tarjome usually, normally
translator motarjem ma`mulan
travelling, holidaying vacant; empty x1li
mos1ferat value, worth arze2
trip safar varied motanavve`
trouble zahmat vegetables
trousers 2alv1r sabzij1t
truly v1qeàn very xeili
trunk, car boot vice versa belàks
sanduq-e aqab view, scenery
truth r1st manzare
T-shirt ti-2ert violin violon
Tuesday se-2anbe vis-à-vis, against dar
tune, song 1hang moq1bel-e
turnip 2alqam visit safar
twelve dav1zdah voice sed1
twenty bist vomiting estefr1q
twenty-first bist o waist, lower back
yekom kamar
two do waistcoat, vest
two hundred devist jeliqe
two-bedroomed; waiting montazer
with two walking qadam
bedrooms zadan (zan)
do-x1be warm garm
uncle (maternal) d1yi was bud
uncle (paternal) amu wasn’t nabud
uncomfortable; watch s1àt
upset n1r1hat watching tam121
under, below zir-e water; juice 1b
underwear zirpu2 watermelon col
unfortunately; I’m hendune
afraid watermelon
motaàssef1ne hendev1ne
university d1ne2g1h way, distance r1h
until t1 we m1
up to; as far as t1 weather hav1
up, upstairs b1l1 wedding arusi
Wednesday why cer1

cah1r-2anbe wife zan
week hafte wife, madam, lady
weekend 1xar-e x1nom
hafte wind b1d
welcome xo2 window panjare
umadid winter col zemestun
well xub winter zemest1n
west qarb with difficulty
what ce be-saxti
what col ci with me b1h1m
what (activity) ce-k1r with them b1h12un
What can I do for with; by b1
you? befarm1yid within zarf-e
What do you do? without bedun-e
ce-k1r mikonid? woman zan
what time ce s1àti word kaleme col
What time is it? kalame
s1àt cande? work k1r
what’s cie world dony1
what’s wrong with worried negar1n
it/him/her ce2e worry, anxiety
whatever; to negar1ni
whatever degree worth; worthy
har-ce q1bel
when (question would you like
word) kei meil d1rid
when conj vaqti Wow! How lovely!
where koj1 bah-bah!
where from koj1yi wrist moc-e dast
where in; which part yeah 1re
of koj1-ye year s1l
where’s koj1st yellow zard
which kodum yes bale
white sefid ‘yes’ to a negative
white-collar worker; question/
civil servant suggestion cer1
k1rmand yesterday diruz
who ki yet, still hanuz
who’s (who is) kie yoghurt m1st
Who’s calling? yoghurt drink (salted)
jen1b-1li? duq
you (f ) 2om1 your own; yourself

you (inf ) to xodetun
you’re welcome your own; yourselves
x1he2 mikonam xodetun
young col javun your place j1tun
young jav1n your suitcase
young; small kucek camedunetun
younger; smaller yours inf m1l-e to
kucektar yours m1l-e 2om1
youngest; smallest yourself xodetun
kucektarin yourself; your own
your father (inf ) xodet
pedaretun yourselves xodetun
your own; yourself zero sefr
(inf ) xodet Zoroastrian zarto2ti
Index
accommodation, rented 198ff business appointment 298ff

address, postal 66 business letter 313ff, 359
abbreviations xv
adjective, comparative 76ff, 366 calendar, Iranian 302ff
adjective, superlative 78ff Can you (do) . . . ? 304ff, 307ff
adjective noun 22, 40, 366 Can you put it . . . ? 107, 108ff
adjectives and adverbs 366 Can you speak Persian? 308
adverbs of frequency 155ff causative 373
after . . . 143ff chemist 273ff
age, talking about 36ff colours 244
alphabet, the xviii–xix come 47, 74ff, 97, 114ff, 221ff,
answering the phone 100, 191ff 294ff
apologising come to see . . . 195, 287ff, 294ff
for causing inconvenience 127ff, communication, grammar of ix,
137ff, 192 375
for interrupting 162ff comparisons, making 76ff, 78ff,
general apology 4, 117, 128, 235, 366
265 complaining
major apology 125, 235 in a hotel 124, 125ff, 332
Are you hungry? 151ff in a restaurant 169
Are you in the mood for . . . ? complimenting 20, 35, 155, 296ff,
293ff 311, 376
arranging to meet a friend 287 compound verbs 53ff, 96, 97, 109,
arranging to meet a business 130, 210
counterpart 298 conditionals (type 1)
article, definite 36, 39, 54, 201, general 210ff, 374
365 with verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’
article, indefinite 36, 39ff, 201 220
asking for change 137ff conditionals (type 2) 229ff, 374
conditionals (type 3) 237ff, 374
be 6ff, 13ff, 15, 36, 111, 140ff, 202, congratulations 227ff, 284ff, 296ff,
220, 229ff 356ff
before . . . 145ff conjunctions 194ff
Be my guest! 91ff, 103, 234ff consonants xviiff, 361ff
birth, place of 22, 29ff contractions 13ff
body, parts of the 270 corner shop 234ff
Index 451
currency fruits 234ff, 242ff

foreign 262 future simple tense 85, 371, 372
Iranian 107ff, 137ff, 241, 226
customs officer 91ff, 103 gemination (ta2did) xxxiii
gerund (verbal noun) 148, 370
days of the week 46ff gifts, giving and receiving 280ff
definite article for a direct glottal stop xxxi–xxxiii
object ‫( ﺭﺍ‬r1) 54ff, 365 goodbye 1ff, 83ff
demonstratives 24 Good luck! 138ff
describing appearance 180 go to see someone 294ff
describing location 27, 62ff, 80ff grammar of communication 375ff
details, giving your 28ff, 62ff greeting 1ff
didn’t have to go 254ff grocery items 234ff, 242ff
Did you have a good weekend? guest-host expressions 100, 119,
42ff, 48 154ff
diet 151ff
dinner table, at the 122, 151ff had to go 253ff
directions, asking and giving 127ff had to eat 253
direct object 55 haggling 226ff
distance 135 Happy Birthday! 43ff, 281ff, 284
dishes, Iranian 161 Happy New Year! 284
doctor’s surgery 265 have 36ff, 88, 111, 220, 229ff, 309ff
double negative 157 Have a nice time! 91ff, 102
drinks 161 Have a good weekend! 102
Have you been to . . . ? 166
eating habits 159–60, 370 health, enquiring about 10ff
eating in a restaurant 162ff health and hygiene 264ff
‘eating’ v. ‘to eat’ 148ff, 370 hobbies 28ff, 148, 207ff, 216ff
embassy, contact your 172ff hotel, booking a 116ff, 123, 125
Emergency situations 172ff hotel, checking into a 116ff
emergency calls 179 hotel, complaining about a 124,
exchanging currencies 257ff 125ff, 332
ez1fe, the magical functions of 21ff, How long will you stay . . . ? 83ff
367 How long have you been
learning . . . ? 304ff, 309ff
facilities, enquiring about 61ff How are you? 10ff
family, extended 79 How old are you? 36ff
family, questions about 70
favourites 216ff If the weather gets better . . . 208ff,
Feel like . . . ? 293ff 210ff
feel tired 269ff I have been learning
food 42ff, 151ff Persian . . . 304ff, 309ff
foreign currencies 257ff, 262 illnesses 264ff
foreign languages 298ff immigration officer 82ff
452 Index
imperative 93ff, 100ff, 374–5 Nothing to write home about! 51

impersonal construction 250ff noun derivation 267ff
I never eat . . . 157ff nouns, plural forms of 33ff
infinitive 36, 46, 119ff, 369, 370 numbers
interview, job 304 cardinal 37ff
intonation 7–8, 16, 368–9 ordinal 65ff
intransitive (verb) 373
introducing object, direct 55
B to C 7, 35 object endings 130ff
yourself 4 object, indirect 55
Is this seat taken? 162 obligation 111
I want to go . . . 109ff occupation 28ff, 70ff
offering tea 101
job interview 304 offering to do something for
joinable letters xxvff someone 101ff
joking 376 once a day 75ff
journey time 127ff opinion, expressing an 78, 80ff
ordering a meal 162ff
languages, foreign 298ff
lawyer, contact your 172ff passive construction 258ff, 373
leave-taking 2, 301 passport control 83ff
Let’s go! 100ff past continuous 175ff
letter, business / formal 313ff, 359 past perfect 185
letters, joinable xxvff past simple tense 45ff
letters, unjoinable xxiii–xxiv past stem of verbs 36
letters (alphabet), shapes of xxff permission to do . . . , asking 151ff
likes and dislikes 207ff, 216ff, 221ff personal details 28
Long time no see! 290ff personal endings 13ff
looking for . . . 198ff pharmacy 273
phrase, grammar of the 367
map of Iran 214 Pleased to meet you! 18ff
marital status 29ff Please speak more clearly / slowly
medicines 273ff, 276 127ff
menu, restaurant 161 plural of nouns 33ff
money 107ff, 137ff, 226, 241 Police station 173ff
months of the year 302 polite forms of ‘you’, ‘he’, ‘she’ 7
must have arrived 251 polite ‘go ahead’ signal 100
politeness 20ff, 155, 375ff
nationality 29ff, 32ff See also ta`1rof
negative possession, expressing 21ff, 23ff
adverbs 157 possessive endings 23ff
double 157 possessive pronouns 24
verb ‘to be’ 15ff possibility 111, 250ff
verb ‘to have’ 36 post office 248ff
Index 453
preference, expressing 191 sentence, grammar of the 368

prepositions 64, 366, 367 sequencing 103
present continuous 87ff, 290ff Shall I bring . . . ? 101
present perfect continuous 309ff, Shall we go? 101
371 shopping 226ff
present perfect tense 165ff short alef, the xxxiv
present simple tense should have arrived 251ff
main verbs 66ff should have eaten 253
verb ‘to be’ 6ff sitting v. eating 290ff
verb ‘to have’ 36ff small talk 119
present stem of verbs 36ff So am I! 25ff
probability 111 sokun xxxiv
pronouns soothing 377
emphatic 183 sound change xii
indefinite 188 sounds xiv, xix
object 365 stamps 247ff
personal / subject 6ff street talk 127ff
reflexive 183 streetwise expressions 135ff,
public telephone, using a 137ff 141ff
stress, contrastive 218
questions, intonation 369 stress, word xx, 32, 33, 67, 76,
questions, word order 7ff, 16ff, 368 93, 94, 362
stress shift 204
r1 54ff, 365 structured infinitive 119ff
reading exercise, comprehensive subjunctive
xxxvi–xxxvii perfect 372ff
reading Persian, introduction to xviff simple 108ff, 372
reduction 47ff suggesting joint activity 280ff
reflexive pronouns 183ff Surprise! 280ff, 287ff, 290
regards, sending 285ff syllable structure 361ff
regret, expressing 61ff symptoms, medical 265ff, 271
relations with other people 280ff
relative clauses 200ff ta`1rof 154ff, 241–2
rented accommodation, enquiring taboos 376ff
about 191ff tanvin xxxiv
reported speech 275ff ta2did (gemination) xxxiii
requesting 82ff, 91 taxi, getting a 107ff
restaurant 162 Tehraniization 7
role plays xiii telephone conversation 191ff,
298ff, 301
Same here! 25ff telephone directory 179
satisfaction, expressing 120ff telephone expressions 197
seasons of the year 302 telephone numbers, reading 69
sends his regards 285 tenses 370ff
454 Index
thanking 1ff, 35 want to go 109ff

Thank you!, an idiom for 122 warning 98
there is / are 140ff weather 207ff
there was / were 140ff What can I do for you? 4, 116ff,
time, asking and telling the 127, 191ff, 298ff, 301ff
134ff What did you do . . . ? 42ff
tip, giving a 117–8 What do you like about . . . ? 223ff
titles 267 What’s the matter with . . . ? 133ff
transcription, English xii, xiiiff, xxxiii, Where are you from? 28ff
14, 21, 33, 56 Who am I? 29ff
transitive (verb) 373 wish, expressing a 374
Wish you were (or had been) there!
unjoinable letters xxiii–xxiv 43, 286
word formation 267ff, 362ff
vegetables 243 word, grammar of the 362ff
verb endings 13ff word order
verbs, compound 53ff, 96, 97, 109, noun adjective 22, 40, 78
130, 210 sentence 368
verb stems 36, 67, 96, 111, 220, work 28ff, 70ff, 304ff
369ff writing, guidelines for xxxv
vowels xxi–xxii
‘yes’ to a negative question /
week, days of the 46ff suggestion 71ff, 151ff, 181ff,
waiting for . . . 121 192ff

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Colloquial

The following languages are available in the Colloquial series:

Afrikaans German Romanian

COLLOQUIAL 2s series: The Next Step in Language Learning

Chinese German Russian

This third edition published 2011

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or

ISBN 13: 978-0-415-56045-0 (pbk)

4 1xar-e hafte ce-k1r kardid? 42

7 dar ir1n 106

8 goft-o-gu-ye xi1b1ni 127

10 mouqe`iyath1-ye ezter1ri 172

15 sal1mat o behd12t 264

16 rav1bet b1 digar1n 280

17 k1r va zab1nh1-ye x1reji 298

Key to the exercises 315

Please email AcademiceBooksSupport@informa.com with proof of purchase to

I would like to record my sincere gratitude to my sons, Hameed and

Abdi (Abdorreza) Rafiee

Congratulations on taking the first step towards learning the language

Who is the course intended for?

1 Those who wish to learn to speak, read and write in Persian.

Type of Persian used

Layout of the book

Register Style Context Example

Colloquial Formal Addressing older

Informal Addressing friends

Literary Formal Business

Sound change in casual speech

unj1 rafte-am m raftam I’ve been (gone) there.

panjare-am m panjaram my window

panjare r1 b1z kardam. m

Using the course

Listening to Persian spoken by native speakers helps you to gain

This is a very important part of the course. Each lesson is supple-

A bilingual dictionary – an essential tool

You can help improve the course

Your comments on the form and content of the course would be

On the English transcription

Symbol Sounds like In the (mostly English) word(s)

1 a father (British/American accent)

Note: Persian consonants and vowels are described in the section

Abbreviations used in the book

1 having to learn a completely new set of symbols, moving in an

The alphabet (including the

Table 1: The alphabet: Persian letters and

Final separate Final joined Medial Initial

1 (See (See alef

No. Sound Shapes Name

Final separate Final joined Medial Initial

A bird’s-eye view of the alphabet reveals the following facts.

t is represented by 2 letters: te and t1

alef, d1l, z1l, re, ze, 3e, t1, z1, v1v

be, pe, te, se, jim, ce, he-jimi, xe,

Letter ye has three shapes: small (for the beginning or middle of

alef, d1l, z1l, re, ze, 3e, v1v

Table 2: Persian vowels and their various

No. Vowel shapes Vowel

In addition to their roles as consonants, letters v1v, he-do-ce2m

To write the word 1z1d ‘free’, we need:

1 = initial shape of vowel 1 =

To write the word dud ‘smoke’, we need:

To write the word did ‘he/she saw’, we need: