Table of Contents
Functions of Debate Language
In a debate in Persian, you do not only need grammar and vocabulary. You need specific expressions that signal what you are doing: introducing your position, responding, attacking an argument, softening or strengthening what you say, and closing your speech. This chapter focuses on these functional chunks of language at a B2 level.
Throughout this chapter, you will see examples in Persian script with transliteration and English meaning, but the main explanations stay in English. Pay attention to which expressions sound formal and which are more neutral.
In Persian debates, clarity of function is crucial. Use clear markers like be nazar‑e man or az did‑e man to show opinion, and avalâ, dovvom‑an to organize your points. Avoid very colloquial slang in formal debates.
Opening a Debate Contribution
At the start of your speech or when you take the floor, you need expressions that are polite but also confident. Here are some common openings that fit a semi‑formal or formal debate context.
You can start by addressing the audience or moderator:
«ببخشید، من میتونم نظرم رو بگم؟»
bebakhshid, man mitunam nazaram ro begam?
“Excuse me, can I say my opinion?”
In a more formal context:
«اگر اجازه بدید، من از یک زاویهٔ دیگه به این موضوع نگاه میکنم.»
agar ejâze bedid, man az yek zâviye‑ye dige be in mozû‘ negâh mikonam.
“If you allow, I will look at this topic from another angle.”
You can also announce that you are starting your main argument:
«من میخوام بحثم رو با یک نکتهٔ اصلی شروع کنم.»
man mikhâm bahsam ro bâ yek nokte‑ye asli shoru‘ konam.
“I want to start my argument with one main point.”
Or more concise:
«اول از همه، باید بگم که…»
avval az hame, bâjad begam ke…
“First of all, I must say that …”
Use «اول از همه» (avval az hame) or «در ابتدا» (dar ebtedâ) to clearly mark the beginning of your contribution in a debate.
Stating and Framing Opinions
At B2 level, you should be able to express your opinion with different degrees of strength: neutral, strong, or cautious.
Neutral opinion markers:
«به نظرِ من…»
be nazar‑e man …
“In my opinion …”
«از نظرِ من…»
az nazar‑e man …
“From my point of view …”
«از دیدِ من…»
az did‑e man …
“From my perspective …”
Stronger, more committed opinion:
«من کاملاً معتقدم که…»
man kâmelan mo‘taqedam ke…
“I am completely convinced that …”
«اصلاً تردیدی ندارم که…»
aslan tardidi nadâram ke…
“I have absolutely no doubt that …”
More cautious or diplomatic opinion:
«فکر میکنم شاید بهتر باشه بگیم که…»
fekr mikonam shâyad behtar bâshe begim ke…
“I think maybe it is better to say that …”
«تا حدّی با این نظر موافقم که…»
tâ hadd‑i bâ in nazar movâfeqam ke…
“To some extent I agree with the view that …”
To soften your opinion, combine «فکر میکنم» (fekr mikonam) with «شاید» (shâyad) or «تا حدّی» (tâ hadd‑i).
To strengthen it, use «کاملاً» (kâmelan), «اصلاً تردیدی ندارم» (aslan tardidi nadâram).
Structuring and Ordering Arguments
Debate language in Persian often uses ordering adverbs and expressions that show the structure of your reasoning. These help the listener follow your logic.
To list points:
«اولاً، … ثانیاً، …»
avvalan, … sânian, …
“Firstly, … secondly, …”
More natural in spoken debates:
«اول، … بعد، … در نهایت، …»
avval, … ba‘d, … dar nahâyat, …
“First, … then, … finally, …”
To introduce a new argument:
«نکتهٔ بعدی اینه که…»
nokte‑ye ba‘di ine ke…
“The next point is that …”
«علاوه بر این، …»
‘alâve bar in, …
“In addition to this, …”
To sum up intermediate points:
«تا اینجا سعی کردم نشون بدم که…»
tâ injâ sa‘i kardam neshun bedam ke…
“So far I have tried to show that …”
«خلاصه اینکه…»
kholâse inke…
“In short, …”
Use «علاوه بر این» (‘alâve bar in) and «از طرفِ دیگه» (az taraf‑e dige) as standard discourse markers to add or contrast arguments in debates.
Agreeing Strategically
In debates, agreement is rarely simple “yes” or “no”. You often want to partially agree, then redirect or modify.
Full agreement:
«کاملاً موافقم.»
kâmelan movâfeqam.
“I completely agree.”
«در این مورد حق با شماست.»
dar in mored haq bâ shomâst.
“In this case you are right.”
Strategic or partial agreement:
«تا حدّی موافقم، ولی…»
tâ hadd‑i movâfeqam, vali…
“To some extent I agree, but …”
«با قسمتی از حرفهاتون موافقم، اما…»
bâ ghesmati az harfhâtun movâfeqam, ammâ…
“I agree with part of what you say, but …”
Agreeing, but reframing:
«حرف شما رو اینطور میفهمم که…»
harf‑e shomâ ro intur mifahmam ke…
“I understand your point as …”
«اگر درست متوجه شده باشم، منظور شما اینه که…»
agar dorost motavajje shode bâsham, manzur‑e shomâ ine ke…
“If I have understood correctly, you mean that …”
These allow you to show you are listening, but they also give you a chance to change the frame of the discussion.
Disagreeing Politely and Firmly
Disagreement is central in debate, but it should be expressed respectfully, especially in Persian where direct confrontation can sound rude. There are different levels of directness.
Soft disagreement:
«با احترام، من نظرِ دیگهای دارم.»
bâ ehterâm, man nazar‑e dige‑i dâram.
“With respect, I have a different opinion.”
«کاملاً مطمئن نیستم که اینطور باشه.»
kâmelan motma’en nistam ke intur bâshe.
“I am not completely sure that it is like that.”
«اجازه بدید با این قسمت مخالف باشم.»
ejâze bedid bâ in ghesmat mokhâlef bâsham.
“Allow me to disagree with this part.”
More direct disagreement:
«من با این حرف کاملاً مخالفم.»
man bâ in harf kâmelan mokhâlefam.
“I completely disagree with this statement.”
«به نظر من، این استدلال اصلاً قانعکننده نیست.»
be nazar‑e man, in estedlâl aslan ghâne‑konande nist.
“In my view, this argument is not convincing at all.”
Challenging without attacking the person:
«مشکلِ این استدلال اینه که…»
moshkel‑e in estedlâl ine ke…
“The problem with this argument is that …”
«این نتیجهگیری با شواهدی که داریم جور درنمیاد.»
in natije‑giri bâ shavâhedi ke dârim jur darnemiâd.
“This conclusion does not match the evidence we have.”
To disagree politely, combine a respectful phrase like «با احترام» (bâ ehterâm) or «اجازه بدید» (ejâze bedid) with a disagreement verb such as «مخالفم» (mokhâlefam) or «مطمئن نیستم» (motma’en nistam).
Challenging and Questioning Arguments
Beyond simple disagreement, debate often requires you to challenge logic, evidence, or assumptions. In Persian, this can be done indirectly, but still clearly.
Questioning assumptions:
«فرضِ اصلیِ شما اینه که… در حالی که این فرض خودش محلّ بحثه.»
farz‑e asli‑ye shomâ ine ke… dar hâli ke in farz khodesh mahall‑e bahse.
“Your main assumption is that … while this assumption itself is debatable.”
«شما فرض میکنید که… اما چرا باید این رو بپذیریم؟»
shomâ farz mikonid ke… ammâ cherâ bâjad in ro bepazirim?
“You assume that … but why should we accept this?”
Asking for evidence:
«برای این ادّعا چه مدرکی دارید؟»
barâye in eddâ‘â che madraki dârid?
“What evidence do you have for this claim?”
«آیا تحقیقی وجود داره که این حرف رو تأیید کنه؟»
âyâ tahqiqi vojud dâre ke in harf ro ta’id kone?
“Is there any research that supports this statement?”
Pointing out contradictions:
«این حرف با چیزی که چند دقیقهٔ پیش گفتید تناقض داره.»
in harf bâ chizi ke chand daghighe pish goftid tanâghoz dâre.
“This statement contradicts what you said a few minutes ago.”
«اگر اینطور باشه، پس چرا…؟»
agar intur bâshe, pas cherâ…?
“If it is like that, then why …?”
Using Emphasis and Hedging in Debates
In debate language, how strongly you say something is often just as important as what you say. You need both emphatic and hedging expressions.
Emphasis:
«نکتهٔ بسیار مهم اینه که…»
nokte‑ye besyâr mohem ine ke…
“The very important point is that …”
«اصلاً نمیتونیم این واقعیت رو نادیده بگیریم که…»
aslan nemitunim in vâqe‘iyat ro nâdideh begirim ke…
“We absolutely cannot ignore the fact that …”
«بدونِ هیچ تردیدی میتونیم بگیم که…»
bedune hich tardidi mitunim begim ke…
“Without any doubt we can say that …”
Hedging to sound careful and academic:
«به نظر میرسه که…»
be nazar mires-e ke…
“It seems that …”
«تا جایی که من میدونم…»
tâ jâyi ke man midunam…
“As far as I know …”
«البته نمیشه با قطعیت گفت، ولی…»
albatt-e nemishe bâ qat‘iyat goft, vali…
“Of course we cannot say with certainty, but …”
In formal debates, combine hedging phrases such as «به نظر میرسه» (be nazar mires-e) and «تا جایی که من میدونم» (tâ jâyi ke man midunam) with evidence. This keeps your argument strong but intellectually modest.
Interrupting and Taking the Floor
In many debate formats you must interrupt or ask for the right to speak, but you still need to maintain politeness.
Asking to respond:
«ببخشید، میتونم جواب بدم؟»
bebakhshid, mitunam javâb bedam?
“Excuse me, may I respond?”
«اجازه میدید یه نکته اضافه کنم؟»
ejâze midid ye nokte ezâfe konam?
“Do you allow me to add one point?”
Interrupting carefully:
«ببخشید که حرفتون رو قطع میکنم، امّا…»
bebakhshid ke harf‑etun ro ghat‘ mikonam, ammâ…
“Sorry that I interrupt you, but …”
«فقط یک لحظه، میشه این قسمت رو روشنتر توضیح بدید؟»
faqat yek lahze, mishe in ghesmat ro roshan‑tar tozih bedid?
“Just a moment, could you explain this part more clearly?”
Taking the floor clearly:
«اگر اجازه بدید، من از دیدِ مخالفها صحبت میکنم.»
agar ejâze bedid, man az did‑e mokhâlef‑hâ sohbat mikonam.
“If you allow, I will speak from the opponents’ point of view.”
Responding to Criticism and Rebuilding Your Point
An important debate skill is how to answer attacks on your argument without sounding weak or aggressive. Persian debate language has patterns for this.
Acknowledging a valid point:
«درسته که… ولی این کلّ ماجرا نیست.»
doroste ke… vali in koll‑e mâjarâ nist.
“It is true that … but this is not the whole story.”
«قبول دارم که این انتقاد تا حدّی وارده، امّا…»
ghabol dâram ke in enteqâd tâ hadd‑i vârede, ammâ…
“I admit that this criticism is partly valid, but …”
Refusing a criticism:
«فکر میکنم سوءتفاهم شده.»
fekr mikonam su’‑e tafâhom shode.
“I think there has been a misunderstanding.”
«من چنین حرفی نزدم. منظورم این بود که…»
man chenin harfi nazadam. manzuram in bud ke…
“I did not say that. What I meant was that …”
Reframing your argument:
«اجازه بدید نکتهام رو دقیقتر بگم.»
ejâze bedid nokte‑am ro daghigh‑tar begam.
“Let me state my point more precisely.”
«اگر بحث رو اینطور مطرح کنیم که… نقد شما عملاً برطرف میشه.»
agar bahs ro intur matrah konim ke… naqd‑e shomâ ‘amalan bartarf mishe.
“If we formulate the issue like this … your criticism is practically resolved.”
Closing and Summarizing in a Debate
At the end of your speaking time, you must summarize and leave a strong final impression. Persian debate language offers several clear closing formulas.
Summarizing:
«در مجموع، سعی کردم نشون بدم که…»
dar majmu‘, sa‘i kardam neshun bedam ke…
“In general, I have tried to show that …”
«اگر بخوام حرفهام رو خلاصه کنم، باید بگم که…»
agar bekhâm harfhâm ro kholâse konam, bâjad begam ke…
“If I want to summarize what I have said, I must say that …”
Closing with a clear position:
«بنابراین، من قاطعانه از این موضع دفاع میکنم که…»
banâbar in, man ghâte‘âne az in mowze‘ defâ‘ mikonam ke…
“Therefore, I firmly defend the position that …”
«در نهایت، انتخابِ عاقلانه اینه که…»
dar nahâyat, entekhâb‑e ‘âghelâne ine ke…
“Finally, the reasonable choice is to …”
Signaling the end:
«ممنون از توجهتون.»
mamnun az tavajoh‑etun.
“Thank you for your attention.”
«خیلی ممنون، حرفِ من تموم شد.»
kheili mamnun, harf‑e man tamum shod.
“Thank you very much, I have finished.”
Always signal your conclusion with markers like «در مجموع» (dar majmu‘), «در نهایت» (dar nahâyat), then give a short, clear restatement of your main claim.
Vocabulary List for This Chapter
| Persian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| ببخشید | bebakhshid | excuse me |
| میتونم | mitunam | I can |
| نظر | nazar | opinion |
| اجازه بدید | ejâze bedid | allow (me), let (me) |
| زاویه | zâviye | angle (figurative viewpoint) |
| موضوع | mozû‘ | subject, topic |
| بحث | bahs | discussion, debate |
| نکته | nokte | point, remark |
| اول از همه | avval az hame | first of all |
| در ابتدا | dar ebtedâ | at the beginning |
| به نظرِ من | be nazar‑e man | in my opinion |
| از نظرِ من | az nazar‑e man | from my point of view |
| از دیدِ من | az did‑e man | from my perspective |
| کاملاً | kâmelan | completely |
| معتقدم | mo‘taqedam | I am convinced |
| اصلاً تردیدی ندارم | aslan tardidi nadâram | I have absolutely no doubt |
| فکر میکنم | fekr mikonam | I think |
| شاید | shâyad | maybe |
| تا حدّی | tâ hadd‑i | to some extent |
| اولاً | avvalan | firstly |
| ثانیاً | sânian | secondly |
| بعد | ba‘d | then, after |
| در نهایت | dar nahâyat | finally |
| علاوه بر این | ‘alâve bar in | in addition to this |
| از طرفِ دیگه | az taraf‑e dige | on the other hand |
| تا اینجا | tâ injâ | so far |
| نشون دادن | neshun dâdan | to show |
| خلاصه اینکه | kholâse inke | in short |
| موافقم | movâfeqam | I agree |
| حق با شماست | haq bâ shomâst | you are right |
| با احترام | bâ ehterâm | with respect |
| نظرِ دیگهای | nazar‑e dige‑i | a different opinion |
| مطمئن نیستم | motma’en nistam | I am not sure |
| اجازه بدید | ejâze bedid | allow me |
| مخالفم | mokhâlefam | I disagree |
| استدلال | estedlâl | argument, reasoning |
| قانعکننده | ghâne‑konande | convincing |
| مشکل | moshkel | problem |
| نتیجهگیری | natije‑giri | conclusion |
| شواهد | shavâhed | evidence |
| تناقض | tanâghoz | contradiction |
| به نظر میرسه | be nazar mires-e | it seems |
| تا جایی که من میدونم | tâ jâyi ke man midunam | as far as I know |
| قطعیت | qat‘iyat | certainty |
| بدونِ هیچ تردیدی | bedune hich tardidi | without any doubt |
| سوءتفاهم | su’‑e tafâhom | misunderstanding |
| منظور | manzur | meaning, intention |
| دقیقتر | daghigh‑tar | more precisely |
| انتقاد | enteqâd | criticism |
| وارِد | vâred | valid, applicable (of criticism) |
| در مجموع | dar majmu‘ | overall, in general |
| قاطعانه | ghâte‘âne | firmly, decisively |
| موضع | mowze‘ | position (in a debate) |
| دفاع کردن | defâ‘ kardan | to defend |
| انتخاب | entekhâb | choice |
| عاقلانه | ‘âghelâne | reasonable, rational |
| توجه | tavajoh | attention |
| حرفم تموم شد | harfam tamum shod | I have finished speaking |
| جواب دادن | javâb dâdan | to answer, to respond |
| قطع کردن | ghat‘ kardan | to interrupt, to cut |
| روشنتر | roshan‑tar | clearer, more clear |
| اضافه کردن | ezâfe kardan | to add |
| ادّعا | eddâ‘â | claim |
| تحقیق | tahqiq | research, study |