Learning Persian: Script, Sounds, and Structure

Why Script, Sounds, and Structure Matter

Persian looks different, sounds different, and is built differently from English, but it is also very regular and logical. Before you start learning words and phrases, you need a clear picture of three things: how Persian is written, how it sounds, and how sentences are usually built. In this chapter you will not memorize every letter or rule in detail. Instead, you will get a simple “map” of what is coming in the next chapters, so that nothing feels mysterious or scary.

Persian is called “Farsi” in Iran, “Dari” in Afghanistan, and “Tajik” in Tajikistan. In this course we mainly follow standard Iranian Persian, usually called “Fārsi,” written in the Perso‑Arabic script. Once you understand the basic script, sounds, and structure, you will be ready to move smoothly into Level A1.

The Persian Script in a Big Picture

Persian uses a script based on Arabic, written from right to left. At first, it may look like a line of curves and dots. With a little practice, you will see that it is made of a small, fixed set of letters that repeat again and again.

Persian has 32 basic letters. Many of them are the same shapes as Arabic letters, but four are special Persian letters that you will meet many times:
پ (p), چ (ch), ژ (zh, like the “s” in “measure”), گ (g, as in “go”).

Each letter can have up to four forms: one form when it appears alone, and other forms when it appears at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. You do not need to memorize all forms at once. In the A1 section “The Persian Alphabet” and “Connecting Letters and Writing Practice,” you will learn how each letter changes shape and how letters connect.

Most letters connect to the letter before and after them. A few letters only connect to the letter before them and “break” the connection after them, which creates small gaps inside words. This is why the same letter shape can look a bit different depending on its position.

At the beginning, you will meet many words written both in Perso‑Arabic script and in a simple Latin transcription. For example, you will see:

سلام
salām
“hello”

Very soon, the goal is to help you rely more and more on the real Persian script.

Vowels and Consonants as the “Skeleton” of Words

Persian words are built from consonants and vowels. Consonants are written using the main letters. Long vowels also have letters. Short vowels, however, are usually not written in everyday Persian texts, which surprises many learners.

Persian has six main vowel sounds: three short and three long. You will study them carefully in “Short and Long Vowels.” For now, it is enough to know that:

Short vowels are:
“a” (as in “cat,” but usually shorter),
“e” (as in “bed”),
“o” (as in “box”).

Long vowels are:
“ā” (a long “a,” as in “father”),
“ī” (like “ee” in “see”),
“ū” (like “oo” in “food”).

In normal writing, the short vowels are usually not shown. For example, the word “salām” (hello) is written only with consonants and the long vowel “ā”:

سلام
s (س) + l (ل) + ā (ا as long ā) + m (م)

The short vowel “a” after the “s” and before the “l” is not written. At first you will need transcription to see these vowels. Step by step, your brain will learn to “fill in” the short vowels from context.

Because most consonants always have the same basic sound, reading Persian becomes easier over time. Persian spelling is more regular than English spelling. Once you know what each letter usually sounds like, there are fewer surprises than in English.

How Persian Sounds and Feels in the Mouth

Persian is often described as a smooth, flowing language. Many learners find that it has a “soft” sound, without strong explosions or harsh consonants. There are a few reasons for this feeling.

First, Persian does not have big clusters of consonants at the beginning of words like “str-” or “spl-” in English. Most syllables in Persian are simple, often of the form consonant + vowel or consonant + vowel + consonant. This makes words feel more even and easier to pronounce in a steady rhythm.

Second, Persian stress is usually regular. You will learn the details in “Pronunciation and Stress,” but you can already know a helpful pattern:

In many simple verbs and words, the last syllable is stressed. For example:
salām (hello),
ketāb (book),
madrese (school, stressed near the end).

There are exceptions, especially with some verb forms and borrowed words, but this general idea gives you a starting point. When you are not sure, gently stress the last part of the word and keep your voice smooth, not too sharp.

You will also notice some consonants that do not exist in English, or are less common, such as:

خ “kh” produced in the back of the mouth, like the “ch” in German “Bach.”
غ and ق often pronounced the same in modern Tehran speech, like a voiced “gh” sound deep in the throat.

In this course we will give you clear sound descriptions and, where possible, comparison to English or other common languages. At first, it is enough to know that these sounds exist and that you will train your mouth and ears to recognize and produce them.

Basic Sentence Structure: Subject, Object, Verb

Persian sentences are usually built in a very regular order. One of the most important differences from English is where the verb comes in the sentence.

In English you usually say:
Subject + Verb + Object:
“I eat apples.”

In Persian, the neutral and most common order is:
Subject + Object + Verb:
“I apples eat.”

In Persian:

من سیب می‌خورم.
man sīb mikhordam.
“I eat apples.”

Here, “man” (I) is the subject, “sīb” (apple) is the object, and “mikhordam” (I eat) is the verb. You will study “Simple Sentences (Subject–Object–Verb)” in detail later. For now, you only need to remember that:

This pattern will guide you at every level. As you learn more grammar, such as tenses and relative clauses, you will see that the verb often stays close to the end. This is one of the structural “signatures” of Persian.

Verbs and the Verb “to be”

Persian verbs carry information about tense and about the subject inside a single word. The ending of the verb often tells you who is doing the action: I, you, he, she, we, they. You will meet this idea early in Level A1, especially in “The Verb ‘to be’.”

In English, the verb “to be” has special forms: “I am,” “you are,” “he is,” and so on. Persian also has special forms, but they often appear attached to the end of a word as short endings. For example, you will later see patterns like:

man …-am
“I am …”

to …-i
“you are …”

u …-ast or …-e
“he / she is …”

At the beginning, these small endings may feel new, but they are very regular. You will use them all the time in basic sentences such as “I am a student” or “She is Iranian.” Learning the Persian “to be” early gives you instant power to describe people, places, and things.

Formal and Informal: Two Faces of Everyday Persian

Spoken Persian in daily life is often more relaxed than the very formal written language. You already see a hint of this in the verb “to be.” For example, the very formal “ast” (“is”) often appears in everyday speech simply as “e” attached to the word.

Formal:
او ایرانی است.
u irāni ast.
“He / She is Iranian.”

Informal, very common:
اون ایرانیه.
un irānie.

Here, “un” is the informal form of “u” (he / she / that), and “-e” is the everyday spoken form of “ast.” In “Formal vs Informal Persian” you will learn how speakers switch between these forms in real life. For now, simply be aware that Persian has a written standard, and also a relaxed spoken form, especially in Iran. This course will help you recognize both.

Persian in Different Countries, One Core System

Persian is not only the language of Iran. It is also spoken in Afghanistan, where it is usually called “Dari,” and in Tajikistan, where it is called “Tajik.” All three belong to one language family and share a large common core.

In Iran and Afghanistan, Persian is written in the Perso‑Arabic script, from right to left. In Tajikistan, however, Tajik Persian is normally written in Cyrillic script, from left to right. In this course we focus on the script and pronunciation standards used in Iran, but it is good to know that when you learn Persian, you also open a door to understanding Dari and Tajik speakers.

Pronunciation and some vocabulary differ from country to country. For example, the Persian word for “thank you” in Iran is “mersi” (borrowed from French) or “moteshakkeram,” while in Afghanistan you will often hear “tashakkor.” You will get a basic introduction to these differences in the chapter “Persian in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan,” after you have some foundation.

How Grammar Will Grow Through the Levels

You do not need complex grammar to start communicating in Persian. At Level A1 you will work with the very core: the alphabet, simple sounds, personal pronouns, the verb “to be,” basic word order, simple questions, and negation. This will already allow you to say who you are, where you are from, and to ask someone’s name or nationality.

As you move to Level A2, you will expand into the simple present and simple past, learn common verbs, and talk about everyday life in time. At Level B1 you will step into more complex verb forms, relative clauses, and the object marker, which is a very important little word in Persian. Higher levels will introduce the subjunctive mood, conditionals, and stylistic variation.

Throughout all of this growth, the foundations from this chapter remain the same: the script, the basic sounds, and the core sentence structure with Subject, Object, and Verb. If you ever feel lost later, you can always come back to these simple pillars.

Getting Comfortable with Reading and Writing Direction

Because Persian is written from right to left, you will train your eyes and hands in a slightly new way. At first, it may feel slow or confusing to track lines in this direction, especially if you are used only to languages like English.

When reading, begin at the top right corner of the page and move your eyes to the left. When writing by hand, you will start on the right and move your pen to the left. Many learners also notice that numbers inside Persian text are often written left to right using Arabic numerals like ۱, ۲, ۳ or Western numerals like 1, 2, 3, which creates a mixture. You will encounter these details in context later.

The important point is that directionality is part of the feel of the language. It affects how words connect on the page, how you scan a text, and how you copy examples. The earlier you become comfortable with this, the easier it will be to absorb vocabulary and grammar.

What to Expect Next

After this introductory chapter, you will start learning the actual letters in “The Persian Alphabet,” then practice how they connect in “Connecting Letters and Writing Practice.” You will then focus on “Short and Long Vowels” and “Basic Pronunciation Rules,” which will give you the tools to read and pronounce simple words and phrases.

At the same time, the early chapters of Level A1 will let you use these tools in real communication: greetings, introductions, simple questions, and basic sentences. Script, sounds, and structure are not abstract topics. They are the base from which you will begin to understand and to be understood in Persian.

Vocabulary from this Section

In this chapter, several important Persian words and terms have already appeared. Here is a list for your reference. The focus here is on recognition, not memorization yet.

Persian script and language terms:
فارسی – fārsi – Persian (language, especially Iranian standard)
دری – dari – Dari (Afghan variety of Persian)
تاجیکی – tājiki – Tajik (Tajik variety of Persian)
سلام – salām – hello
کتاب – ketāb – book
مدرسه – madrese – school

Pronouns and simple words:
من – man – I
تو – to – you (singular, informal)
او – u – he / she (formal written)
اون – un – he / she / that (informal spoken)

Verbs and related forms:
است – ast – is (formal written “to be”)
ـه / ـه‌ – e – is (informal / spoken ending of “to be”)
می‌خورم – mikhordam – I eat

Countries, adjectives, and related:
ایرانی – irāni – Iranian

Key structural terms (meaning in this course context):
فاعل – fā‘el – subject (grammar term, for reference)
مفعول – maf‘ul – object (grammar term, for reference)
فعل – fe‘l – verb (grammar term, for reference)