Divisions of Time
- ثانیه
sâniye
second - دقیقه
daghighe
minute - ربع
robø
quarter - ساعت
sâat
hour - روز
ruz
day - صبح
sobh
morning - صبح زود
sobh-e zud
early morning - پیش از ظهر
pish az zohr
before noon - ظهر
zohr
noon - بعد از ظهر
baød az zohr
afternoon - عصر
asr
late afternoon - غروب
ghorub
evening (about sunset) - شب
shab
night - هفته
hafte
week - ماه
mâh
month - چله
chelle
forty-day period - فصل
fasl
season - سال
sâl
year - دهه
dahe
decade - سده
sade
century - قرن
gharn
century - هزاره
hezâre
millennium
The pattern “cardinal number + suffix -e” creates a division of time equal to that number:
- هفته (“hafte”, week) derives from هفت (“haft”, seven).
- دهه (“dahe”) derives from ده (“dah”, ten). It normally means a period of ten years but can also mean a period of ten days depending on the context.
- چله (“chelle”) is the shortened form of چهله (“chehelle”), which derives from چهل (“chehel”, forty).
- سده (“sade”, century) derives from صد (“sad”, hundred). Actually, the number 100 should be written as سد because it is a native Persian word. However, by orthographic convention, it is written as صد.
- هزاره (“hezâre”, millennium) derives from هزار (“hezâr”, thousand).
Past
- دیروز
diruz
yesterday - دیروز صبح
diruz sobh
yesterday morning - دیروز بعد از ظهر
diruz baød az zohr
yesterday afternoon - دیروز غروب
diruz ghorub
yesterday evening - دیشب
dishab
last night - پریروز
pariruz
the day before yesterday - پریشب
parishab
the night before last - هفته‌ی گذشته
hafte-ye gozashte
last week - ماه گذشته
mâh-e gozashte
last month - پارسال
pârsâl
last year - پیرارسال
pirârsâl
the year before last
In written Persian, گذشته (“gozashte”) can also be used for روز (“ruz”), شب (“shab”) and سال (“sâl”).
- روز گذشته
ruz-e gozashte
yesterday
(lit. past day) - شب گذشته
shab-e gozashte
last night
(lit. past night) - سال گذشته
sâl-e gozashte
last year
(lit. past year)
Present
- امروز
emruz
today - امروز صبح
emruz sobh
this morning - امروز بعد از ظهر
emruz baød az zohr
this afternoon - امروز غروب
emruz ghorub
this evening - امشب
emshab
tonight - این هفته
in hafte
this week - این ماه
in mâh
this month - امسال
emsâl
this year
“em” in emsâl, emruz and emshab means “this”. It is a remnant of Middle Persian. So, for example, emsâl literally means “this year”.
Future
- فردا
fardâ
tomorrow - فردا صبح
fardâ sobh
tomorrow morning - فردا بعد از ظهر
fardâ baød az zohr
tomorrow afternoon - فردا غروب
fardâ ghorub
tomorrow evening - فردا شب
fardâ shab
tomorrow night - پس‌فردا
pasfardâ
the day after tomorrow - هفته‌ی آینده
hafte-ye âyande
next week - ماه آینده
mâh-e âyande
next month - سال آینده
sâl-e âyande
next year
Days of the Week
In Iran, the week begins on Saturday and ends on Friday. So, Thursday and Friday are weekend days.
- شنبه
shanbe
Saturday - یکشنبه
yekshanbe
Sunday - دوشنبه
doshanbe
Monday - سه‌شنبه
seshanbe
Tuesday - چهارشنبه
chahârshanbe
Wednesday - پنجشنبه
panjshanbe
Thursday - جمعه
jomøe
Friday - آدینه
âdine
Friday [literary] - آخر هفته
âkhar-e hafte
weekend
Related vocabulary
- شنبه‌ها
shanbehâ
on Saturdays - شنبه‌ی گذشته
shanbe-ye gozashte
last Saturday - این شنبه
in shanbe
this Saturday - شنبه صبح
shanbe sobh
Saturday morning - شنبه‌ی آینده
shanbe-ye âyande
next Saturday - امروز شنبه است
emruz shanbe ast
It’s Saturday today
Months
Iranians have their own calendar system. Persian new year (Nowruz) begins on the first day of spring at the exact time of vernal equinox. Spring is the first season of the year and each month corresponds to a zodiac sign.
- فروردین
Farvardin (31 days)
Aries - اردیبهشت
Ordibehesht (31 days)
Taurus - خرداد
Khordâd (31 days)
Gemini - تیر
Tir (31 days)
Cancer - مرداد
Mordâd (31 days)
Leo - شهریور
Shahrivar (31 days)
Virgo - مهر
Mehr (30 days)
Libra - آبان
Âbân (30 days)
Scorpio - آذر
Âzar (30 days)
Sagittarius - دی
Dey (30 days)
Capricorn - بهمن
Bahman (30 days)
Aquarius - اسفند
Esfand (29/30 days)
Pisces
Seasons
- بهار
bahâr
spring - تابستان
tâbestân
summer - پاییز
pâyiz
fall - زمستان
zemestân
winter