Today, classrooms are no longer the only or even best place to learn a new language like Persian. More and more people are finding that they can easily learn a language just about anywhere they have a few minutes of spare time, including their daily commute to work. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American spends over 50 minutes a day commuting to and from work, or over 300 hours a year.
Rethinking Your Daily Commute to Work
But rather than simply sitting in traffic and wasting the time, you can instead use your daily commute to literally learn Persian in just a few short months! PersianPod101 has developed specialized learning tools that you can use on your commute to work (and home again) to master the language in your spare time. Keep reading to learn how to get your free audiobook to use on your next commute so you can see for yourself how easy it is to transform “dead time” into realizing your dream of learning a new language!
But before we look at how to transform your commute home into a mini-classroom, let’s take a closer look at 4 reasons why traditional classroom settings just aren’t the best option for most people in today’s fast-paced world.
Difficulty Getting to and From Class
Learning on Someone Else’s Schedule
Very Expensive and May Cost $1,000’s to Complete
Can Take Years to Finally Complete Classes and Learn the Language
The simple truth is that traditional classroom instruction is simply not a viable option for most people in today’s very fast-paced, time-starved world. Now let’s examine how you can learn a language faster, more easily, and at far less expense than traditional classes—all during your commute to work and back home again!
3 Reasons Your Daily Commute Can Help You Master a Language
1. The Average Commute Time is More than 300 Hours Per Year
Between the commute to work and getting back home again, over 6 hours a week is completely wasted and not helping you reach any goals or objectives. But thanks to online language learning platforms with audiobooks and other resources that you can access during your commute, you can easily transform wasted time into tangible progress towards learning a new language. With over 300 hours available annually, your daily commute could provide you with enough time to literally master a new language each and every year!
2. Increase Your Earning Potential While Commuting to Work
How would you like to transform all those spare commuting hours each week into more money for a new car, house, or even a dream vacation? According to research, someone making $30,000 per year can boost their annual income by $600 or more per year by learning a second language. Added up over the course of a lifetime, you can boost your total earnings by $70,000 or more while achieving your dream of learning a new language during your daily commute!
How? From work-at-home translation jobs to working overseas, there are many ways to leverage your second language into more money in your bank account! So instead of wasting your precious time, you can make your commute more productive and profitable and the more languages you learn, the higher your income potential.
3. Repetition is Key to Mastering a New Language
Not sure if it’s practical to learn another language while commuting to and from work each day? Well not only is it possible—learning in your car on the way to and from work each day can actually help you learn and master Persian or any language much faster! The simple truth is that repetition is absolutely vital to truly internalizing and mastering any language. So, if you listen to audiobooks or even audio lessons on your commute to work and then repeat the same lesson on your commute home, the information is more likely to be “locked-in” to your long-term memory!
5 Ways PersianPod101 Makes It Easy to Learn a Language On Your Commute
PersianPod101 has been helping people just like yourself learn and master Persian in the comfort of their home, during their daily commute, or any place they have a few minutes of spare time. Here are five features provided by PersianPod101 that make it easy to learn a new language while commuting to and from work:
1. The Largest Collection of Audio Lessons on Planet by Native Speaking Instructors
Every single week, PersianPod101 creates new audio lessons by native speaking instructors. All lessons are short, to the point, and guaranteed to improve your mastery of Persian.
2. Word of the Day
Simply exposing yourself to new information and vocabulary terms helps increase your fluency and mastery of Persian. So every single day, PersianPod101 adds a new Word of the Day for you to learn and memorize during your commute.
3. Daily Dose Mini-Lessons
Have a short commute to work but still want to make progress towards learning and mastering Persian? Not a problem! Our Daily Dose Mini-Lessons are 1-minute or less and designed to improve your grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
4. All Content Available on a Convenient Mobile App
You don’t need a PC or tablet to learn Persian during your daily commute. At PersianPod101, all of our lessons, tools, and resources are available 24/7 via our Mobile App. That means you can access all of our audio lessons and other tools during your commute to work or any time you have a few spare moments!
5. Audiobooks and Other Supplemental Resources
In addition to the world’s largest online collection of HD audio lessons, PersianPod101 has also created several audiobooks to enhance your understanding and make it more convenient than ever to learn a language during your commute!
Conclusion
The average commute time of most Americans is over 300 hours each year and it’s the perfect opportunity to learn and master a new language. In fact, you can use the “dead time” during your daily commute to learn a new language and potentially boost your lifetime earnings by up to $70,000 or more! Whatever your motivation, PersianPod101 has the tools and resources necessary to help you learn a new language each year during your commute to and from work. Act now and we’ll even provide you with a free audiobook to try out on your next commute!
So, you’re heading for Iran to travel or work. Awesome! You’re in for an amazing adventure! It’s a beautiful country, steeped in a rich culture that may be very unlike your own.
However, showing respect to the locals is a big deal in every country around the world. A respectful manner and attitude could open doors for you that would otherwise remain mystifyingly closed. Aside from just knowing ‘Thank you’ in Persian, greeting someone correctly in Persian could incline a local to treat you more favorably than otherwise! So, the clever thing to do would be to learn Persian greetings before you embark on your journey. Persian greetings are different from other languages and probably not what you’d expect. But if learning how to say ‘Hello!’ in Persian in easy and fun ways is important to you, you’ve come to the right place at PersianPod101.
1. Must-Know Persian Greetings
Start straight away with this greeting lesson. It’s short, but it packs a punch!
This short, but powerful lesson teaches you the basic ways to greet someone correctly in Persian! At PersianPod101, you will be taught the correct pronunciation and intonation, as well as the correct times to greet in Persian. And you will have fun!
The focus of this lesson is greetings in Persian
Topic 1: How to greet when meeting
Sentence from the lesson:
‘سلام.’ Salām!
“Hello!”
The most commonly used informal greeting is:
سلام. Salām! Salām “hi,” or “hello.” We use it when we meet someone or enter a room with people in it. We can use it for a greeting almost anywhere.
After Salām, we almost always say “how are you?” when we meet or call someone. It might seem strange to say it every time, but this is a part of normal everyday conversation in Persian.
The informal way of saying “Hello, how are you?” is:
سلام, چطوری؟ Salām, chetori?
We use this almost every time we greet friends or close relatives.
The formal way becomes slightly longer by adding shoma, which means “you” –
سلام, حال شما چطوره؟ Salām, hāl-e shomā chetore? Hāl means “health.” Hāl-e shomā Chetore, literally means “How is your health?”
Now if you remember the last lesson, adding -et to a word made it informal.
Therefore, if you add -et to Hāl instead of -e shomā, you make the whole sentence informal: Salām, hālet Chetore?
Notice that there are many ways of saying the same phrase in Persian, making it shorter or longer. But remembering the basic words will help you get through almost any conversation!
Literally, Salām means “Hello.” For “good morning” or good evening,” we use other phrases, but we always add Salām at the start of the greeting!
In the morning, we say:
سلام, صبح بخیر. Salām, sobh bekheir! Sobh is Persian for “morning,” and bekheir means “to be good.” So it really means “Wishing you a good morning.”
In Persian, we don’t say “good afternoon” or “good evening” very much. “Good morning” and “good night” are used more often.
During the day, the most common greeting is Salām.
But if you really want to, you can just replace “morning” with the Persian words for “afternoon,” “evening,” or “night.”
سلام, صبح بخیر. Salām, sobh bekheir!
“Good Morning.”
سلام, ظهر بخیر. Salām, zohr bekheir!
“Good Afternoon.”
سلام, عصر بخیر. Salām, asr bekheir!
“Good Evening.”
شب بخیر. Shab bekheir! means “Good Night.” Sobh, zohr, and asr are used in greetings when we meet someone, but when leaving we don’t say them again.
Notice that we didn’t say Salām before Shab bekheir! meaning “Good Night.” That’s because we don’t say Shab bekheir “Good night” when we meet someone. It is only used when leaving.
Topic 2: How to use parting expressions
Sentence from the lesson:
‘خداحافظ.’ Khodāhāfez.
“Goodbye.”
In Persian, there is only one word for saying goodbye, but there is a small difference between the formal and informal versions:
Formal:
خداحافظ. Khodāhāfez.
Informal:
خدافظ. Khodāfez. Khodāhāfez literally means “May God protect you,” but it is used to say “Goodbye.”
Language Tip
In formal situations, Persian people of the same gender commonly greet each other by shaking hands. However, if we meet someone we are very friendly with, we hug and kiss each other on both cheeks. Don’t be afraid to do this with your Persian friends, and don’t be shocked when someone from the same gender tries to hug you or kiss your cheeks—it’s perfectly normal!
Remember that this is only if both people are the same gender. In Persian countries like Iran, you cannot shake hands or hug and kiss a person from the other gender “in public.”
2. Common Ways to Say Hello in Persian
Standing at the airport in a foreign country for the first time can be a somewhat scary experience for anyone, especially if you need assistance. However, don’t worry – at PersianPod101 we teach you how to quickly get a local’s attention with friendly, correct Persian greetings! You are more likely to get helped this way.
Here is our Persian greetings list of all the general ways to address a person upon meeting. It is tailored for formal and informal situations.
1- Good morning.
صبح به خیر. sobh be kheyr.
‘Good morning’ in Persian is acceptable any time between approximately 5:30am and 12:00pm, when the day is still young. And smile – it’s the universal ice-breaker!
2- Good evening
عصر به خیر. asr be kheyr.
This greeting is one you would use casually when night begins to fall. Address your friends, close family or close acquaintances, and those who are not your superiors, with this phrase.
3- How are you?
حال شما چطور است؟ haal-e shomaa chetor ast?
Show your friendly interest in another person’s well-being by asking this question. This is the casual greeting form that you would use with your friends and family. For the sake of the friendship, it would be good to listen carefully to the answer! It shows caring and selflessness on your part.
4- How have you been?
چه خبر؟ che khabar?
This is a good question to ask someone you have not seen for a while. The inference is that some catching-up is needed!
5- What’s up?
چه اتفاقی افتاده است؟ che etefaaqi oftaade ast?
An universally informal and energetic way to greet your friends or equals! Literally, it means ‘What’s going on in your life?’, yet often no answer is expected. It’s just a greeting! Crazy, right?!
6- Long time no see.
کم پیدایید. kam peydaa id.
This phrase means is another greeting comment that means “I have not seen you for a while!” Often, no response is expected, except to reciprocate.
7- Hey!
هی hey
This is a friendly exclamation to greet your friends or equals with. Reserve its use more for people you see regularly!
8- Good afternoon.
بعدازظهر بخیر. ba’d az zohr be kheyr.
‘Good afternoon’ in Persian is an informal greeting and is used during the second part of the day. The appropriate period falls, in most cultures, from 12:00am till sunset.
9- How’s it going?
اوضاع چطور پیش میره؟ ozaa chetor pish mireh?
This greeting phrase basically means the same as ‘How are things progressing?’, ‘How are things going in your life?’ or even ‘What’s up?’ Depending on the friendship, a lengthy answer is not always expected.
10- It’s nice to see you again.
از ملاقات شما خوشوقتم. az molaaqaat-e shomaa khoshvaqtam.
This friendly, welcoming phrase is best used after greeting someone you have not seen for a while. If you mean it, you will make the person feel special! This is a good thing to say to make someone feel welcome in Persian.
11- How’s everything?
اوضاع چطور است؟ ozaa chetor ast?
This is a variation of ‘How’s it going?’ Use casually with your equals or close acquaintances.
12- How’s your day?
روزت چطور است؟ roozat(roozet) chetor ast?
Ask this when you’re speaking to your Persian friend during the day. It’s a friendly phrase to start a conversation with.
13- Yo!
هی hey
Yo! is English slang and a universal greeting popular among young men of most nationalities. Rather don’t answer the phone with this, unless you know your caller well!
14- Hello!
سلام salaam
Suitable for use in most settings, situations and persons, this is an important Persian greeting to know. Be sure to master this word first at PersianPod101!
15- It’s nice to meet you.
از ملاقات شما خوشوقتم. az molaaqaat-e shomaa khoshvaqtam.
When meeting someone for the first time, this is a polite and friendly way to welcome them. It means you are happy to make their acquaintance.
3. Why Should You Choose PersianPod101 To Learn How To Greet In Persian?
Online learning systems abound, and it’s not easy to know which one will suit your needs best. This means you have to be careful and select a system with a good reputation, and that has proven longevity. PersianPod101, which is part of InnovativeLearning.com, ticks all the boxes! With millions of lesson downloads and over a decade of teaching, we can say with confidence that this is one of the best language learning systems on the web. Why is it such an excellent system? Let us count the ways…
1- Video Presentations with Native Speakers
Friendly native Persian speakers guide you step-by-step through the process of learning vocabulary, phrases and much more. They demonstrate correct pronunciation and emphasis of the words, so as to ensure that you speak like a native when you’re done! Watching the enthusiastic tutors makes not only for a pleasant and more personal experience – it also allows you to copy mouth and lip movements. It’s like learning from your own Persian friend in your own home!
2- Superb Flexibility with 24/7 Access to Learning Material – Anywhere and on Any Device connected to the Internet!
PC, Android, iPhone, iPad, laptop, even TV – whatever device you prefer! Go online with our FREE app to do your lessons, no matter where you are or which device you are using. All you need is a good internet connection to log on and learn to speak Persian at your own pace, in your own place!
3- Pronunciation Tool Ensures You Really Speak Persian!
In any language, correct pronunciation is often crucial. The nuances in language require this, or you could find yourself saying things you don’t mean. You will find our Pronunciation Tool invaluable to wrap your mouth around the correct way to greet in Persian!
4- Our Content is Always New and Dynamic
Every week, new audio and video lessons are uploaded, so as to keep our promise that learning Persian with PersianPod101 is always fun and exciting! In addition, you will get access to bonus material and basic Persian phrases. These are a fantastic way to build your comprehension and speaking skills!
5- Need to Fast Track your Learning? We Have the Solution!
Most learning activities are more fun when you’re not doing them alone. For this reason we developed Premium PLUS, which gives you a personal tutor – 24/7! Also, this way you’re likely to learn to speak Persian much faster!
So, if our lively Persian blog is not enough for you, just upgrade to Premium PLUS to get your very own teacher. Personalised goals and lessons based on your needs, assessment of your progress, non-stop feedback and many other super features makes this a very attractive option.
Say ‘Hello’ to a wonderful, exciting way to learn another language, and learn how to say ‘Hello’ in Persian in no time! You will be very happy you did!
When you start out learning a foreign language everything is exciting. You pick up new words and basic phrases fairly quickly. The first time you say a greeting or answer the question “How are you?”, you might even get a thrill. Speaking fluent Persian doesn’t feel that far off and at this point it really does seem like language learning isn’t all that difficult. But after a week or two things begin to change…
After a few weeks of study you start to hit walls as you’re faced with strange grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Everything about learning Persian seemed promising and hopeful before, but now you start to realize how difficult it’s going to be. Speaking the language now feels like a long faroff goal that you may or may not achieve one day.
But don’t let the innocence of being an absolute beginner or the disillusionment of an experience learner discourage you from learning Persian. In all honesty, speaking the language may not be as far off as you thought.
In this post we’ll look at some practical tips that will help you speak better Persian no matter what level you’re at.
1) Practice with Native Speakers
Practicing your Persian with native speakers is by far one of the most effective things you can do to improve your speaking abilities. Think of speaking a foreign language as riding a bike. After a certain point you can’t read or theorize about how to do it. You have to actually do it. If you can practice speaking with native speakers who correct you and give good feedback, then you’ll be well on your way to improving your speaking.
Where to find native persian speakers
If you live in or near a major city there is a good chance there are some Persian speakers there. You might even get lucky and discover an entire Persian community. Do a little research into the demographics of the your city or simply keep your eyes open the next time you go through town. You can also attend a language exchange or cultural event. Meetup is a site for local enthusiast groups and there are usually some language speaking clubs or cultural clubs there.
If you’re unable to find native speakers where you live then jump over to the net and find them there. There are a lot of free online exchanges that allow you to connect with other language learners from all over the globe via text, audio, or video chat. Look for a Persian speaker who is learning English. You can spend an hour or so helping each other in your respective target languages. This is a highly practical and helpful way to learn (not to mention it can be fun too).
2) Devote some time to learning pronunciation
Pronunciation often isn’t the first skill people think of working on when they learning a foreign language, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t important. Truth be told, you don’t absolutely need a great accent to speak or understand Persian. However a decent accent can vastly improve your listening and speaking abilities in ways you might not expect.
Being able to pronounce Persian words and sounds makes it a lot easier for you to remember and understand new words simply by hearing them. If you can physically make a sound with you mouth then you can mentally remember it. Once you have a good accent the Persian language won’t sound as foreign as it once did, and you will be able to understand rapid speech as well as pick up the definition of new words based on their conversational context.
How to improve your accent
If you’re serious about developing your accent then you’ll want to dissect the Persian sound system into its individual parts: first by letters, then individual words, followed by whole phrases. Start doing some mild research on the phonetics of the Persian language. You don’t have to get too technical here, just try to get an idea of some of the main differences between English and Persian pronunciation. Find out where Persian speakers usually put their tongue while saying certain sounds, or pay attention to the shape of the their mouths when they speak (is it open or closed?). These subtle differences are what help you improve.
Once you get the letters down start listening to native audio and compare your pronunciation to the native speakers. PersianPod101’s playback feature is a great way to accomplish this. Take a phrase from a lesson and start by practicing the individual words, playing the audio back at a slower and a regular speed. After comparing your speech to the audio, combine the words to make complete phrases, imitating the intonation of the native speakers.
These precise method of pronunciation practice is one of the most efficient and effective ways to learn pronunciation.
3) Imitate, don’t just repeat.
Anytime you speak Persian do your best to imitate the native speakers you’ve heard and practice with. Match the way their intonation rises and falls. Pay attention to their word order. It’s even a good idea to match some of their body language. This degree of imitation will probably feel weird at first; but it reinforces fluency in the language and breaks you out of the parrot trap where you simply learn and speak through rote memorization or repetition. This is a common problem that I’ve often cited with other less effective language learning methods.
Speaking a language is like playing music or dancing. You don’t want to just know it. You want to live in the moment and feel it as you use it. You don’t sit and think of what you’re going to say in English before you say it. Why would you expect to do the same in Persian?
Final thoughts
Don’t let ruffled expectations make you think that speaking Persian is impossible. Yes it’s difficult but it probably isn’t as difficult as you think it is. With a little determination and some faithful practice you might be surprised how quick and how far you can progress. Use these tips to better practice the language and see real results in your speaking abilities!
Most everyone is familiar with this day, as it is celebrated nearly everywhere the world. Yet, when exactly is April Fools’ Day? And where did April Fools come from? April Fools’ Day is observed on April 1st every year. This day of jokes and pranks is believed to have stemmed from the 16th-century calendar change in France, when New Year’s Day was moved from April 1 to January 1. This action was taken due to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar.
However, a few people were resistant to the calendar change, so they continued to observe New Year’s Day on April 1st, rather than the new date. They were referred to as the “April Fools”, and others started playing mocking tricks on them. This custom endured, and is practiced to this day around the world!
1. Top One Million Words You Need to Know for April Fools’ Day
Do you want to know how to say April Fools’ Day in Persian? Well, there are millions of ways and words, but here are the top one million Persian words you really need to know! Simply click this link. Here are some of them you will find useful:
joke – شوخی – shookhi
funny – خنده دار – khande daar
surprise – غافلگیر کردن – qaafelgir kardan
prank – شوخی زننده – shookhiye zanande
fool – احمق – ahmaq
sneaky – آب زیر کاه – aab zir-e kaah
play a joke – سر به سر گذاشتن – sar be sar gozaashtan
deceptive – فریبنده – faribande
prankster – کسیکه شوخی بد کند – kesi keh shookhi-ye bad konad
humor – شوخ طبعی – shookh tab’i
April 1st – اول آوریل – aval-e aavril
lie – دروغ – doroogh
2. Persian Phrases You Can Use on April Fools’ Day
Don’t limit yourself to practical jokes – use these April Fools’ phrases in Persian to prank your favorite Persian speaking friend or colleague!
All classes for today got canceled.
همه کلاسهای امروز لغو شدند.
hameye kelaashaaye emrooz laqv shodand.
I’m sorry, but I’ve just broken your favorite pair of glasses.
متاسفم، من عینک مورد علاقه شما را شکستم.
mota’asefam, man eynak-e mored-e alaaqeye shomaa raa shekastam.
Someone has just hit your car.
کسی به تازگی با ماشین شما تصادف کرده است.
kasi be taazegi baa maashin-e shomaa tasaadof karde ast.
I’m getting married.
ازدواج میکنم.
ezdevaaj mikonam.
You won a free ticket.
شما بلیط رایگان برنده شدید.
shomaa yek blit-e raaygaan barande shodid.
I saw your car being towed.
من ماشین شما را در حالی که یدک کشیده میشد دیدم.
man maashin-e shomaa raa dar haali ke yadak keshide mishod didam.
They’re giving away free gift cards in front of the building.
در مقابل ساختمان کارتهای هدیه رایگان میدهند.
dar moqaabel-e saakhtemaan kaarthaaye hediyeye raaygaan midahand.
A handsome guy is waiting for you outside.
مرد خوشتیپی بیرون منتظر شماست.
mard-e khoshtipi biroon montazer-e shomaast.
A beautiful lady asked me to give this phone number to you.
بانوی زیبایی از من خواست تا این شماره تلفن را به شما بدهم.
baanooye zibaayi a man khaast taa in shomaare telefon raa be shomaa bedaham.
Can you come downstairs? I have something special for you.
Thank you for your love letter this morning. I never could have guessed your feelings.
از نامه عاشقانه امروز صبح شما ممنونم. من هرگز نمیتوانستم احساسات شما را حدس بزنم.
az naameye aasheqaaneye emrooz sobh-e shomaa mamnoonam. man hargez nemitavaanestam ehsaasaat-e shomaa raa hads bezanam.
I learned Persian in 1 month.
من فارسیو تو یه ماه یاد گرفتم.
man faarsi-yo too yeh maah yaad gerftam.
Choose your victims carefully, though; the idea is to get them to laugh with you, not to hurt their feelings or humiliate them in front of others. Be extra careful if you choose to play a prank on your boss – you don’t want to antagonize them with an inappropriate joke.
3. Some of the Coolest April Fools’ Pranks To Play on Anybody
Right, now that you know the top million April Fools’ words in Persian, let’s look at some super pranks and tricks to play on friends, colleagues and family. Some April Fools ideas never grow old, while new ones are born every year.
Never joke in such a way that it hurts anyone, or humiliates them badly in front of others – the idea is for everybody to laugh and enjoy the fun! Respect is still key, no matter what day of the year it is.
1- Infestation
This trick is so simple, yet so creepy, it’s almost unbelievable. Take black paper, cut out the silhouette of a giant cockroach, a spider or another insect, and stick it inside the lampshade of a table lamp. When the lamp is switched on, it will look like a monstrous insect is sitting inside the lampshade. Or, get a whole lot of realistic-looking plastic insects, and spread them over a colleague’s desk and chair, or, at home, over the kids’ beds etc. Creep-factor: stellar.
2- Which One Doesn’t Fit?
Put the photo of a celebrity or a notorious politician in a frame, and take it to work on April Fools’ Day. Hang the photo on the staff picture wall, and wait. You’ll be surprised how long it can take for people to notice that one picture doesn’t fit.
3- Something Weird in the Restroom
At work, replace the air freshener in the restroom with something noxious like insect killer, oven cleaner or your own odious mixture in a spray bottle. Be sure to cover the bottle’s body so no one suspects a swap.
Or paint a bar of soap with clear nail polish, and leave it at the hand wash basin. It will not lather.
Or, if your workplace’s restroom has partitioned toilets with short doors, arrange jeans or trousers and shoes on all but one of the toilet covers, so it looks like every stall is occupied. Now wait for complaints, and see how long it takes for someone to figure out the April Fools’ Day prank. You’ll probably wish you had a camera inside the restroom. But, unless you don’t mind getting fired, don’t put your own recording device in there!
4- Call Me Funny
Prepare and print out a few posters with the following instructions: Lion Roar Challenge! Call this number – 123-456-7890 – and leave your best lion’s roar as voicemail! Best roarer will be announced April 10 in the cafeteria. Prize: $100. (Lion’s roar is just an example; you can use any animal call, or even a movie character’s unique sound, such as Chewbacca from Star Wars. The weirder, the funnier. Obviously!) Put the posters up in the office where most of the staff is likely to see them. Now wait for the owner of the number to visit you with murderous intent. Have a conciliatory gift ready that’s not a prank.
5- Minty Cookies
This is another simple but hugely effective prank – simply separate iced cookies, scrape off the icing, and replace it with toothpaste. Serve during lunch or tea break at work, or put in your family’s lunch boxes. Be sure to take photos of your victim’s faces when they first bite into your April Fools’ cookies.
6- Wild Shopping
At your local grocer, place a realistic-looking plastic snake or spider among the fresh vegetables. Now wait around the corner for the first yell.
7- The Oldest Trick in the Book
Don’t forget probably the oldest, yet very effective April Fools’ joke in the book – smearing hand cream or Vaseline on a door handle that most staff, family or friends are likely to use. Yuck to the max!
8- Sneeze On Me
Another golden oldie is also gross, yet harmless and utterly satisfying as a prank. Fill a small spray bottle that you can easily conceal with water. Walk past a friend, colleague or one of your kids, and fake a sneeze while simultaneously spraying them with a bit of water. Expect to be called a totally disgusting person. Add a drop of lovely smelling essential oil to the water for extra confusion.
9- Word Play Repairs
Put a fresh leek in the hand wash basin at home or work, and then tell your housemates or colleagues this: “There’s a huge leak in the restroom/bathroom basin, it’s really serious. Please can someone go have a look?!” Expect exasperation and smiles all around. Note that this prank is only likely to work where people understand English well.
10- Scary Face
Print out a very scary face on an A4 sheet of paper, and place it in a colleague’s, or one of your kid’s drawers, so it’s the first thing they see when they open the drawer. You may not be very popular for a while.
11- Wake Up To Madness
Put foamy shaving cream, or real whipped cream on your hand, and wake your kid up by tickling their nose with it. As long as they get the joke, this could be a wonderful and fun way to start April Fools’ Day.
12- Computer Prank
This one’s fabulous, if you have a bit of time to fiddle with a colleague, friend or your kid’s computer. It is most effective on a computer where most of the icons they use are on the desktop background itself (as opposed to on the bottom task bar).
Take and save a screenshot of their desktop with the icons. Set this screenshot as their background image. Now delete all the working icons. When they return to their computer, wait for the curses when no amount of clicking on the icons works.
13- Monster Under the Cup
This one will also work well anywhere people meet. Take a paper cup, and write the following on it in black pen: “Danger! Don’t lift, big spider underneath.” Place it upside-down on prominent flat surface, such as a kitchen counter, a colleague’s desk or a restaurant table. Expect some truly interesting responses.
14- Prank Door
Write in large letters on a large and noticeable piece of paper: PUSH. Tape this notice on a door that should be pulled to open, and watch the hilarious struggle of those clever souls who actually read signs.
4. How Can PersianPod101 Make Your April Fools’ Day Special?
If you happen to visit Iran, or if you work for any Persian speaking company, knowing the above Persian prankster phrases can really lighten up your day. Showing you have a sense of humor can go a long way to cement good relationships in any situation. These phrases are at your disposal for free, as well as are these 100 core Persian words, which you will learn how to pronounce perfectly.
Also, don’t stop at learning April Fools’ phrases in Persian – bone up your Persian language skills with these FREE key phrases. Yes, PersianPod101 doesn’t joke when it comes to effective, fun and easy learning.
Now, as a bonus, test our super-learning technology, and learn the Top 1000 most useful phrases in Persian below! But that’s not all. Read on to learn how you can be eligible for large enrollment discounts at PersianPod101.
5. Top 1000 Most Useful Phrases in Persian – testing new technology
Help us by being a language guinea pig! Listen to this video above with embedded cutting-edge, frequency-based learning technology that enables you to learn large amounts of data in record time.
Note: This technology is in beta-phase of development, and we invite your input for fine-tuning.
To participate: Watch the video for instructions, and leave a comment to rate it. Your comment will make you eligible for large enrollment-fee discounts. To watch the video, please click the play button.
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Learn all the Persian New Year wishes online, in your own time, on any device! Join PersianPod101 for a special Persian New Year celebration!
Can you relate to the year passing something like this: “January, February, March – December!”? Many people do! Quantum physics teaches us that time is relative, and few experiences illustrate this principle as perfectly as when we reach the end of a year. To most of us, it feels like the old one has passed in the blink of an eye, while the new year lies ahead like a very long journey! However, New Year is also a time to celebrate beginnings, and to say goodbye to what has passed. This is true in every culture, no matter when New Year is celebrated.
So, how do you say Happy New Year in Persian? Let a native teach you! At PersianPod101, you will learn how to correctly greet your friends over New Year, and wish them well with these Persian New Year wishes!
In Iran, the New Year traditionally begins on the first day of spring, typically sometime around March 20. Iranians start their New Year as the earth awakens from its winter hibernation and plants spring forth from the ground, which is why the New Year is called Nowrooz, meaning “new day” in Persian.
In this lesson, you will learn about how during Nowrooz, members of Iranian families gather around the Sofre-ye Haft-Seen, literally meaning the seven ‘S’s table, to wish each other a happy New Year, eat dinner, and relax together.
Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question-
What is commonly eaten on the first day of the New Year in Iran?
If you don’t already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep reading.
Nowrooz activities actually begin several days before the Eid. One of these activities is spring cleaning. In each household, family members clean, wash, and tidy up their living spaces in preparation for the Eid, which means feast. These activities are called Khaane Tekaani, which literally means the shaking out or removing of dust from the house. After this is finished, the family members put on their new, clean clothes and wait for the New Year to come.
When Iranians hear the word Nowrooz, they often think of Sofre-ye Haft-Seen, which refers to a series of objects and foods that are set on the table or onto a piece of cloth, the names of which all begin with the sound ‘s’ in Persian.These objects represent concepts such as goodness and blessings. Among them, there is usually Senjed, which is dried oleaster wild olive fruit, Sib or apple, Sabzeh or sprouts from green plants, Samanoo or sweet pudding, Sir or garlic, Serkeh or vinegar, Somaq or sumac, and Sekke, which is a coin. A mirror, a candle, a goldfish, colored eggs, and a collection of Hafez poems are also oftentimes included. Family members gather around the display to congratulate each other on the Eid, and older members give younger ones money as a New Year’s gift.
One of the most important traditions that still remains intact from ancient times is eid didani. On eid didani, people visit relatives, friends, and acquaintances, and the host receives their guests by giving them candies, dried nuts, and fruits. Making trips out to various towns and spending time outdoors are popular activities among Iranians on Nowrooz. This way, people prepare themselves for a year full of work, activity, jubilation, and success. The older members of the family present the Eidi or New Year’s gift, which in most cases is cash in brand new bills, to the younger members.
Did you know that Iranians also celebrate a character similar to Santa Claus during Nowrooz called Amoo Nowrooz, or Uncle Nowrooz? Like his western counterpart, Uncle Nowrooz is a kind old man with a white beard who announces the coming New Year to the people. There is another character related to the New Year named Haji Firooz. With a black face and red clothes, he dances, sings, beats a drum, and performs comical routines to amuse onlookers in the streets.
Now it’s time to answer our quiz question-
What is commonly eaten on the first day of the New Year in Iran?
The first food eaten in the New Year is usually Sabzi Polo baa Maahi, a dish comprised of rice, fish, chopped vegetables, spices, salt, and oil. The components of this dish represent the productivity of nature, the bounty of rice, and the active movements of fish. Eating this food on Nowrooz symbolizes an appreciation for the bounties provided by God in the New Year.
Happy New Year!
عید شما مبارک eid-e shomaa mobaarak
2. Must-Know Persian Words & Phrases for the New Year!
1- Year
سال saal
This is pretty self-explanatory. Most countries follow a Gregorian calendar, which has approximately 365 days in a year, while in some cultures, other year designations are also honored. Therefore, New Year’s day in Iran could fall on a different day than in your country. When do you celebrate New Year?
2- Midnight
نیمه شب نیمه شب nime shab
The point in time when a day ends and a new one starts. Many New Year celebrants prefer to stay awake till midnight, and greet the new annum as it breaks with fanfare and fireworks!
3- New Year’s Day
روز آغاز سال نو rooz-e aaqaaz-e saal-e no
In most countries, the new year is celebrated for one whole day. On the Gregorian calendar, this falls on January 1st. On this day, different cultures engage in festive activities, like parties, parades, big meals with families and many more.
4- Party
میهمانی mihmaani
A party is most people’s favorite way to end the old year, and charge festively into the new one! We celebrate all we accomplished in the old year, and joyfully anticipate what lies ahead.
5- Dancing
رقص raqs
Usually, when the clock strikes midnight and the New Year officially begins, people break out in dance! It is a jolly way to express a celebratory mood with good expectations for the year ahead. Also, perhaps, that the old year with its problems has finally passed! Dance parties are also a popular way to spend New Year’s Eve in many places.
6- Champagne
شامپاین shaampaayn
Originating in France, champagne is a bubbly, alcoholic drink that is often used to toast something or someone during celebrations.
7- Fireworks
آتش بازى aatash baazi
These are explosives that cause spectacular effects when ignited. They are popular for announcing the start of the new year with loud noises and colorful displays! In some countries, fireworks are set off to scare away evil spirits. In others, the use of fireworks is forbidden in urban areas due to their harmful effect on pets. Most animals’ hearing is much more sensitive than humans’, so this noisy display can be very frightful and traumatising to them.
8- Countdown
شمارش معکوس shomaaresh-e ma’koos
This countdown refers to New Year celebrants counting the seconds, usually backward, till midnight, when New Year starts – a great group activity that doesn’t scare animals, and involves a lot of joyful shouting when the clock strikes midnight!
9- New Year’s Holiday
تعطیلات سال نو ta’tilaat-e saal-e no
In many countries, New Year’s Day is a public holiday – to recuperate from the party the previous night, perhaps! Families also like to meet on this day to enjoy a meal and spend time together.
10- Confetti
کاغذ رنگی kaaqaz rangi
In most Western countries, confetti is traditionally associated with weddings, but often it is used as a party decoration. Some prefer to throw it in the air at the strike of midnight on New Year’s Eve.
11- New Year’s Eve
شب سال نو shab-e saal-e no
This is the evening before New Year breaks at midnight! Often, friends and family meet for a party or meal the evening before, sometimes engaging in year-end rituals. How are you planning to give your New Year greetings in 2018?
12- Toast
به سلامتی be salaamati
A toast is a type of group-salutation that involves raising your glass to drink with others in honor of something or someone. A toast to the new year is definitely in order!
13- Resolution
تصمیم tasmim
Those goals or intentions you hope to, but seldom keep in the new year! Many people consider the start of a new year to be the opportune time for making changes or plans. Resolutions are those intentions to change, or the plans. It’s best to keep your resolutions realistic so as not to disappoint yourself!
14- Parade
رژه rezhe
New Year celebrations are a huge deal in some countries! Parades are held in the streets, often to celebratory music, with colorful costumes and lots of dancing. Parades are like marches, only less formal and way more fun. At PersianPod101, you can engage in forums with natives who can tell you what Persian New Year celebrations are like!
3. Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions
So, you learned the Persian word for ‘resolution’. Fabulous! Resolutions are those goals and intentions that we hope to manifest in the year that lies ahead. The beginning of a new year serves as a good marker in time to formalise these. Some like to do it in writing, others only hold these resolutions in their hearts. Here are our Top 10 New Year’s resolutions at PersianPod101 – what are yours?
Learn these phrases and impress your Persian friends with your vocabulary.
1- Read more
مطالعه بیشتر Motaale’eye bishtar
Reading is a fantastic skill that everyone can benefit from. You’re a business person? Apparently, successful business men and women read up to 60 books a year. This probably excludes fiction, so better scan your library or Amazon for the top business reads if you plan to follow in the footsteps of the successful! Otherwise, why not make it your resolution to read more Persian in the new year? You will be surprised by how much this will improve your Persian language skills!
2- Spend more time with family
گذراندن وقت بیشتر همراه خانواده Gozaraandan-e vaghte bishtar hamraahe khaanevadeh
Former US President George Bush’s wife, Barbara Bush, was quoted as having said this: “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, a parent.” This is very true! Relationships are often what gives life meaning, so this is a worthy resolution for any year.
3- Lose weight
وزن کم کردن vazn kam kardan
Hands up, how many of you made this new year’s resolution last year too…?! This is a notoriously difficult goal to keep, as it takes a lot of self discipline not to eat unhealthily. Good luck with this one, and avoid unhealthy fad diets!
4- Save money
پس انداز پول Pasandaaz-e pul
Another common and difficult resolution! However, no one has ever been sorry when they saved towards reaching a goal. Make it your resolution to save money to upgrade your subscription to PersianPod101’s Premium PLUS option in the new year – it will be money well spent!
5- Quit smoking
ترک سیگار Tark-e sigaar
This is a resolution that you should definitely keep, or your body could punish you severely later! Smoking is a harmful habit with many hazardous effects on your health. Do everything in your power to make this resolution come true in the new year, as your health is your most precious asset.
6- Learn something new
یادگیری چیزی جدید Yaadgiri-e chizi jadid
Science has proven that learning new skills can help keep brain diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s at bay! It can even slow down the progression of the disease. So, keep your brain healthy by learning to speak a new language, studying towards a qualification, learning how to sew, or how to play chess – no matter how old you are, the possibilities are infinite!
7- Drink less
کمتر مشروب نوشیدن kamtar mashroob nooshidan
This is another health resolution that is good to heed any time of the year. Excessive drinking is associated with many diseases, and its effect can be very detrimental to good relationships too. Alcohol is a poison and harmful for the body in large quantities!
8- Exercise regularly
ورزش مداوم Varzesh-e modaavem
This resolution goes hand-in-hand with ‘Lose weight’! An inactive body is an unhealthy and often overweight one, so give this resolution priority in the new year.
9- Eat healthy
تغذیه سالم Taqzieye saalem
If you stick with this resolution, you will lose weight and feel better in general. It is a very worthy goal to have!
10- Study Persian with PersianPod101
یادگیری فارسی با پرشین پاد ۱۰۱ yaadgiriye faarsi baa pershenpaad 101
Of course! You can only benefit from learning Persian, especially with us! Learning how to speak Persian can keep your brain healthy, it can widen your circle of friends, and improve your chances to land a dream job anywhere in the world. PersianPod101 makes it easy and enjoyable for you to stick to this resolution.
4. Inspirational New Year Quotes
Everyone knows that it is sometimes very hard to stick to resolutions, and not only over New Year. The reasons for this vary from person to person, but all of us need inspiration every now and then! A good way to remain motivated is to keep inspirational quotes near as reminders that it’s up to us to reach our goals.
Make decorative notes of these in Persian, and keep them close! Perhaps you could stick them above your bathroom mirror, or on your study’s wall. This way you not only get to read Persian incidentally, but also remain inspired to reach your goals! Imagine feeling like giving up on a goal, but reading this quote when you go to the bathroom: “It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.” What a positive affirmation!
5. Inspirational Language Learning Quotes
Still undecided whether you should enroll with PersianPod101 to learn a new language? There’s no time like the present to decide! Let the following Language Learning Quotes inspire you with their wisdom.
As legendary President Nelson Mandela once said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” So, learning how to say Happy New Year in Persian could well be a way into someone special’s heart for you! Let this year be the one where you to learn how to say Happy New Year, and much more, in Persian – it could open many and unexpected doors for you.
6. How To Say Happy New Year in 31 Languages
Here’s a lovely bonus for you! Why stop with Persian – learn how to say Happy New Year in 31 other languages too! Watch this video and learn how to pronounce these New Year’s wishes like a native in under two minutes.
7. Why Enrolling with PersianPod101 Would Be the Perfect New Year’s Gift to Yourself!
If you are unsure how to celebrate the New Year, why not give yourself a huge gift, and enroll to learn Persian! With more than 12 years of experience behind us, we know that PersianPod101 would be the perfect fit for you. There are so many reasons for this!
Custom-tailored Learning Paths: Start learning Persian at the level that you are. We have numerous Learning Pathways, and we tailor them just for you based on your goals and interests! What a boon!
Marked Progress and Fresh Learning Material Every Week: We make new lessons available every week, with an option to track your progress. Topics are culturally appropriate and useful, such as “Learning how to deliver negative answers politely to a business partner.” Our aim is to equip you with Persian that makes sense!
Multiple Learning Tools: Learn in fun, easy ways with resources such 1,000+ video and audio lessons, flashcards, detailed PDF downloads, and mobile apps suitable for multiple devices!
Fast Track Learning Option: If you’re serious about fast-tracking your learning, Premium Plus would be the perfect way to go! Enjoy perks such as personalised lessons with ongoing guidance from your own, native-speaking teacher, and one-on-one learning on your mobile app! You will not be alone in your learning. Weekly assignments with non-stop feedback, answers and corrections will ensure speedy progress.
Fun and Easy: Keeping the lessons fun and easy-to-learn is our aim, so you will stay motivated by your progress!
In most cultures, it is custom to express gratitude in some way or another. The dictionary defines gratitude as follows: it is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”. Giving a sincere, thankful response to someone’s actions or words is often the ‘glue’ that keeps relationships together. This is true in most societies! Doing so in a foreign country also shows your respect and appreciation for the culture. Words have great power – use these ones sincerely and often!
The magical words that can bring a smile to any face. For one day, truly mean it whenever you say these words, and see how this lifts your spirit too!
2- That’s very kind of you.
واقعا لطف دارید. vaaghe’an lotf daarid.
This phrase is appropriate when someone clearly goes out of their way to give good service, or to offer you a kindness.
3- Thanks for your kind words!
از جملات محبت آمیزتان ممنونم! Az jomalaat-e mohab-bat aamizetaan mamnoonam.
Someone paid you a compliment and made you feel good? That is kind of him/her, so express your gratitude!
4- Thank you for coming today.
ممنون که امروز آمدین. mamnoon keh emrooz aamadin.
This welcoming phrase should be part of your arsenal if you’re conducting more formal meetings with Persian speakers. If you’re hosting a party, this is also a good phrase when you greet your Persian guests!
5- Thank you for your consideration
ممنون از توجه شما. mamnoon az tavaj-joh-e shomaa.
This is a more formal, almost solemn way to thank someone for their thoughtfulness and sensitivity towards you. It is also suitable to use when a native speaker has to consider something you submit, like a job application, a project or a proposal. You are thanking them, in essence, for time and effort they are about to, or have spent on your submission.
6- Thanks a lot!
خیلی ممنون! kheily mamnoon.
This means the same as ‘Thank you’, but with energy and enthusiasm added! It means almost the same as ‘thank you so much’ in Persian. Use this in an informal setting with your Persian friends or teachers.
7- Teachers like you are not easy to find.
پیدا کردن معلمانی مثل شما آسان نیست. peydaa kardan-e mo-al-lemaani mesl-e shomaa aasaan nist.
Some phrases are compliments, which express gratitude by inference. This is one of them. If you’re particularly impressed with your PersianPod101 teacher, this is an excellent phrase to memorize!
8- Thank you for spending time with us.
ممنون از اینکه با ما وقت گذراندید. mamnoon az inkeh baa maa vaght gozaraandid.
Any host at a gathering with Persian speakers, such as a meeting or a party, should have this under his/her belt! Use it when you’re saying goodbye or busy closing a meeting. It could also be another lovely way to thank your Persian language teacher for her time.
9- Thank you for being patient and helping me improve.
ممنون از اینکه صبور بودید و کمک کردید بهتر بشم. mamnoon az inkeh saboor boodid va komak kardid behtar besham.
This phrase is another sure way to melt any formal or informal Persian teacher’s heart! Teaching is not easy, and often a lot of patience is required from the teacher. Thank him/her for it! It’s also a good phrase to use if you work in Iran, and want to thank your trainer or employer. You will go a long way towards making yourself a popular employee – gratitude is the most attractive trait in any person!
10- You’re the best teacher ever!
شما بهترین معلم هستید. shomaa behtarin moal-lem hastid.
This is also an enthusiastic way to thank your teacher by means of a compliment. It could just make their day!
11- Thank you for the gift.
ممنون برای هدیه. mamnoon baraay-e hedyeh.
This is a good phrase to remember when you’re the lucky recipient of a gift. Show your respect and gratitude with these words.
12- I have learned so much thanks to you.
به لطف شما من چیزهای زیادی یاد گرفته ام. beh lotf-e shomaa man chizhaay-e ziyaadi yaad gerfteh am.
What a wonderful compliment to give a good teacher! It means they have succeeded in their goal, and you’re thankful for it.
2. Video Lesson: Learn to Say ‘Thank You’ in 3 Minutes
Wherever your destination may be, manners are a must! Iran is no different.
1- تشکر میکنم. Tashakkor Mikonam
In Persian, “Thank you” is تشکر میکنم Tashakkor Mikonam. The first word, Tashakkor تشکر ,means “thanks.” After this comes Mikonam میکنم , meaning “I do thank you.”
2- خیلی تشکر میکنم. Kheili Tashakkor Mikonam
You can emphasize TashakkorMikonam by adding Kheili خیلی , which means literally “a lot” or “so much.” That makes Kheili Tashakkor Mikonam خیلی تشکر میکنم, which would be equivalent to “Thank you so much,” a politer expression than just Tashakkor Mikonam. تشکر میکنم. There are other ways to express one’s gratitude in Persian, but they are all variations of Kheili Tashakkor Mikonam خیلی تشکر میکنم. There will be occasions when you will really want to show your appreciation and politeness. On these occasions, you should use the expression Tashakkor Mikonam.
3- متشکرم. Moteshakkeram
Another way to thank someone is Moteshakkeram, which is simply another form of the verb Tashakkor. So “Thanks” in Persian is Moteshakkeram متشکرم and “Many thanks” is Kheili Moteshakkeram. خیلی متشکرم. The word Kheili, meaning “a lot,” is used to make the phrase more polite. This is followed by Moteshakkeram, which means something like “thanks.”
Cultural Insights
Quick tip 1
By far, Moteshakkeram is the most common way to say “Thanks.” Use the more polite version TashakorMikonam sparingly, in very special situations, like when you have been helped a lot by somebody. Remember: when in doubt, keeping it simple is always your safest bet. You don’t have to worry about formal or informal situations; Moteshakkeram can be used with just about anyone, anywhere, and anytime. You say Moteshakkeram when the waiter brings your food or drinks, when the clerk in the hotel takes your luggage to your room, and when somebody welcomes or congratulates you. No matter what the person’s profession or age, Moteshakkeram will always be an appropriate response.
Quick tip 2
If you are around friends, you might hear an alternative to Tashakor Mikonam: Ghorbanat. This is similar to something like “Cheers” or “Love you,” it’s mostly used among young people and is very informal. If you know the people well enough, feel free to throw one of these in—your knowledge of informal Persian will surely be appreciated.
On the run to Iran? Wait! You can’t go without some basic language phrases under your belt! Especially if you’re heading to meet your prospective employer! Either in person or online, knowing how to say ‘Thank you’ in the Persian language will only improve their impression of you! PersianPod101 saves you time with this short lesson that nevertheless packs a punch. Learn to say ‘Thank you’ in Persian in no time!
3. Audio Lesson: Survival Phrases – Thank You
Perhaps you think it’s unimportant that you don’t know what ‘Thank you’ is in Persian, or that it’s too difficult a language to learn. Yet, as a traveler or visitor, you will be surprised at how far you can go using a little bit of Persian in Iran!
At PersianPod101, we offer you a few ways of saying ‘Thank you’ in Persian that you have no excuse not knowing, as they’re so simple and easy to learn. The lesson is geared to aid your ‘survival’ in formal and informal situations in Iran, so don’t wait! You will never have to google ‘How do you say thanks in Persian’ again…!
4. ‘Thank You’ in 31 Languages
For the global traveler in a hurry, here are 31 ways to say ‘Thank you’! These are the first words you need to learn in any foreign language – it is sure to smooth your way with native speakers by showing your gratitude for services rendered, and your respect for their culture! Learn and know how to correctly say ‘Thank you’ in 31 different languages in this short video.
5. Why would PersianPod101 be the perfect choice to learn Persian?
However, you need not stop at ‘Thank you’ in Persian – why not learn to speak the language?! You have absolutely nothing to lose. Research has shown that learning a new language increases intelligence and combats brain-aging. Also, the ability to communicate with native speakers in their own language is an instant way to make friends and win respect! Or imagine you know how to write ‘Thank you’ to that special Persian friend after a date…he/she will be so impressed!
PersianPod101 Has Special Lessons, Tools and Resources to Teach You How to Say Thank You and Other Key Phrases
With more than a decade of experience behind us, we have taught thousands of satisfied users to speak foreign languages. How do we do this? First, we take the pain out of learning! At PersianPod101, students are assisted as they master vocabulary, pronunciation, and conversation through state-of-the-art and fun online learning methods. A library replete with learning resources allows for you to learn at your own pace and in your own space! Resources include thousands of video and audio recordings, downloadable PDF lessons and plenty of learning apps for your mobile devices. Each month, we add benefits with FREE bonuses and gifts to improve your experience.
We accommodate all levels and types of learners, from Absolute Beginner to Advanced, and PersianPod101 is free for anyone to sign up. However, you can choose to fast track your fluency with lesson customization and increased interactive learning and practicing. Upgrade to Premium, or Premium PLUS to enhance your experience and greatly expedite your learning. With this type of assistance, and pleasurable effort on your part, you will speak Persian in a very short period of time!
Best of all is that you’re never alone! We believe that practice is the holy grail of learning any new language, and we gear our courses to ensure lots of it. Enroll with us, and you gain immediate access to our lively forum where we meet and greet, and discuss your burning questions. Our certified teachers are friendly and helpful, and you are very likely to practice your first ‘Thanks!’ in Persian on him/her, AND mean it! Hurry up, and sign up now – you will thank us for it.
Learn 4 tools and techniques to stop translating in your head and start thinking in Persian
Going through Persian lessons is enough to get by and learn the basics of Persian, but to truly become fluent you need to be able to think in Persian. This will allow you to have conversations with ease, read smoothly, and comprehensively understand natives. To do this, you need to go beyond just completing daily or weekly lessons.
We naturally translate in our heads because it’s viewed as the easiest way to learn the definitions needed when learning a language. This way of learning can actually hinder your skills and fluency later on. If your brain has to make neural connections between the word you’re learning, what it means in your native tongue, and the physical object the connection will not be nearly as strong. When you bypass the original translation between Persian and your native language then there is a more basic and strong connection between just the Persian vocabulary word and the tangible object.
In this blog post, you will learn the 4 important techniques to easily and naturally begin to speculate about the daily occurrences in your life. The best part is all of these techniques are supported and can be achieved through PersianPod101.com.
Create Your Free Lifetime Account and Start Learning the whole Persian Language from the Beginning!
1. Surround yourself with Persian
By surrounding yourself with Persian constantly you will completely immerse yourself in the language. Without realizing it you’ll be learning pronunciation, sentence structures, grammar, and new vocabulary. You can play music in the background while you’re cooking or have a Persian radio station on while you study. Immersion is a key factor with this learning process because it is one of the easiest things to do, but very effective. Even if you are not giving the program your full attention you will be learning.
One great feature of PersianPod101.com is the endless podcasts that are available to you. You can even download and listen to them on the go. These podcasts are interesting and are perfect for the intention of immersion, they are easy to listen to as background noise and are interesting enough to give your full attention. Many of them contain stories that you follow as you go through the lessons which push you to keep going.
2. Learn through observation
Learning through observation is the most natural way to learn. Observation is how we all learned our native languages as infants and it’s a wonder why we stop learning this way. If you have patience and learn through observation then Persian words will have their own meanings rather than meanings in reference to your native language. Ideally, you should skip the bilingual dictionary and just buy a dictionary in Persian.
PersianPod101.com also offers the materials to learn this way. We have numerous video lessons which present situational usage of each word or phrase instead of just a direct translation. This holds true for many of our videos and how we teach Persian.
3. Speak out loud to yourself
Speaking to yourself in Persian not only gets you in the mindset of Persian, but also makes you listen to how you speak. It forces you to correct any errors with pronunciation and makes it easy to spot grammar mistakes. When you speak out loud talk about what you did that day and what you plan to do the next day. Your goal is to be the most comfortable speaking out loud and to easily create sentences. Once you feel comfortable talking to yourself start consciously thinking in your head about your daily activities and what is going on around you throughout the day.
With PersianPod101.com you start speaking right away, not only this, but they have you repeat words and conversations after a native Persian speaker. This makes your pronunciation very accurate! With this help, you are on the fast path to making clear and complex sentences and then actively thinking about your day.
4. Practice daily
If you don’t practice daily then your progress will be greatly slowed. Many people are tempted to take the 20-30 minutes they should be practicing a day and practice 120 in one day and skip the other days. This isn’t nearly as effective because everyday you practice you are reinforcing the skills and knowledge you have learned. If you practice all in one day you don’t retain the information because the brain can realistically only focus for 30 minutes at most. If you’re studying for 120 minutes on the same subject little of the information will be absorbed. Studying everyday allows you to review material that you went over previous days and absorb a small amount of information at a time.
It’s tough to find motivation to study everyday, but PersianPod101.com can help. It’s easy to stay motivated with PersianPod101.com because we give you a set learning path, with this path we show how much progress you’ve made. This makes you stick to your goals and keep going!
Conclusion
Following the steps and having patience is the hardest part to achieving your goals, it’s not easy learning a new language. You are essentially teaching your brain to categorize the world in a completely new way. Stick with it and you can do it just remember the 4 tools I taught you today! With them, conversations, reading, and understanding will become much easier. The most important thing to remember is to use the tools that PersianPod101.com provides and you will be on your way to being fluent!
Your Learning, Streamlined – The New Lesson Interface
Your learning is about to get a whole lot easier.
More than ever, learners are choosing mobile as the platform to study Persian. Mobile has always been a part of our DNA. We began our life on your iPod, and have remained by your side ever since.
In our 11th year, we’re returning to our roots as a way to learn Persian on-the-go. How? With a brand-new lesson interface just for you.
It’s built from the ground-up to be a great experience on your phone, tablet, and computer.
You don’t have to compromise anymore.
Take the whole lesson experience with you wherever you go.
Our lessons are the heart of our learning system and now they’re the heart of the interface as well. Just tap the big play button to start learning right away.
(example taken from japanesepod101.com)
As you scroll through the lesson contents, the player sticks with you at the bottom of your screen.
Pause, rewind or adjust your speed and volume without losing your place.
(example taken from japanesepod101.com)
Navigation is also just a tap away.
Quickly jump to the dialogue, vocabulary, or lesson notes with our new lesson navigation bar. Available at the top of your screen wherever you are.
(example taken from japanesepod101.com)
And for the first time ever, you don’t need to download a PDF or jump between tabs to read the lesson notes and transcript. Read it all on your mobile browser as you listen.
(example taken from japanesepod101.com)
There are many more small improvements but the end result is this: a drastically improved lesson experience on mobile and desktop.
Spend less time squinting at your screen and more time reaching your Persian goals.
The new lesson interface will launch in beta this month.
We can’t wait to hear what you think. Keep on studying!
Sneak peek! And if you take advantage of our upcoming 25% OFF All Access Pass Sale, you secure full access to this new update! You unlock our complete Persian learning program – ALL Audio/Video Courses from Beginner to Advanced, Premium Study Tools, Bonus Apps and much more!
P.S. Get 25% OFF ANY Plan! Master Persian with YOUR All-Access Pass!
Want to learn Persian fast with an ALL-ACCESS PASS to our entire learning system?Get 25% OFF Basic, Premium and Premium PLUSand unlock ALL audio/video lessons, study tools and exclusive apps that you’ll ever need. And with Premium PLUS, you get your own teacher! Just $3 a month & up to $137 in savings. Ends March 31st, 2017.
Have you ever returned to PersianPod101 lessons you’ve completed?
Accessing a lesson once is enough to learn more Persian. But to master what you’ve learned, to understand Persian the second you hear it, to read with just a quick glance, and to speak smoothly, without thinking… you need to review.
In this blog post, you’ll learn the 5 review tactics and learning tools that will truly sharpen your Persian (all of which I’ve been able to resources for on PersianPod101.com).
One of the best ways to learn Persian (or any language) is to listen to native speakers over and over again until you understand what they are saying. By listening closely and often, you start to pick up the rhythm of a language and pronunciation from a native speaker. It’s not surprising, then, that Innovative Language offers a great line-by-line feature that lets you listen (and read along!) as many times as you’d like. I really recommend taking advantage of this feature— aside from moving to Iran, it is the best way to immerse yourself in the language.
2. Use a voice-recording tool to perfect pronunciation.
No one likes to hear themselves recorded, but it is a great way to perfect your pronunciation! Record yourself and compare against a fluent speaker. If you sound different, repeat after the fluent speaker until your pronunciation matches. Innovative Language has a great voice-recording feature that makes recording super easy. Never hesitate or be shy about your pronunciation again.
3. Master recorded conversations.
Another excellent way to review your Persian is to record conversations and go over them again and again until you have the entire conversation mastered and can repeat it line by line. Now, it might be kind of awkward trying to explain to someone why you are recording them speak so it is fortunate that Innovative Language has dialogues available for download right off of their website. I found these also come with transcripts of the entire conversation, which is great if you don’t want to spend tons of time translating the conversation yourself.
4. Use mobile devices to reinforce previously learned conversations.
It might sound redundant at this point, but constant review is the best, and only, way to perfect Persian. In that spirit, I strongly recommend downloading the recorded dialogue to your mobile device and incorporating it into your music playlist. You’ll be amazed how effectively quick reviews throughout a day can reinforce what you’ve learned.
The guaranteed accurate transcript of the recorded dialogues is one of the most useful features Innovative Language offers. You can read along with a fluent speaker to really master pronunciation and natural conversation. You should start slow at first, then slowly increase the speed with each pass through. Every time you read through, your pronunciation will become more intuitive and your ability to understand fluent speakers will greatly increase.
Imagine a child who just learned how to read. At first, they slowly struggle through a sentence, but on the second try, they know what the most of the words sound like and so they read a bit faster and easier and on the third try, they read that sentence at normal, native speed.
Using these five simple review techniques the most challenging parts of learning Persian will become your areas of comfort. Conversations will no longer be excruciating and embarrassing, but rather offer a chance to show off your new skills and communicate with someone from a different culture in their natural language. You will be able to casually listen to Persian and understand everything. Reading, too, will become natural and enjoyable.
Learning any language takes time and dedication. With the right focus, however, you can ensure the maximum impact of your efforts. Consistently listening to fluent speakers, recording your own voice and comparing it against fluent speakers, mastering conversations, listening to them on go, and following along with written transcripts will put you on the path to becoming fluent in Persian. Learn from the mistakes that so many have made, myself included, don’t let what you’ve already learned slip away.
Every Persian learner will have these fears – “I’m not good enough yet.” “I don’t think I’m making any progress.” “What if I never reach my goals?” Persian learning fears – we all get them from time to time. What are yours? And are they worth being scared of?
In this blog post, we’re killing the top 4 Persian learning fears – 1) what are the fears learners tend to have the most and 2) how you can overcome them!
Here are the top 4 language learning fears according to our users:
1. “I’m not good enough to start speaking yet.”
Do you feel like you’re not good enough to start speaking yet? It’s a pretty common fear or misconception that most learners have. Here’s how you overcome it:
The best way to get good at speaking is to start speaking from day 1.
So if you’re holding yourself back, because you think you’re not good enough, well, that’s exactly why you’re not good enough. You need to open your mouth and start talking!
If you think you’re not good enough, just learn Persian lines you want to say!
In our lessons, you get the exact phrases and scripts for introducing yourself making small talk, ordering food, expressing opinions, and much more! So if you think you’re not good enough, the lessons will give you the exact lines to say.
Many successful Persian learners worried about that, only as a beginner. They started learning Persian and, it’s funny because the better their Persian got, the less they were worried about that. So, how can you overcome this?
You’ve got to set small, specific goals.
Fluency is a big vague goal. Arguably, we don’t even speak fluent in our native language. There are over a million words and we use about 2,000 words only. So you should focus on smaller goals like being able to introduce yourself or having a 5-minute conversation. Or 10 minutes. Something you can measure so you know you reached it because you can’t really measure fluency. It’s a pretty vague goal! But you can measure small goals like having a 5-minute conversation. And as these small goals add up, you’ll be speaking very comfortably!
In other words, getting stuck. If you’re afraid you’re not making progress, there are two things you can do right now.
Use the dashboard to track your progress.
If you need numbers to believe it, our dashboard tracks all the lessons you’ve completed and shows how much you’ve accomplished.
Try a harder lesson on the site.
It sounds crazy and you might not understand it but you will in minutes. Our lessons come with line-by-line translations and the lesson hosts explain everything. THEN, you’ll be making progress because you now understand something you didn’t minutes ago.
4. “I’m afraid of not understanding anything I hear”.
This is very common. You hear advanced grammar and vocabulary and it goes completely over your head. To beat this…
If you’re taking an advanced lesson, simply read along.
Reading along with our line-by-line tool is the best way to instantly understand advanced conversations. The translations and scripts are right in front of you.
For real-life situations, learn useful phrases.
Like “Can you say it more slowly?,” “Can you use simpler words?” or “I don’t understand what that meant.” There’s nothing wrong with saying that you didn’t understand something or with asking for help. And our Survival Phrases lessons cover must-know phrases like this.
