Connectors and Discourse Markers

Functions of Connectors and Discourse Markers in Persian

At the B1 level you already know how to build basic sentences. To sound more natural in Persian, you now need to link sentences smoothly and show how your ideas are related in time, logic, or attitude. Words and short expressions that do this job are called connectors and discourse markers.

In this chapter you will see the most common Persian items that help you sequence information, add ideas, contrast, explain reasons, and mark your opinion while speaking or writing.

Sequencing Events and Organizing a Story

When you narrate in Persian, you often need to say what happened first, then, and finally. You also need expressions that help you start or move on to a new part of your story.

Very common sequencing words are:

اول
اولِ همه / اول از همه
بعد
بعدش
بعد از آن / بعد از اون
سپس
در نهایت
آخرِ سر
آخرش

For example:

اول رفتم سرِ کار. بعدش با دوستم ناهار خوردم. آخرِ سر رفتم خونه.
First I went to work. Then I had lunch with my friend. Finally I went home.

Note that اول است, meaning “first”, can be used with other words:

اول از همه باید خودمو معرفی کنم.
First of all, I should introduce myself.

In spoken language, بعدش is very common and informal. In more neutral or written style you will often see بعد and سپس.

To start a story or a new part, you can use:

خب
راستی
حالا

For example:

خب، دیروز یه اتفاق جالب افتاد.
Well, something interesting happened yesterday.

حالا بذار از سفرمون بگم.
Now let me tell you about our trip.

These words do not change the grammar of the sentence, but they guide the listener and make your narration feel more natural.

Adding Information and Giving Examples

You often need to say “and”, “also”, “besides”, or “for example”. You already know و “and”, but Persian has several useful connectors to add or illustrate ideas.

For adding information, the most frequent items are:

هم
همچنین
همین‌طور
بعلاوه

For example:

اون فارسی بلده. انگلیسی هم بلده.
He knows Persian. He also knows English.

همچنین با خانواده‌م خیلی در ارتباطم.
I am also very much in contact with my family.

To soften the addition with a spoken flavor, you can use همین‌طور:

هوا خیلی سرد بود، همین‌طور بارون می‌اومد.
It was very cold, and it was also raining.

To give examples, you will hear:

مثلاً
برایِ مثال
مثالاً

مثلاً can appear almost anywhere in the sentence:

من غذاهای ایرانی، مثلاً قورمه‌سبزی و قیمه، رو خیلی دوست دارم.
I really like Iranian foods, for example ghormeh sabzi and gheimeh.

Cause, Reason, and Result

In narration and opinion, explaining reasons and results is essential. Persian uses several very common connectors for “because”, “so”, and “therefore”.

The most frequent causal connector is چون “because”. Another everyday cause expression is برایِ اینکه, often pronounced برا اینکه or برا این‌که in speech:

چون خسته بودم، زود خوابیدم.
Because I was tired, I went to bed early.

نرفتم سرِ کار، برایِ اینکه مریض بودم.
I did not go to work, because I was sick.

In spoken Persian, خیلی وقت‌ها, “many times”, people use چون at the beginning of the sentence and then put the result after a pause.

For results, you will hear:

برایِ همین
به خاطرِ همین
در نتیجه
بنابراین

For example:

دیر از خونه بیرون اومدم، برایِ همین اتوبوس رو از دست دادم.
I left home late, so I missed the bus.

خیلی تمرین کردم، بنابراین امتحان رو خوب دادم.
I practiced a lot, therefore I did well in the exam.

برایِ همین and به خاطرِ همین are very natural in speech. در نتیجه and بنابراین sound a bit more formal, and you often see them in written texts or careful speech.

Contrast, Opposition, and Concession

To compare ideas or show contrast, you use connectors like “but”, “however”, and “although”. You already know ولی “but”. At B1, you should be comfortable with alternative items and with softer contrasts.

The most frequent contrast words are:

اما
ولی
در عوض
با این حال
با این‌که

For example:

هوا سرد بود، ولی رفتیم پیاده‌روی.
It was cold, but we went for a walk.

خیلی خسته بودم، اما باید کار می‌کردم.
I was very tired, but I had to work.

با این حال is similar to “however” or “nevertheless”:

هوا خیلی گرم بود، با این حال بچه‌ها بیرون بازی می‌کردن.
It was very hot, however the children were playing outside.

در عوض often introduces a compensating contrast, similar to “instead” or “on the other hand”:

بلیت هواپیما گرونه، در عوض قطار ارزون‌تره.
Plane tickets are expensive, on the other hand the train is cheaper.

When you want to say “although” or “even though”, you can use:

با این‌که …
اگرچه …

For example:

با این‌که بارون می‌اومد، رفتیم پارک.
Although it was raining, we went to the park.

These forms connect a concessive clause with the main statement.

Clarifying, Explaining, and Reformulating

In both narration and opinion, you often need to clarify or explain what you mean. Persian has several expressions that guide the listener when you want to define, rephrase, or give more detail.

Very common items are:

یعنی
به عبارتِ دیگه
در واقع
در حقیقت

یعنی is extremely frequent in spoken Persian and can mean “that is”, “I mean”, or “in other words”:

امروز مرخصی‌ام. یعنی سرِ کار نمی‌رم.
Today I have a day off. That is, I am not going to work.

It can also be used alone to show surprise or ask for clarification:

یعنی چی؟
What do you mean?

To rephrase in a slightly more formal way, you can use به عبارتِ دیگه:

خسته بودم، به عبارتِ دیگه اصلاً انرژی نداشتم.
I was tired, in other words I had no energy at all.

در واقع and در حقیقت can introduce a correction, explanation, or deeper truth:

فکر می‌کردم امتحان سخته، در واقع خیلی آسون بود.
I thought the exam was hard, actually it was very easy.

Expressing Opinions and Attitudes

In this part of the level you learn to express and support your opinion. Certain discourse markers show that what follows is your personal view, or they soften what you say.

Common opinion markers are:

به نظرِ من
فکر می‌کنم
به‌نظرم
به نظر تو / شما

For example:

به نظرِ من این فیلم خیلی خوبه.
In my opinion this film is very good.

فکر می‌کنم مردم کمتر کتاب می‌خونن.
I think people read fewer books.

The shorter spoken form به‌نظرم is extremely common:

به‌نظرم این‌جا خیلی شلوغه.
I think this place is very crowded.

To show attitude or evaluation, you can also use:

خوشبختانه
متأسفانه
حقیقتش
راستش

خوشبختانه shows a positive attitude:

خوشبختانه امتحانم رو پاس کردم.
Fortunately, I passed my exam.

متأسفانه shows a negative attitude:

متأسفانه دیروز نتونستم بیام.
Unfortunately, I could not come yesterday.

حقیقتش and راستش introduce a personal or honest remark:

راستش، من زیاد فوتبال دوست ندارم.
Honestly, I do not like football very much.

These markers do not change the structure of the sentence, but they add important nuance to your opinion.

Managing Conversation: Turn-taking and Topic Shifts

Discourse markers are very important in spoken Persian to manage the conversation, take turns, change topic, or show that you are listening. At B1 you should be familiar with the most useful ones.

To take or keep the turn, you often hear:

خب
ببین
می‌دونی

For example:

ببین، من یه پیشنهاد دارم.
Look, I have a suggestion.

می‌دونی، کارم خیلی شلوغه این روزها.
You know, my work is very busy these days.

To react and show you are following, you can say:

واقعاً؟
جدی؟
راست می‌گی.
آها.

For example:

جدی؟ من نمی‌دونستم.
Really? I did not know.

To change the topic or bring a related topic, speakers use:

راستی
در موردِ …
در کل

راستی، کلاس فارسی‌ات چطوره؟
By the way, how is your Persian class?

در موردِ سفرِ ایران، کی می‌خوای بری؟
About the trip to Iran, when are you going to go?

To summarize or close a topic, you can use:

در کل
خلاصه

در کل، تجربه‌ی خیلی خوبی بود.
Overall, it was a very good experience.

خلاصه، همه‌چی خوب تموم شد.
In short, everything ended well.

These expressions help you sound natural and keep your speech organized even when the grammar is simple.

Softening, Emphasizing, and Organizing Arguments

When you give opinions or arguments, you sometimes want to be polite or less direct, and sometimes you want to emphasize a point. Certain Persian markers help with this.

To soften disagreement or criticism, you can use:

به‌نظرم
فکر نمی‌کنم که …
شاید
به نظرِ من این‌طور نیست.

For example:

فکر نمی‌کنم این کار خیلی خوب باشه.
I do not think this is a very good thing to do.

شاید بهتر باشه یه کم استراحت کنی.
Maybe it is better if you rest a little.

To emphasize or introduce the most important point, you can use:

مخصوصاً
به‌خصوص
اصلاً
واقعاً

For example:

من همه‌ی فیلم‌هاشو دوست دارم، مخصوصاً آخرین فیلمش رو.
I like all his films, especially his latest one.

واقعاً می‌خوام فارسی‌مو بهتر کنم.
I really want to improve my Persian.

To organize an argument with numbered points, Persian often uses:

اولاً
دوماً
سومًا

These are more written or formal, but you may hear them in prepared speech:

اولاً، وقت ندارم. دوماً، پول هم ندارم.
Firstly, I do not have time. Secondly, I also do not have money.

Vocabulary Table