One of main Tourist question is about our alphabet and before you enter to Iran maybe you thought our language is Arabic and we speak Arabic but the fact is Iranian speak Persian or Farsi can Say ,but there are some similarities in Alphabet with Arabic and it will be written from right to left . How about Numbers ?; It is interesting that it is written like English from left to Right .It is necessary for tourist to know them in order to read price tags.
When you decide to travel to Iran or any other country ,it is better to look for some words before you go .Therefore following I will tell you some Persian key words on your trip you will find it helpful .
Greetings
Hello – Salaam
How are you? – Haalet chetoreh? Khoobi?
What’s up? – Che khabar?
Nice to meet you. – Khoshbakhtam.
I’m from X (The country) – Man ahl-e X hastam.
Thank you. – Mersi/Mamnun.
You’re welcome. (In reply to thank You) – Khaahesh mikonam.
Sorry/ Excuse me! – Bebakhshid!
Good morning! – Sobh be kheyr!
Good night! – Shab be kheir!
I’m not taarofing. – Taarof nemikonam.
Shopping
Shopping in Iran specially in local bazaars, It’s time for haggling.
How much does it cost? Gheymatesh chandeh? (or you could simply ask “Chandeh?”)
Give me some discount. Takhfif bede. (Or you could simply say “Takhfif!”)
It’s expensive. Geruneh.
Finding an address
Iranian are so helpful ,so don’t hesitate to ask your way. If you ask someone to write the address in Persian for you then I can assure you that you will be safe to go anywhere in the town. Nowadays google maps is also helpful
Where is X? X Kojaast?
How can I get to X? Chetor mitunam be X beram?
Street = Khiabaan (Azadi street: Khiabaan-e-Azadi)
Alley = Koocheh (Shohada alley: Kooche-ye-Shohada)
I’m lost. Man gom shodam.
Asking for help
Despite of what is shown on international Media ,Iran is generally a very safe country and you don’t need to worry about your safety to travel Iran but in case of emergency, it’s better to remember these numbers:
Police – 110
Ambulance – 115
Fire- 125
If you’re in a hurry, it’s better to ask other people to call emergency numbers. Otherwise, it’s more probable to find someone speaking English if you call 110. They will help you with reaching other services as well.
Help! – Komak!
Numbers
It’s better to learn Iranian numbers or keep them on a notebook close to you. This way you will feel more confident when ordering food in a restaurant or buying something.
One: yek
Two: do
Three: seh
Four: chaahaar
Five: Paanj
Six: shesh
Seven: haft
Eight: hasht
Nine: noh
Ten: dah
Thousand: Hezaar (Three thousand tomans: Seh hezaar toman)
At first you might get a bit confused about money and our two currencies in Iran (Rial and Toman) and that’s why I have explained it clearly in This Post
Food and restaurant
Chances are, during your stay in Iran, you will be overdosed by Kebab. It’s not that Kebab is the best Iranian dish. But in my opinion, we’ve got a lot of better tasting food in Persian cuisine. But you won’t find many of them in restaurants. Also, Kebab is considered a luxury food and the reason Iranians might insist in feeding you loads of Kebab is because they honor you.
And kebab… AGAIN!
However, you don’t need to be polite and accept their offer every time. You should politely explain that you are interested in tasting other Iranian dishes as well.
If you are a vegetarian ,you found it a little bit difficult. Although we have some vegetarian food and restaurant in Iran but not every cities, you probably won’t find them in typical restaurants.
Restaurant – restooraan
Menu – meno
I’m a vegetarian – Man giaah khaaram. (Vegetarian: Giaah khaar)
without meat – bedooneh goosht
Stew (if you’re done having kebab everywhere!) – Khoresht
Drinks – Nooshidani (Of course I mean nonalcoholic drinks!)
Dinner – shaam
Lunch – Naahaar
breakfast – sobhaaneh
I’m hungry! – Gorosnameh!
I’m full – Sir shodam. (You will definitely need this phrase if you’re being hosted by an Iranian family. Read more about Iranian hospitality here.)
Colors
Knowing colors might help you while shopping.
Green: Sabz
Yellow: Zard
Red: Ghermez
Blue: Aabi
White: Sefid
Black: Siaah
Purple: Banafsh
Pink: Soorati
Brown: Ghahveyii
Times and days
As you might know, in Iran Thursday and Friday are the weekend days. Banks and offices are open till noon on Thursdays and they are all closed on Fridays.
Saturday: Shanbeh
Sunday: Yek-shanbeh
Monday: Do-shanbeh
Tuesday: Seh-shanbeh
Wednesday: Chaahaar-shanbeh
Thursday: Panj-shanbeh
Friday: Jomeh
Well… I guess we’ve covered the basics in this post.. If you’re interested to learn how to say other things in Persian just drop me a line contact us
