Persian in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan

A Shared Language, Different Countries

Persian is one language that appears in different forms in three main countries: Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. In each place, people have their own name for the language, their own way of writing it, and their own accent and vocabulary. As a beginner, it is important to understand this basic picture so you do not get confused when you see different names or scripts.

In this course, our main focus is modern standard Persian as spoken and written in Iran. This is often called “Iranian Persian.” However, many words and structures are shared with the varieties in Afghanistan and Tajikistan, so what you learn here will help you communicate with speakers from all three countries, especially in simple, everyday situations.

Names of the Language

In Iran, the language is usually called “Farsi,” written in Persian script as فارسی. In more formal English, people also say “Persian” for the same language. In this course, we will use “Persian” in English, and فارسی inside Persian sentences.

In Afghanistan, the same language is called “Dari,” written as دری. Afghan speakers also sometimes say فارسی, especially in more literary or formal contexts, but “Dari” is the official name for their variety of Persian.

In Tajikistan, people call their variety of Persian “Tajik,” written in Tajik as тоҷикӣ. It is closely related to Persian and Dari, but it is written with a different alphabet and has its own sound system and vocabulary influences.

So, the three main names are:
Persian / Farsi فارسی in Iran,
Dari دری in Afghanistan,
Tajik тоҷикӣ in Tajikistan.

All three belong to the same Persian language family and come from the same historical root, but they have developed in different ways.

Scripts and Writing Systems

One of the biggest visible differences is the script. Iranian Persian and Afghan Dari use a modified Arabic script, written from right to left. This is the script you will learn in this course, starting from the alphabet section at level A1.

Tajik, on the other hand, uses a Cyrillic script, written from left to right, similar to Russian. For example, the word “Tajikistan” in Tajik is written Тоҷикистон. The spoken language is still clearly related to Persian, but the letters look completely different.

Because our course teaches the Arabic-based Persian script, your reading and writing skills will match what is used in Iran and in written Dari in Afghanistan. You will still be able to recognize many spoken Tajik words, but you will not learn the Cyrillic script here.

Pronunciation and Accent

Persian in Iran, Dari in Afghanistan, and Tajik in Tajikistan sound different in the same way that English from the United States, the UK, and Australia sounds different. The grammar is mostly shared, many basic words are the same, but the pronunciation and rhythm can change.

Iranian Persian (Farsi) often has softer consonants and a certain melody in the sentence. Some classic vowels have merged in many Iranian accents. For example, two older long vowels that were different in classical Persian may sound very similar in today’s Tehran speech.

Dari in Afghanistan keeps some older vowel contrasts more clearly. It often sounds “sharper” to Iranian ears. Many Afghans pronounce vowels more distinctly and may keep sounds that Iranians pronounce more softly or even drop in fast speech.

Tajik has its own sound system, with changes influenced by neighboring languages and by the Cyrillic writing. Some sounds that are written the same in classical Persian may be pronounced differently in Tajik.

As a beginner, you do not need to master all these differences. It is enough to know that:
You are mainly learning the Iranian standard accent.
Speakers of Dari and Tajik will usually understand you, especially with simple vocabulary.
You may sometimes hear words pronounced a bit differently, but you can still recognize them from context.

Vocabulary Differences

Although the core vocabulary is shared, each country also has its own favorite words, loanwords, and everyday expressions. This is very similar to differences like “apartment” vs “flat” in English.

In Iran, Persian has taken many loanwords from French and English. For example, the everyday word for “thank you” is often “merci,” مرسی, from French.

In Afghanistan, Dari has been influenced more by local languages and also by classical forms. Some everyday items or actions may have different common names compared to Iran, even though both sides can often understand each other with a bit of adjustment.

In Tajikistan, Tajik contains many Russian and local loanwords, and even some basic vocabulary items can be different from everyday Iranian Persian. However, many core words, like numbers, family words, and basic verbs, still show their common Persian origin.

For basic A1 and A2 communication, you can think of Iranian Persian and Dari as “different accents with some different words,” and Tajik as a “cousin language” that is related, but with a different script and stronger regional influence.

Cultural and Regional Context

Persian is not only the language of one country. It connects several regions and cultures. In Iran, Persian is the official national language and is used in government, education, media, and most literature.

In Afghanistan, Dari is one of the official languages, used in government, media, and many schools, alongside Pashto. Many Afghans grow up bilingual or multilingual, speaking Dari and one or more local languages.

In Tajikistan, Tajik is the official language, and it represents the local form of Persian for that country. Because of the use of Cyrillic and the history of the region, Tajik has developed its own standards.

For you as a learner, this means that Persian gives you access not only to Iran, but also to a wider Persianate world, including Afghanistan and Tajikistan, as well as Persian-speaking communities in many other countries.

What You Will Learn in This Course

This course will teach you:
The modern standard Persian used in Iran, with the name فارسی and the Persian alphabet.
Structures and vocabulary that are generally understandable to many Dari speakers.
A foundation that will help you later recognize related forms in Tajik, even if you do not learn the Cyrillic script here.

Whenever a difference between Iranian Persian and other varieties becomes important for beginners, we will mention it briefly so that you are not surprised. However, the main goal is to help you speak, understand, read, and write standard Persian as used in Iran.

Over time, as your level grows, you can add more variety specific knowledge. At the A1 level, the most important thing is to feel comfortable with one clear standard and not worry too much about every regional variation.