Agreeing and Disagreeing

Expressing Agreement and Disagreement in Persian

In this chapter you will learn how to agree, disagree, and react to other people’s opinions in natural Persian. At B1 level, you need more than just “yes” and “no”. You should be able to show full agreement, partial agreement, polite disagreement, and strong disagreement, and also ask what others think.

We focus on common spoken, relatively neutral Tehrani-style Persian that you can safely use in most informal and semi‑formal contexts.

Basic Agreement: Saying You Agree

The most common way to agree with someone’s opinion is to say “yes” plus a short phrase that shows you share the same view.

Very frequent patterns are:

1. Simple confirmation:
   Man:
   این فیلم واقعاً خوب بود.
   in film vāqeʿan xub bud.
   “This movie was really good.”

You:
آره، خیلی خوب بود.
āre, xeyli xub bud.
“Yeah, it was very good.”

2. Using “right / correct”:
   You can use درست and حق with بودن. These are extremely common in conversation.

تو راست می‌گی.
to rāsṭ migi.
“You’re right.”

درست می‌گی.
dorost migi.
“You’re right.”

حق با توئه.
haq bâ to‑e.
“Literally: ‘the right is with you’, meaning ‘you’re right.’”

حق با شماست.
haq bâ shomâst.
“You are right.” (more polite / formal)

3. Repeating and confirming the opinion:
   Sometimes you repeat the key word and add an agreeing phrase.

این کتاب سخته.
in ketâb sakhte.
“This book is hard.”

آره، واقعاً سخته.
āre, vāqeʿan sakhte.
“Yeah, it is really hard.”

Strong Agreement

To show strong agreement, Persian uses intensifiers like خیلی, کاملاً, واقعاً, کاملاً موافقم and expressions that show emotional support.

کاملاً باهات موافقم.
kâmelan bâhât movâfeqam.
“I completely agree with you.” (informal “you”)

کاملاً با شما موافقم.
kâmelan bâ shomâ movâfeqam.
“I completely agree with you.” (polite)

کاملاً درست می‌گی.
kâmelan dorost migi.
“You are completely right.”

کاملاً حق با توئه.
kâmelan haq bâ to‑e.
“You’re totally right.”

دقیقاً همینه.
daqiqan hamine.
“Exactly, that’s it.”

دقیقاً همین‌طوره.
daqiqan hamintore.
“Exactly, that’s how it is.”

دقیقاً موافقم.
daqiqan movâfeqam.
“I agree exactly.”

کاملاً موافقم.
kâmelan movâfeqam.
“I totally agree.”

خیلی موافقم.
xeyli movâfeqam.
“I really agree.”

Agreeing with a Positive or Negative Statement

When you reply to a positive statement, you use the normal positive forms:

A:
فکر می‌کنم این روش خیلی مفیده.
fekr mikonam in ravesh xeyli mofide.
“I think this method is very useful.”

B:
آره، موافقم.
āre, movâfeqam.
“Yeah, I agree.”

When you reply to a negative opinion, you usually repeat the negation or confirm it with بله / آره.

A:
این غذا اصلاً خوشمزه نیست.
in qazâ aslan xošmaze nist.
“This food is not tasty at all.”

B:
آره، موافقم، اصلاً خوب نیست.
āre, movâfeqam, aslan xub nist.
“Yeah, I agree, it is not good at all.”

You can also agree with a negative sentence by using حق با توئه or درست می‌گی, the context makes it clear.

Expressing Partial Agreement

Often you do not fully agree or disagree. You may want to say “yes, but …” or “in some ways, but not completely”. Persian has many common expressions for this kind of nuanced reaction.

“Yes, but …”

The most direct structure is:

آره، ولی …
āre, vali …

Or in more formal style:

بله، اما …
bale, ammâ …

Examples:

آره، ولی همیشه این‌طوری نیست.
āre, vali hamishe intori nist.
“Yeah, but it’s not always like this.”

بله، اما به نظرم یکم گرونه.
bale, ammâ be nazaram yekam gerune.
“Yes, but in my opinion it is a bit expensive.”

“In some ways, I agree”

To show partial agreement politely, you can use:

تا حدی موافقم.
tâ hadda‑i movâfeqam.
“I agree to some extent.”

یک‌جورهایی موافقم.
yejūrâyi movâfeqam.
“I kind of agree.”

یه جورایی حق با توئه.
ye jurâyi haq bâ to‑e.
“In a way, you’re right.”

نسبتاً موافقم.
nesbatan movâfeqam.
“I relatively agree / I more or less agree.”

از یه نظر حق با توئه، ولی …
az ye nazar haq bâ to‑e, vali …
“From one point of view you’re right, but …”

Examples:

تا حدی باهات موافقم، ولی مشکل‌های دیگه‌ای هم هست.
tâ hadda‑i bâhât movâfeqam, vali moškel‑hâye digeyi ham hast.
“I agree with you to some extent, but there are other problems too.”

از یه نظر حق با توئه، ولی من تجربه‌ی دیگه‌ای دارم.
az ye nazar haq bâ to‑e, vali man tajrobeh‑ye digeyi dâram.
“In one sense you’re right, but I have a different experience.”

Disagreeing Politely

At B1 level, it is very important to disagree without sounding rude. In Persian culture, direct and strong disagreement can feel too harsh, especially with older people, teachers, or in formal situations. You often soften your disagreement.

Softening Phrases

Common softening expressions before or after your disagreement:

به نظر من …
be nazar‑e man …
“In my opinion …”

فکر می‌کنم که …
fekr mikonam ke …
“I think that …”

صادقانه بگم …
sâdeqâne begam …
“To be honest …”

راستش …
râsteš …
“To be honest / Actually …”

اجازه بده یه چیز دیگه بگم.
ejâze bede ye čiz‑e dige begam.
“Let me say something else.” (informal)

با احترام، من موافق نیستم.
bâ ehterâm, man movâfeq nistam.
“With respect, I do not agree.” (formal / polite)

Direct Disagreement

The basic pattern to say “I disagree” is:

من موافق نیستم.
man movâfeq nistam.
“I do not agree.”

For polite or formal:

من با شما موافق نیستم.
man bâ shomâ movâfeq nistam.
“I do not agree with you.”

If you want to be less direct, you can say:

خیلی موافق نیستم.
xeyli movâfeq nistam.
“I do not really agree.”

کاملاً موافق نیستم.
kâmelan movâfeq nistam.
“I do not completely agree.”

Examples:

راستش، من خیلی موافق نیستم.
râsteš, man xeyli movâfeq nistam.
“Honestly, I do not really agree.”

به نظر من این‌طوری نیست.
be nazar‑e man intori nist.
“In my opinion, it is not like that.”

فکر نمی‌کنم این درست باشه.
fekr nemikonam in dorost bâše.
“I do not think this is correct.”

Disagreeing with “I do not think that …”

A very natural structure is:

فکر نمی‌کنم که …
fekr nemikonam ke …

For example:

فکر نمی‌کنم این ایده خوب باشه.
fekr nemikonam in ide xub bâše.
“I do not think this idea is good.”

فکر نمی‌کنم همه این‌طوری باشن.
fekr nemikonam hame intori bâšan.
“I do not think everyone is like this.”

You can combine this with softening:

به نظر من، فکر نمی‌کنم راه‌حل خوبی باشه.
be nazar‑e man, fekr nemikonam râh‑hal‑e xubi bâše.
“In my opinion, I do not think it is a good solution.”

Strong Disagreement

Sometimes you must express strong opposition, for example in a debate or when something is clearly wrong. These forms are more direct and can sound strong, so use them carefully.

اصلاً موافق نیستم.
aslan movâfeq nistam.
“I do not agree at all.”

کاملاً مخالفم.
kâmelan moḵâlefam.
“I totally disagree.”

اصلاً این‌طوری نیست.
aslan intori nist.
“It is not like this at all.”

به هیچ وجه موافق نیستم.
be hič vajh movâfeq nistam.
“I absolutely do not agree.” (formal / strong)

اصلاً قبول ندارم.
aslan qabul nadâram.
“I do not accept it at all.” / “I totally disagree.”

Using “moxâlefam”

The opposite of موافقم is مخالفم. This is a very direct word for “I am opposed / I disagree”.

من مخالفم.
man moḵâlefam.
“I disagree.”

من با این نظر مخالفم.
man bâ in nazar moḵâlefam.
“I am against this opinion.”

Be careful: مخالفم can sound more formal or stronger than “movâfeq nistam”, especially without softening:

به نظرم، با این حرف مخالفم.
be nazaram, bâ in harf moḵâlefam.
“In my opinion, I disagree with this statement.”

Asking for Opinions and Reactions

To start a discussion, you need to ask others what they think. You saw opinion structures in another chapter, but here we focus on how to invite agreement or disagreement.

Common questions:

نظرِ تو چیه؟
nazar‑e to čie?
“What is your opinion?” (informal)

نظرِ شما چیه؟
nazar‑e šomâ čie?
“What is your opinion?” (polite)

تو چی فکر می‌کنی؟
to či fekr mikoni?
“What do you think?” (informal)

شما چی فکر می‌کنید؟
šomâ či fekr mikonid?
“What do you think?” (polite)

موافقی؟
movâfeqi?
“Do you agree?” (informal, singular)

موافقید؟
movâfeqid?
“Do you agree?” (polite / plural)

با من موافقی؟
bâ man movâfeqi?
“Do you agree with me?” (informal)

با این نظر موافقید؟
bâ in nazar movâfeqid?
“Do you agree with this opinion?” (polite)

Examples:

به نظر من این روش بهتره، تو چی فکر می‌کنی؟
be nazar‑e man in ravesh behtare, to či fekr mikoni?
“In my opinion this method is better, what do you think?”

من می‌گم فردا بریم، موافقی؟
man migam fardâ berim, movâfeqi?
“I say we go tomorrow, do you agree?”

Answering “Do you agree?”

When someone asks “movâfeqi?” or “movâfeqid?” you can answer with different shades of agreement or disagreement.

Full agreement

آره، موافقم.
āre, movâfeqam.
“Yeah, I agree.”

بله، کاملاً موافقم.
bale, kâmelan movâfeqam.
“Yes, I completely agree.”

Partial agreement

تا حدی موافقم.
tâ hadda‑i movâfeqam.
“I agree to some extent.”

یک‌جورهایی موافقم.
ye jurâyi movâfeqam.
“I kind of agree.”

بخشی از حرفت رو قبول دارم.
baxši az harfet ro qabul dâram.
“I accept part of what you say.”

Disagreement

نه، خیلی موافق نیستم.
na, xeyli movâfeq nistam.
“No, I do not really agree.”

متأسفانه، نه، مخالفم.
moteʾassefâne, na, moḵâlefam.
“Unfortunately, no, I disagree.”

نه، اصلاً موافق نیستم.
na, aslan movâfeq nistam.
“No, I do not agree at all.”

Confirming or Challenging What Someone Said

In a conversation, you do not only agree or disagree. You also react to what others say. Here are some very common expressions that native speakers use all the time.

Confirming and Showing Interest

واقعاً؟
vāqeʿan?
“Really?”

جدّی؟
jaddi?
“Seriously?”

راست می‌گی؟
rāst migi?
“Are you serious?” / “Really?” (informal)

راست می‌فرمایید؟
rāst mifarmâyid?
“Is that so?” (very polite / formal)

آهان، آره.
âhân, âre.
“Ah, yeah.” (showing you understand / agree)

آره، درسته.
âre, doroste.
“Yeah, that is right.”

Softly Challenging a Statement

To show polite doubt or challenge, you can use:

مطمئنی؟
motmaʾeni?
“Are you sure?” (informal)

مطمئنید؟
motmaʾenid?
“Are you sure?” (polite)

یعنی چی؟
yaʿni či?
“What do you mean?”

مطمئن نیستم این درست باشه.
motmaʾen nistam in dorost bâše.
“I’m not sure this is correct.”

Examples:

A:
همه‌ی فیلم‌های ایرانی خسته‌کننده‌ان.
hame‑ye film‑hâ‑ye irâni xaste‑konande‑an.
“All Iranian movies are boring.”

B:
به نظر من این‌طوری نیست.
be nazar‑e man intori nist.
“In my opinion, it is not like that.”

B (softer):
مطمئنی؟ خیلی از فیلم‌هاشون خوبه.
motmaʾeni? xeyli az filmhâšun xube.
“Are you sure? Many of their movies are good.”

Agreeing or Disagreeing with People and Ideas

You may want to show that you agree with a person in general, or with a particular opinion or plan.

Agreeing with someone

من با تو موافقم.
man bâ to movâfeqam.
“I agree with you.” (informal)

من با شما کاملاً موافقم.
man bâ shomâ kâmelan movâfeqam.
“I completely agree with you.” (polite)

در این مورد باهات موافقم.
dar in mored bâhât movâfeqam.
“In this matter I agree with you.”

Disagreeing with someone

من با تو موافق نیستم.
man bâ to movâfeq nistam.
“I do not agree with you.”

من با شما مخالفم.
man bâ shomâ moḵâlefam.
“I disagree with you.” (polite / strong)

در این مورد باهات مخالفم.
dar in mored bâhât moḵâlefam.
“In this matter I disagree with you.”

Agreeing with a plan, suggestion, or idea

Persian often uses قبول دارم and موافقم with an object.

با این پیشنهاد موافقم.
bâ in pišnehâd movâfeqam.
“I agree with this suggestion.”

این برنامه رو قبول دارم.
in barnâme ro qabul dâram.
“I accept / agree with this plan.”

با این قانون موافق نیستم.
bâ in qânun movâfeq nistam.
“I do not agree with this law.”

Using Tone and Register

At B1 level, you need to adapt your language to the situation. The grammar may be similar, but you choose different words for informal or formal speech.

Informal speech

Use with friends, family, colleagues of similar age.

Key features:

Use آره instead of بله.
Use تو and verb endings in -i or -ی.
Use shorter, simpler expressions.

Examples:

آره، راست می‌گی، موافقم.
āre, rāsṭ migi, movâfeqam.
“Yeah, you’re right, I agree.”

نه، خیلی موافق نیستم، به نظرم سخته.
na, xeyli movâfeq nistam, be nazaram sakhte.
“No, I do not really agree, in my opinion it is hard.”

More polite or formal speech

Use with teachers, older people you do not know well, in meetings, or in writing.

Key features:

Use بله instead of آره.
Use شما and plural verb endings -ید / -ید.
Use more formal expressions like با احترام, به نظر من.

Examples:

بله، کاملاً با شما موافقم.
bale, kâmelan bâ shomâ movâfeqam.
“Yes, I completely agree with you.”

با احترام، در این مورد با شما موافق نیستم.
bâ ehterâm, dar in mored bâ shomâ movâfeq nistam.
“With respect, in this matter I do not agree with you.”

Vocabulary Table