Saying Yes or No

Persian English
بله
bale
Yes
آره
âre
Yes [informal]
آری
âri
Yes [written]
چرا
čerâ
Yes (affirmative)
نه
na
No
خیر
xeyr
No [formal]
نه خیر
na xeyr
No (emphatical)
نوچ
noč
No [vulgar]

Persian چرا is like French “si” and German “doch”. It is used to say “yes” to a negative question where “no” is expected but your answer is “yes”.

Saying Thanks

Persian is rich in words for saying thanks. There are even more expressions than what listed below. Native Persian words are based on سپاس. Words derived from ممنون and تشکر have their root in Arabic. مرسی is from French and is the most frequent word for saying thanks in spoken Persian of Iran. The abbreviation “lit.” stands for “literally”.

Persian English
مرسی
mersi
Thanks
ممنون
mamnun
Thank you
خیلی ممنون
xeyli mamnun
Thank you so much
ممنونم
mamnun-am
Thank you
(lit. I’m indebted)
خیلی ممنونم
xeyli mamnun-am
Thank you so much
(lit. I’m very indebted)
متشکرم
motešakker-am
Thank you
(lit. I’m thankful)
خیلی متشکرم
xeyli motešakker-am
Thank you so much
(lit. I’m very thankful)
تشکر
tašakkor
Thank you
سپاس
sepâs
Thank you
سپاس فراوان
sepâs-e farâvan
Many thanks
سپاسگزارم
sepâsgozâr-am
Thank you
(lit. I’m thankful)
بسیار سپاسگزارم
besyâr sepâsgozâr-am
Thank you so much
(lit. I’m very thankful)

In speech, متشکر (motešakker) is usually pronounced مچکر (moččakker). Phonologically, “ch” consists of “t” and “sh” sounds. Therefore, when “t” and “sh” occur close to each other, their combination transforms into “ch”.

Persian English
مچکرم
moččakker-am
Thank you
(lit. I’m thankful)
خیلی مچکرم
xeyli moččakker-am
Thank you so much
(lit. I’m very thankful)

The adverbs خیلی and بسیار can be repeated to increase the degree of thanks: “I’m very very thankful”.

خیلی خیلی ممنونم
xeyli xeyli mamnun-am
خیلی خیلی مچکرم
xeyli xeyli moččakker-am
خیلی خیلی متشکرم
xeyli xeyli motešakker-am
بسیار بسیار سپاسگزارم
besyâr besyâr sepâsgozâr-am

Responding to Thanks

Persian English
خواهش می‌کنم
xwâheš mikonam
You’re welcome
کاری نکردم
kâr-i nakardam
Don’t mention it!‎
It was nothing!‎
قابلی نداشت
ǧâbel-i nadâšt
Gladly done!‎
My pleasure!‎

Asking

Persian English
لطفا
lotfan
Please
ببخشید
bebaxšid
Excuse me
معذرت می‌خواهم
maøzerat mixwâham
Pardon (me)
متأسفم
moteassef-am
I’m sorry