Did you know that only some reptiles and birds don’t parent their offspring? Except for crocodiles, all reptiles (and one family of bird species called megapodes) hatch from eggs and grow up alone, without any family.
The rest of us need family if we are to survive and thrive – humans and animals alike!
At PersianPod101, we know how important family is. Therefore, we take care to teach you all the important vocabulary and phrases pertaining to family.
Table of Contents
- Why Is It Important to Know Persian Vocabulary about Family?
- Learn a New Culture? Learn its Family Vocab first
- How PersianPod101 Can Help You Learn Persian Family Terms
1. Why Is It Important to Know Persian Vocabulary about Family?
Well, if you’re serious about studying any new language, then learning about the most important social unit in Iranian culture would be a crucial part of your education.
What is family, though? Strictly speaking, it’s a group of people who live together and are supposed to take care of one another. Some of them are genetically linked.
Family isn’t just about who we’re related to by blood, of course. It’s also one of the main influences in shaping every child’s life.
Family is Important for Children’s Healthy Development
Family is the single most important influence in a child’s life. Children depend on parents and family to protect them and provide for their needs from the day they were born.
Primary caregivers, which usually comprise parents and family, form a child’s first relationships. They are a child’s first teachers and are role models that show kids how to act and experience the world around them.
By nurturing and teaching children during their early years, families play an important role in making sure children are ready to learn when they enter school.
Families Can Take All Shapes and Sizes
However, the way families are put together is by no means standard.
Single-parent and same-gender households have become a new norm the past few decades, and there’s no shame in this. When there is love, connection and proper care, a child can thrive anywhere.
Everyone also knows that sometimes friends can become like family and remain with us for life, because it’s all about human connection.
After all, we share many commonalities simply because we’re human, and we are programmed to connect with one another and belong to a group. This is very important for our well-being and survival.
It’s All About Feeling Connected
As John Northman, a psychologist from Buffalo, NY, told WebMD – feeling connected to others contributes to mental as well as physical health.
He pointed out that when people feel connected, they feel better physically, and they’re also less likely to feel depressed.
Or, if they do feel depressed, they’d be in a better position to get out of it when they feel they are connecting with others. This is because they would be psychologically supported too, Northman said.
There has even been some links drawn between addiction and feeling disconnected from others. According to an article in Psychology Today, research indicates that addiction is not solely a substance disorder, but also affected by people feeling insecurely attached to others.
It showed that securely attached individuals tend to feel comfortable in and enjoy life, while insecurely attached people typically struggle to fit in and connect.
2. Learn a New Culture? Learn its Family Vocab first
So, it’s clear that for most of us, family is our entry point into connection and belonging. This is true of every culture, so in every country, family takes prominence.
For this reason, PersianPod101 offers culturally-relevant lessons that will equip you well to understand families in Iran.
Here are some of the most important Persian vocabulary and quotes about family and parenting!
A) Persian Family Vocabulary
Let’s start with the basic vocabulary. Without this collection of words, you’ll have a hard time describing any member of your family at all.
| Family Terms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Family خانواده (Khaanevaade) |
Great grandfather پدر پدربزرگ (pedar-e pedar bozorg) |
|
| Mother مادر (Maadar) |
Grandmother مادر مادربزرگ (maadar-e maadar bozorg) |
|
| Father پدر (Pedar) |
Grandfather پدر بزرگ (pedar bozorg) |
|
| Wife همسر (hamsar) |
Grandchild نوه (naveh) |
|
| Husband شوهر (Shohar) |
Granddaughter نوه دختری (naveye dokhtari) |
|
| Parent والد (vaaled) |
Grandson نوه پسری (naveye pesari) |
|
| Child بچه (bache) |
Aunt عمه ، خاله (ameh, sister of father; khaaleh, sister of mother) |
|
| Daughter دختر (dokhtar) |
Uncle عمو، دايي (amoo, brother of father; daai, brother of mother) |
|
| Sister خواهر (Khaahar) |
Niece دختر برادر يا خواهر (dokhtar-e baraadar yaa khaahar) |
|
| Brother برادر (baraadar) |
Nephew پسر خواهر یا برادر (pesar-e khaahar yaa baraadar) |
|
| Younger sister خواهر کوچکتر (khaahare koochektar) |
Younger brother برادر کوچکتر (baraadar-e koochektar) |
|
| Older brother برادر بزرگتر (baraadar-e bozorgtar) |
Great grandmother مادر مادربزرگ (maadar-e maadar bozorg) |
|
| Cousin پسر دایی/خاله ,دختر دایی/خاله ,دختر عمو/عمه ,پسر عمو/عمه (pesar-daai/khaaleh, son of mother’s sibling; dokhtar-daai/khaaleh, daughter of mother’s sibling; dokhtar-amoo/ameh, son of father’s sibling; pesar-amoo/ameh, daughter of father’s sibling) |
Mother-in-law مادر زن یا مادر شوهر (maadar zan yaa maadar showhar) |
|
| Father-in-law پدر زن یا پدر شوهر (pedar zan yaa pedar showhar) |
Sister-in-law خواهر زن یا خواهر شوهر (khaahar zan yaa khaahar showhar) |
|
| Brother-in-law برادر زن یا برادر شوهر (baraadar zan yaa baraadar showhar) |
Partner والد (vaaled) |
B) Quotes About Family
One of the ways to improve your Persian language skills is by memorizing quotes from books, or poems.
Either source some from Persian literature, or make use of ours!
شما خانواده خود را انتخاب نمی‌کنید. آنها هدیه خداوند به شما هستند، همانطور که شما به آنها.
shomaa khaanevaadeye khod raa entekhaab nemikonid. aanhaa hediyeye khodaavand be shomaa hastand, hamaantor ke shomaa be aanhaa.
“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” – Desmond Tutu
خانواده یک چیز مهم نیست. همه چیز است.
khaanevaade yek chiz-e mohem nist. hame chiz ast.
“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” – Michael J. Fox
خانواده یعنی اينکه کسی از دیگری عقب نماند و کسی فراموش نشود.
khaanevaade ya’ni inke kasi az digari aqab namaanad va kasi faraamoosh nashavad.
“Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.” – David Ogden Stiers
خانواده من قدرت من و ضعف من است.
khaanevaadeye man qodrat-e man va za’f-e man ast.
“My family is my strength and my weakness.” – Aishwarya Rai
خانواده یکی از شاهکارهای طبیعت است.
khaanevaade yeki az shaahkaarhaaye tabi’at ast.
“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.” – George Santayana
هنگامی که مشکلی پیش می‌آید، خانواده شماست که از شما حمایت می‌کند.
hengaami ke moshkeli pish mi aayad, khaanevaadeye shomaast ke az shomaa hemaayat mikonad.
“When trouble comes, it’s your family that supports you.” – Guy Lafleur
خانواده اولین سلول ضروری جامعه بشری است.
khaanevaade avalin selool-e zarooriye jaame’e ast.
“The family is the first essential cell of human society.” – Pope John XXIII
تفريح واحدی برای همه اعضای خانواده وجود ندارد.
tafrih-e vaahedi baraaye hameye a’zaaye khaanevaade vojood nadaarad.
“There is no such thing as fun for the whole family.” – Jerry Seinfeld
شما باید از شرف خود دفاع کنید. و از خانواده خود.
shomaa baayad az sharaf-e khod defaa’ konid. va az khaanevaadeye khod.
“You have to defend your honor. And your family.” – Suzanne Vega
همه خانواده‌های شاد مثل هم هستند،هر خانواده ناراحتی به شیوه خودش ناراحت است.
hameye khaanevaadehaaye shaad mesl-e ham hastand, har khaanevaadeye naaraahati be shiveye khodash naaraahat ast.
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” – Leo Tolstoy
C) Test Your Knowledge!
Do you feel you have learned a lot in this blog? Let’s quickly test that!
In the table below, match the Persian vocabulary on the left with the definition of the relative in the right column.
| MY RELATIVES | |
|---|---|
| Relative Name | Definition |
| 1. خانواده | a. My male child |
| 2. مادر | b. My older male sibling |
| 3. پدر | c. My female sibling |
| 4. همسر | d. My child’s child |
| 5. شوهر | e. My child’s female child |
| 6. والد | f. My female parent |
| 7. بچه | g. My grandparent’s mother |
| 8. دختر | h. Mother to one of my parents |
| 9. پسر | i. Relatives |
| 10. خواهر | j. My female child |
| 11. برادر | k. My younger male sibling |
| 12. خواهر کوچکتر | l. Male spouse |
| 13. برادر کوچکتر | m. The father of one of my parents |
| 14. برادر بزرگتر | n. My child’s male child |
| 15. مادر مادربزرگ | o. My children’s father or mother |
| 16. پدر پدربزرگ | p. The sister of one of my parents |
| 17. مادربزرگ | q. The brother of one of my parents |
| 18. پدر بزرگ | r. My male parent |
| 19. نوه | s. My sibling’s female child |
| 20. نوه دختری | t. My sibling’s male child |
| 21. نوه پسری | u. My male sibling |
| 22. خاله | v. My parents’ sibling’s child |
| 23. عمو | w. Female spouse |
| 24. دختر برادر يا خواهر | x. The grandfather of one of my parents |
| 25. پسر خواهر یا برادر | y. The person I am a parent to |
| 26. دختر دایی | z. My younger female sibling |
How did it go? Don’t worry if you had trouble with it – you’ll get there! With a bit of practice, and our help at PersianPod101, you’ll soon have these family terms under the belt.
3. How PersianPod101 Can Help You Learn Persian Family Terms
We hope that we helped you expand your family in Persian vocabulary!
PersianPod101, with its innovative online learning system, stands out among online learning platforms to help you master Persian easily.
Our lessons are tailored not only to increase your language skills, but to also inform you of Iranian culture, including the Iranian family structure.
When you sign up, you will get instant access to tools like:
1 – An extensive vocabulary list, regularly updated
2 – A new Persian word to learn every day
3 – Quick access to the Persian Key Phrase List
4 – A free Persian online dictionary
5 – The excellent 100 Core Persian Word List
6 – An almost limitless Lesson Library for learners of all levels
Further speed up your learning with the help of a personal tutor, who will first assess your current Persian language abilities to personalize your training and tailor it to your needs.
Hard work always pays off, and to help you in this, PersianPod101 will be there every step of the way toward your Persian mastery!
Answers: 1.i. 2.f. 3.r. 4.w. 5.l. 6.o. 7.y. 8.j. 9.a. 10.c. 11.u. 12.z. 13.k. 14.b. 15.g 16.x. 17.h. 18.m. 19.d. 20.e. 21.n. 22.p. 23.q. 24.s. 25.t. 26.v.
