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Persian Lesson 1 – The Alphabet, Short Vowels, Letters B, P & T

This is the first Farsi lesson. For those who are, to some extent, familiar with these basics of Persian language, it might seem redundant. Nevertheless, as mentioned above, we are going to learn Persian from the very scratch that I think will be more helpful. Little by little, we will make great progress to begin advanced Persian that will let you communicate with others in Persian in both oral and written. In near future, you will find yourself speaking, reading, and even writing in Persian. These all can only be achieved through practicing these simple steps, which make learning as easy as possible.

Lesson 1 (Start from the very beginning!)

Like anything else, you’ll have to learn some basics first, and it’s inevitable! In these lessons, I have tried hard to simplify the rules as much as possible. However, it’s a new language for you and requires at least a little bit of effort if not very much! All you have to do is be patient and follow the instructions one by one. In the meantime, we are going to learn the Persian letters and the way they are pronounced and of course we will do it step by step to make sure that everything is quite clear. After you got a little familiarity with some basics you would see that it’s really as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Unlike western languages, Persian is written and read from right to left.

2. Persian consists of 32 letters. Some of them have small and big form like A / a in English while others have only one form. You don’t need to memorize all of them now. Just be patient enough to learn it one by one. In the end you’ll see your progress.

3. As you know, English words cannot be pronounced without these five letters: A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y as in BY. These are called vowels. In Persian, however, there are no letters considered as vowels. Instead, we put some sounds on or under the letters to make them readable. There are six main sounds in Persian recognized as vowels, three short vowels and three long vowels. Remember that these are not letters. These are sounds that come with letters and make them pronounceable. Today we will learn short vowels.

The representatives (symbols) of these sounds (vowels) are as follows:

1-   Do you see the small symbol on A? If this sign sits on a letter, the letter will be pronounced as /æ/ in dad.

2-  If this sign, which is exactly written in the same way as in number one, sits under a letter, it will be pronounced as /e/ in set.

3-  If this sign, which has a circle on his head, sits on a letter, it will be pronounced as /o/ in border.

Note: this sign sits on the letters only.

These three sounds are called short vowels.

Now that you are familiar with these three short vowels you are ready to learn a couple of letters to practice with these sounds.

Today we are going to learn three big letters as well as their small forms.

1-  This is the big letter ‘B’ in Persian. In the meantime, you don’t need to learn how to write it. We are just trying to pronounce it with the help of those three short vowels above. Ready? Don’t worry. I’ll write it for you. All you have to do is pronounce it.

This is /bæ/ as in battery.

This one is /be/ as in bed.

This one is /bo/ as in border.

Try to repeat it for a couple of times.

2-  This one is the small letter ‘b’ in Persian. Now try to pronounce this letter in the same way. Don’t forget to read from right to left. You will say. 

Don’t be afraid! It’s not that much difficult. Don’t believe me? Click here to listen.

B letters

Note: big letters come at the end of the words and may stand either attached or separated from other letters (they are separable), while the small letters come at the beginning or in the middle of the words and are attached to some other letters (they are inseparable). There is only one exception that will be explained later.

3- This one is the big letter ‘P’ in Persian. Try to pronounce it with the short vowels.

as /pæ/ in pad.

as /pe/in pet.

as /po/in pork.

4-   This one is the small letter ‘p’ in Persian. Try to pronounce it. Don’t forget to read from right to left. You will say:  

Need help? Click here to listen.

P letters

5-  This one is big letter ‘T’ in Persian. Try to pronounce it with the short vowels.

as /tæ/ in tab.

as /te/ in tennis.

as /to/ in torn.

6-  This is the small letter ‘t’. Don’t forget to read from right to left. Try to pronounce it. 

Still need help? Click here.

T letters

Ok. With this we come to the end of lesson one. I hope you have enjoyed it. Make sure to check the Useful drills now. Don’t forget to visit this page every weekend. This site is updated weekly.

That’s it for today. Feel tired? Hit me

Click here if you want to write in Persian.

Lesson 1

241 Comments

  1. Suzumiya
    April 29, 2012 @ 4:49 am

    Thank you very much for your website! It has lots of grammar explained. Unfortunately, Farsi is not as popular on the internet as Arabic is, so your website is a treasure. Farsi is easier than Arabic, so I will learn first Farsi then Arabic.

    • Héma
      December 31, 2012 @ 4:28 pm

      Arabic is much different from Farsi, it beeing a afro-asiatic language while Farsi is Indo-european. Learning Hebrew first would help you better, especially with grammar. Yet, persian has borrowed the Abjad beside many vocabulary. So, that may be useful for you too.

      • Ghita
        March 18, 2013 @ 4:15 pm

        Hema, Arabic is a semitic Language *

        • Jesse
          June 20, 2013 @ 1:35 am

          Semitic is a subset of Afro-Asiatic.

          • samah
            January 30, 2014 @ 5:42 am

            modern day persian is full of arab words and they use the same letters too. I think you are right suzmiya

      • Markus
        April 25, 2013 @ 12:49 am

        I will also learn Farsi first before I learn Arabic. Thanks so much for this website!

  2. Alfredo G
    May 16, 2012 @ 10:52 pm

    very nice the new style – always great all the work! tashakkor – khosh bashid

  3. Bahattin Gökçe
    May 20, 2012 @ 11:00 am

    Thank you very much. Your web-site is so good.

  4. Phillip McLennan
    May 23, 2012 @ 9:39 pm

    Dear Hassan,
    حالت چطوره؟ ! Very much admire and enjoy lessions. Book available?
    Thanks,
    Phil

  5. Mariam
    May 26, 2012 @ 2:37 pm

    It was a great surprise for me to see that the oxford language centre offers my sweet lovely language Parsi as well.
    Thank you very much and well done!

    • Asif Syal
      July 16, 2013 @ 4:45 am

      سلام مریم جان، منم فارسی زبان ھستم، خیلی خوش وقتم از این ویبگاھی جدید،

  6. Hassan H.
    May 29, 2012 @ 11:10 pm

    Thanks everybody.

    I am very happy that you have found this site useful.

    Philip,
    Currently, BOOK is not available. Maybe in the future.

    All the best to all of you,
    Hassan

    • Nicole
      August 4, 2012 @ 3:37 pm

      Thank you so much for this website! My dad has been begging me to learn Farsi so I gave it a try. But now i enjoy it ALOT!

      • Imi Jimi
        August 26, 2013 @ 9:23 am

        Salam,
        aya mitonam in matalebo shomaro dar facebook enteshar bedam ?

    • Nicky
      October 9, 2013 @ 9:48 pm

      Hassan, compliment the book with an audio CD with some basic sentences colloquially used in the business context and I’m sure you will have buyers like me dishing out cash.
      :)
      Salaam

  7. elisa
    May 31, 2012 @ 9:15 am

    ممنون از آموزش خوبتان

    • mahdi
      July 3, 2012 @ 9:30 am

      i hope you learn farsi as well

  8. get rid f bed bugs
    June 1, 2012 @ 5:32 am

    What’s up to all, how is everything, I think every one is getting more from this site, and your views are good designed for new visitors.

  9. Akbar Ali
    June 6, 2012 @ 4:12 am

    Dear sir I want to learn farsi through your website. please guide me either i can get complete the farsi learning course.

    • steven
      July 26, 2013 @ 9:55 am

      Hi sir/ma’am I want to lear Farsi language I hope you can help me thanks and more powers

  10. Prakash Bhattarai
    June 12, 2012 @ 3:16 pm

    It’s really helpful web site……thank you

  11. Nina
    June 12, 2012 @ 10:55 pm

    Do you have any downloads for mac?

  12. mahdi
    July 3, 2012 @ 9:27 am

    امید وارم همه شما دوستان فارسی یاد بگیرید

    • Hadi
      April 10, 2013 @ 8:18 pm

      مرا حاجت است کہ ہیچ مردم از پارسی بطریقے احسن اموز

  13. mahdi
    July 3, 2012 @ 9:29 am

    من هم فارسی زبان هستم و میخواهم انگلیسی یاد بگیرم

    • moazzam
      March 1, 2013 @ 7:26 pm

      I can teach you English in exchange for learning Persian.

  14. mahdi
    July 3, 2012 @ 9:30 am

    any body there?

    • pervez
      July 5, 2012 @ 3:59 pm

      Aqa Mahdi will you please tel me the english of Haal e sada and haal e akhbari

      regards

      • Hadi
        August 12, 2012 @ 8:49 pm

        Hi,
        In fact,We don’t use “haa e saade” in everyday Farsi-which is spoken in Iran-and its usage IS rare indeed. Every body uses “haal e akhbari” instead. if you use haal e saade you may like reading/reciting a poetry.
        By the way you may hear/read “Mozareمضارع” word instead of “haal”.

  15. mari hesam
    July 4, 2012 @ 10:57 am

    tnx for this site..

  16. Zari B.
    July 10, 2012 @ 11:07 pm

    Hi, I live in London and I have experience as a private Farsi teacher for nine years. I would be happy to help anyone looking to learn Persian.
    Zari B.
    [email protected]

    • fati
      January 24, 2013 @ 10:19 am

      Mr. Zari B.
      this is fatima here. i am very much intersted to learn this language.but i dont have even a least bit of knowledge about it. can u please help. my skype ID is fatimaa.sas
      plz add me if possible

    • bella
      May 27, 2013 @ 5:53 am

      Dear Zari B.

      Hi my name is bella. my moms side of the family is Persian and I would love to learn farsi. Please contact me at my email witch is [email protected] with no capitols thank you please please contact me

  17. faraz
    July 11, 2012 @ 12:34 am

    Very nice website. Many thanks!

  18. Jeremy Henry
    July 12, 2012 @ 2:50 am

    I am African American from Philadelphia which is a city in America and I find this language very fun to learn and interesting:)
    Thank you very much sir for putting up all of these free lessons on this free website!!

  19. Alxy
    July 17, 2012 @ 11:03 pm

    Thank You … for a complety website
    Love persian.

  20. Barie
    July 28, 2012 @ 7:20 pm

    Salam Hassan!. I do admire your patience and dedication doing this all for us, learners.
    I would like to ask you, if you happen to know the lyrics of Esgh e man by Farzin?..
    I would like to sing along with it if i can only see alphabet lyrics .. please? :)

  21. mohamad
    August 1, 2012 @ 9:51 pm

    خوشحالم که زبان مادری من اینقدر طرفدار داره اگه قابل بدونید میتونم کمکتون کنم…
    I am so happy that parsi has the fans like u… I hope you learn it as easy as possible… if i can help, this is my yahoo ID [email protected] you can add me for talk in parsi. I will be happy if I can help.

    • dlovan
      August 25, 2012 @ 9:32 am

      I need help anybody here for help

  22. zingolo
    August 2, 2012 @ 6:19 pm

    Just a quick note to say thanks a great deal for this website. It is so useful for me and is a real comfort to have. My husband is Iranian and his family don’t speak english so have set myself goals to complete your lessons. Thanks again.

  23. mahkam2011fashionart
    August 5, 2012 @ 7:33 pm

    I am a native Iranian living in Dublin and have experience of teaching Farsi for a while I am a certified interpreter as well. If anybody (Irish fellows) is interested please drop me a line at: [email protected]

  24. Farangis
    August 8, 2012 @ 2:54 am

    I would like to see some sample Farsi translations

    • mazhar ali
      October 27, 2013 @ 4:22 am

      thanks 4 offering such valuable programme

  25. Farangis
    August 8, 2012 @ 2:57 am

    I would look to see some sample of farsi English translations

    • mushtaq ahamd
      August 10, 2012 @ 12:51 pm

      ok wat about

  26. mushtaq ahamd
    August 10, 2012 @ 12:53 pm

    i am doing ma persian in jnu delhi.but unfortunately i can not speak very well..plz give some suggestions.

  27. banan
    August 12, 2012 @ 3:27 pm

    i reaaly love persian and i want a friend to help me i can understand well but unfortunatly cant speak… anyone plz????

  28. Sina
    August 29, 2012 @ 5:05 pm

    salaam!
    i found this page suddenly when i searched for some material to learning English.
    i am a native Persian and i really interest in help you to learn Persian Farsi.

    have good time learning Farsi :)

    • Delband
      February 7, 2013 @ 9:20 pm

      Che jaleeb! Etefaghan baraye man ham hamin etefagh oftad!:))))

  29. Sina
    August 29, 2012 @ 5:07 pm

    my Yahoo Id is jafarzadeh991

    • sandra
      December 7, 2012 @ 2:46 am

      My last name is Jafarzadeh too. Does it mean something? Thank you.!

      • Brian
        December 7, 2012 @ 3:22 pm

        Hi, Sandra. Zadeh is a common suffix in Persian names. It means “child of.” In this case, child of Jafar. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zadeh

  30. Lydia
    September 19, 2012 @ 3:12 pm

    Thank You so much for this website!!

  31. Caroleanna
    September 25, 2012 @ 5:29 pm

    Nice site. Hoping to learn some basic Farsi.

  32. Mann
    October 3, 2012 @ 4:33 am

    This is a fantastic Farsi learning website! Thank you very much for it!

  33. nemishe
    October 14, 2012 @ 3:42 am

    If you want to transliterate(not to translate) from English to Persian. Try Behnevis.com
    In this website your enter : “Salaam” and it transliterate it to “سلام”.
    You may ask why it is useful or who use it. The answer is Persian speaker people use it. Why? because most of people cannot type in Persian(don’t know which key is for “ج” or which one is for “ق”. So they just say “Salam, hale shoma khoob ast?” and it converts that to “سلام حال شما خوب است؟”.

    • cris
      December 2, 2012 @ 10:51 pm

      i liked the page… thanks… but is there another one where you can write and translate into voice to listen how it sounds?

  34. khaleeq Ahmed
    October 21, 2012 @ 12:17 pm

    I AM FROM PAKISTAN THE ALPHABET OF THE PERSIAN ARE THE SAME AS IN OUR NATIONAL LANGUAGE IT IS VERY EASY FOR ME

  35. Cecilia Alonso
    November 7, 2012 @ 4:54 am

    hi everyone, i would like to know how to say “the key is to laugh” in persian, does anyone know??thanks a lot

    • Delband
      February 7, 2013 @ 9:16 pm

      If i understant you correctly it will be: kelid ân khandidan ast
      كليد آن خنديدن است
      But we also can say: kelidash khande ast. Or: kelid khande ast

  36. Tasripin Adiwijaya
    November 10, 2012 @ 3:56 am

    Thank you so much to whom gentleman to provide this Persian Language, since I get two things the first the Persian one itself and I could maintain my English well, I hope I could keep studying Persian constantly and manage my time. This course is very very useful for every one who concern to development Persian Country and I should close to the Persian culture, especially to Islamic Iranian Country which hold the al Qur’an wal al hadist as foundation rule. Salam/Salom

  37. Archana
    November 17, 2012 @ 10:52 am

    Hi! I am Archana from India! your website is very useful and interesting! India is a multilingual country and it is amazing to see the give and take among many Indian languages and Persian. Thanks!
    Archana

  38. Cristina
    November 28, 2012 @ 5:35 pm

    salaam aleikum
    i m new on the website…i want know what is the difference between persian and dari language?

    • Delband
      February 7, 2013 @ 6:44 pm

      Farsi it is the langues of iran and dari its in afganistan and tajikestan, they have diffrent accents ,and there is some diffrents in gramer and verbs, but trust me dont waste your time on dari! Go and learn farsi bec there are almost 75milion iranian and of curse farsi is more famos and usefull.

  39. cris
    December 2, 2012 @ 10:38 pm

    i am also new to the website, but it is helping me learn… thank you for taking the time of setting this helpfull tips

  40. zahra
    December 5, 2012 @ 10:56 am

    vry useful ya.. really greatful to this site

  41. sandra
    December 7, 2012 @ 2:48 am

    Thank you very much for the lessons!

  42. barno
    December 7, 2012 @ 9:17 am

    Excellent site… Superb way of teaching…

  43. Mehek Ruba
    December 17, 2012 @ 5:09 am

    sooperb it is

  44. vj
    December 17, 2012 @ 8:01 pm

    Loving it it’s really easy n good exercise

  45. Abyan Garna W.
    December 29, 2012 @ 11:18 am

    Nice!
    I’m hoping to understand Farsi :)

  46. CS
    January 4, 2013 @ 9:48 am

    Excellent website – thank you very much. I really appreciate that it is free and that you need advertising to help pay for it but please would you find advertising other than that for ‘girls’ or ‘mature single women’. As a woman I really find it quite offensive to be faced with these ads that seem to sell women as sexual objects. They are inappropriate and really make a dent in the quality of what seems a useful and well thought-out website.

    • E
      March 3, 2013 @ 5:00 am

      I don’t think Mr. Hassan has much to do with the advertisements appearing on the page as they probably depend on your region or the surfing history of the computer you are using. The advertisements I see here are of some language academies and trading companies…anyway, I agree with you, this is an excellent website, happy learning :)

  47. Malaga
    January 4, 2013 @ 2:12 pm

    Just started to use your website, but so far it’s really great. Thanks. Seriously. :)

  48. Bijan
    January 10, 2013 @ 6:05 am

    Hazrata Hassan jon, this website has been extremely helpful in allowing me to communicate with my family living in Isfahan. It is truly a gift to be able to talk to them for the first time in 15 years. Kheili mamnoon Moalem!!

  49. Denisa
    January 12, 2013 @ 2:09 am

    I love this website as i am a beginer an its going to be very useful
    Thank you…
    Salam

  50. Denisa
    January 12, 2013 @ 2:11 am

    Any one out there willing to help me out?
    Thanks
    salam