Suggestions and Advice

Giving Suggestions in Persian

In Persian, there are several common patterns to suggest ideas, propose plans, or gently push someone toward an action. At B1 level, you should start recognizing the difference between soft suggestions, neutral advice, and stronger recommendations. In this chapter we focus on the most frequent and useful structures for suggestions and advice, especially in spoken, everyday Persian.

Remember that full technical explanations of verb tenses and the subjunctive are treated in other chapters. Here we concentrate on how suggestions and advice are actually phrased in real usage.

Using «بیا» and «بیاین» for Friendly Suggestions

One of the most natural ways to suggest doing something together is with the verb «آمدن» "to come," in the imperative form «بیا» (biâ, singular, informal) or «بیاین» / «بیایید» (biyâyn / biyâyid, plural or polite). In English this often translates as "let’s."

Example:
«بیا بریم سینما.»
biâ berim sinemâ.
Let’s go to the cinema.

Structure:
«بیا / بیاین + [verb in first person plural present subjunctive]»

So you use the first person plural subjunctive of the main verb:
«بریم» (berim, let us go), «بخوریم» (bokhorim, let us eat), «بخونیم» (bekhunim, let us read / sing).

More examples:
«بیا یه چای بخوریم.»
biâ ye châi bokhorim.
Let’s have some tea.

«بیاین امشب زودتر بخوابیم.»
biyâyn emšab zudtar bexâbim.
Let’s go to bed earlier tonight.

This pattern is very common among friends and family. In more formal settings you may prefer other forms, but you will still hear «بیایید» with colleagues or in polite conversation.

Using «بیایید» in Polite or Group Contexts

For a group suggestion in a polite context, especially in meetings, classrooms, or formal speech, «بیایید» (biyâyid) is preferred. It addresses several people or expresses respectful distance.

Example:
«بیایید این موضوع رو از یه زاویهٔ دیگه نگاه کنیم.»
biyâyid in mozu‘ ro az ye zâviye-ye dige negâh konim.
Let’s look at this issue from another angle.

Polite classroom style:
«بیایید تمرین بعدی رو با هم حل کنیم.»
biyâyid tamrin-e ba‘di ro bâ ham hal konim.
Let’s solve the next exercise together.

The internal grammar (subjunctive) is the same, but the tone is more formal or collective.

Using «بگذار / بذار» for Soft Proposals

Another everyday structure is with «بگذار» (begzâr, standard) or its common spoken form «بذار» (bezar). The meaning here is very close to "let’s" in English, but there is a nuance of "allow that we do..." or "how about we do..."

Structure:
«بذار + [first person plural present subjunctive]»

Example:
«بذار یه کم استراحت کنیم.»
bezar ye kam esterâhat konim.
Let’s rest a bit. / How about we rest a bit.

Softer suggestion:
«بذار اول این کارو تموم کنیم، بعد بریم بیرون.»
bezar avval in kâro tamum konim, bad berim birun.
Let’s finish this first, then go out.

In many spoken contexts, «بیا» and «بذار» both work:
«بیا یه کم راه بریم.»
«بذار یه کم راه بریم.»
Both mean "Let’s walk a bit," but «بذار» sounds a bit like "why don’t we / how about we."

Using «بیا که ...» for Motivating Suggestions

Sometimes speakers use «بیا که ...» (biâ ke ...) to introduce an encouraging suggestion that something would be good or beneficial.

Example:
«بیا که یه برنامهٔ منظم برای درس خوندنت بذاریم.»
biâ ke ye barname-ye monazzam barâye dars xundanet bezârim.
Let’s make a regular plan for your studying.

This structure has a more emotional or motivational tone in spoken Persian. You often hear it when someone tries to encourage another person to change a habit or start something useful.

Using «بیایید» + «تا» for Slight Emphasis

In somewhat more formal or rhetorical style, you may encounter:

«بیایید تا + [first person plural subjunctive]»

Example:
«بیایید تا با هم راه‌حل پیدا کنیم.»
biyâyid tâ bâ ham râh-hal peydâ konim.
Let’s find a solution together.

Here «تا» does not mean "until" but works as a connector that emphasizes the joint action.

Using «باید» for Strong Advice or Recommendation

«باید» (bâyad, must / should) is a modal verb that often expresses necessity. In advice, it corresponds to strong recommendations, similar to "you should" or "you must," depending on context and intonation.

Structure:
«[subject] + باید + [present stem + personal ending]»

Example:
«تو باید بیشتر استراحت کنی.»
to bâyad bištar esterâhat koni.
You should / must rest more.

Stronger advice:
«باید بری دکتر.»
bâyad beri doktor.
You need to go to the doctor. / You should see a doctor.

When spoken in a gentle tone, «باید» can feel like strong but caring advice. In a serious tone, it can sound like an obligation or order. Context and relationship are very important.

You can also use «نباید» (nabâyad) for negative advice:
«نباید این‌قدر دیر بخوابی.»
nabâyad inqadr dir bexâbi.
You should not sleep this late.

Using «بهتره» and «خوبه» for Softer Advice

To make your advice softer and more polite, Persian uses expressions that literally mean "it is better" or "it is good."

The most common are:
«بهتره که ...» (behtare ke ...)
«خوبه که ...» (xube ke ...)

These are followed by a verb, usually in the present subjunctive or sometimes in the present indicative in very colloquial speech.

Example with «بهتره که»:
«بهتره که امروز خونه بمونی.»
behtare ke emruz xune bemuni.
It is better that you stay home today. / You’d better stay home today.

Example with «خوبه که»:
«خوبه که هر روز کمی فارسی تمرین کنی.»
xube ke har ruz kami fârsi tamrin koni.
It is good that you practice Persian a little every day.

These forms are less direct than «باید» and are often preferred in polite conversation when you do not want to sound bossy.

You can also add a subject inside:
«بهتره تو امروز استراحت کنی.»
behtare to emruz esterâhat koni.
It is better if you rest today.

Using «اگه من جای تو بودم» for Personal Advice

A very natural way to give personal, empathetic advice is to imagine yourself in the other person’s place. In English this is "If I were you, I would..."

Persian equivalent:
«اگه من جای تو بودم، ...»
age man jâye to budam, ...

Example:
«اگه من جای تو بودم، باهاش حرف می‌زدم.»
age man jâye to budam, bâhaš harf mizadam.
If I were you, I would talk to him / her.

Another example:
«اگه من جای تو بودم، این کارو قبول نمی‌کردم.»
age man jâye to budam, in kâro qabul nemikardam.
If I were you, I would not accept this job / task.

This pattern is very useful because it makes advice sound less like an order and more like a personal opinion about what you would do in that situation.

You can replace «تو» with another pronoun:
«اگه من جای شما بودم ...» (more polite).
«اگه من جای اون بودم ...» (if I were in his/her place).

Using «بهتره که ... نکنی» and Other Negative Suggestions

When you want to advise someone not to do something, negative forms of the same structures are used.

With «بهتره که»:
«بهتره که این‌قدر قهوه نخوری.»
behtare ke inqadr qahve naxori.
You’d better not drink this much coffee.

With «خوبه که»:
«خوبه که دیگه دیر نرسی.»
xube ke dige dir narasi.
It would be good if you do not arrive late anymore.

With «اگه من جای تو بودم»:
«اگه من جای تو بودم، دیگه بهش پیام نمی‌دادم.»
age man jâye to budam, dige behesh payâm nemidâdam.
If I were you, I would not message him / her anymore.

These structures help you express warnings and negative advice without sounding too harsh.

Using Questions as Soft Suggestions

In Persian, questions can function as very soft suggestions, similar to English "Why don’t you ...?" or "Maybe you could ...?"

Very common pattern:
«چرا + [verb in present] + نمی‌کنی / نمی‌کنین؟»

Example:
«چرا با معلمت صحبت نمی‌کنی؟»
čerâ bâ mo‘allemet sohbat nemikoni?
Why don’t you talk to your teacher?

Another:
«چرا یه کم استراحت نمی‌کنی؟»
čerâ ye kam esterâhat nemikoni?
Why don’t you rest a bit?

These questions are technically asking for reasons, but in context they function as gentle suggestions and are often understood as advice.

You can also use:
«نمی‌خوای ... ؟» (nemixâi ... ?) meaning "Wouldn’t you like to ... ?"

Example:
«نمی‌خوای یه نگاهی بهش بندازی؟»
nemixâi ye negâhi behesh bendâzi?
Wouldn’t you like to take a look at it? / Why don’t you take a look?

Using «باید» with «بهتره» for Nuanced Advice

In everyday speech, speakers sometimes combine structures to soften or strengthen their advice:

«فکر می‌کنم بهتره که ...»
fekr mikonam behtare ke ...
I think it is better that ...

Example:
«فکر می‌کنم بهتره که چند روز استراحت کنی.»
fekr mikonam behtare ke chand ruz esterâhat koni.
I think you’d better rest for a few days.

Or:
«به نظر من باید بیشتر تمرین کنی.»
be nazar-e man bâyad bištar tamrin koni.
In my opinion you should practice more.

By adding «فکر می‌کنم» or «به نظر من» you show that this is your personal suggestion, which makes it less direct.

Using Imperatives as Suggestions in Context

Imperative forms like «برو» (boro, go), «بخور» (bokhor, eat), «ببین» (bebin, see) are often used for direct orders, but their tone can become suggestion-like if combined with softeners such as «لطفاً» (lotfan, please) or friendly voice.

Example:
«لطفاً برو دکتر.»
lotfan boro doktor.
Please go to the doctor. / You should see a doctor.

«یه کم استراحت کن.»
ye kam esterâhat kon.
Have a bit of rest. / Why don’t you rest a bit.

In formal teaching or instruction, imperatives are common and neutral:
«این تمرین رو انجام بدین.»
in tamrin ro anjâm bedin.
Do this exercise.
In context, this is more an instruction than advice.

Tone, Politeness, and Context

The choice between «بیا»، «باید»، «بهتره»، «اگه من جای تو بودم»، and question forms is not only grammatical. It is mainly about tone and relationship:

Between close friends, you often hear:
«بیا فردا زودتر بیدار شیم.»
Let’s wake up earlier tomorrow.

From a doctor to a patient:
«بهتره چند روز استراحت کنی.»
It is better that you rest for a few days.

From a boss to an employee:
«فکر می‌کنم باید روی این قسمت بیشتر کار کنی.»
I think you should work more on this part.

Between equals but with strong concern:
«واقعا نباید این‌قدر کار کنی.»
You really should not work this much.

Being aware of these nuances will help you sound natural and polite when giving suggestions and advice in Persian.

Vocabulary for This Section