Learn about greetings
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| INTRODUCTION | |
Mohammad: |
Hello everyone, My name is Mohammad. |
Brandon: |
Hi, I'm Brandon. Welcome to PersianPod101.com. This is Absolute Beginner, Season 1, Lesson 1 - Saying Hello in Persian at Any Time of the Day. |
Mohammad: |
We're going to be your hosts all through this "Persian Absolute Beginner Series". And we’ll start with some lessons about introducing yourself. |
Brandon: |
In this lesson, you'll learn how to say the key greetings in Persian. That's right, you'll get to know the basic greetings, from a conversation that takes place between two friends, Bahar and Shirin, who are talking on the phone. |
Mohammad: |
During the conversation they'll greet each other, and since they're friends, they'll use informal Persian language. |
Brandon: |
So, let's listen to the conversation carefully, and hear the phrases they use. Are you ready? |
Mohammad: |
Ready. Let's go! |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER | |
Brandon: |
So Mohammad! The word "Salam" is one of the most important parts of a conversation in Persian, right? |
Mohammad: |
That's right. Salam is how you start a conversation, when you meet someone. |
Brandon: |
So, would you tell us, where does the word originate from? |
Mohammad: |
It's somewhat related to the word "Salamati," which means "health" in Persian. |
Brandon: |
That's interesting, so it originally means "health". |
Mohammad: |
Yes, there's even a well-known phrase, where we say "Salam salamati miare," meaning "Salam brings health". |
Brandon: |
Interesting! And I remember hearing another famous line about "Salam" and "acquaintance", and something about a "nice scent". How did it go again? |
Mohammad: |
It's a popular poem from Hafez that says, "Salami cho booye khoshe ashenayi", meaning "A "Hello" is like the good scent of acquaintance or friendship". |
Brandon: |
I see. So it really is an important part of the Persian language. |
| KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES | |
Brandon: |
Now let's take a closer look at the usage of some of the key words and phrases used in this lesson. Our first word is... |
Mohammad: |
Again, "Salam"! |
Brandon: |
As we said earlier, this is a salutation meaning "Hello" in Persian. When and how can we use it, Mohammad? |
Mohammad: |
It can be used at any time of the day, and by anyone, even by complete strangers who are meeting for the first time, or by best friends. |
Brandon: |
And judging by our conversation, it's used everywhere, like for example over the phone. |
Mohammad: |
Of course. Also in letters, messages, or when we talk to someone directly, we use "Salam". |
Brandon: |
Great. Now let's move on to our second phrase, which is... |
Mohammad: |
"Khodahafez". |
Brandon: |
It means "Goodbye" or "Farewell", right? |
Mohammad: |
That's right. It actually consists of two parts, "Khoda" and "Hafez", which mean "God" and "Protector", respectively |
Brandon: |
So whenever you say "Goodbye" to someone, you're actually wishing the "Protection of God" for that person? |
Mohammad: |
Exactly! |
Brandon: |
That's nice! Let's repeat it again for our listeners. |
Mohammad: |
"Khodahafez" (pause) "Khodahafez". |
Brandon: |
Alright. Our last phrase is... |
Mohammad: |
" می بینمت " (Mibinamet). |
Brandon: |
It means "See you". |
Mohammad: |
Right. " می بینمت " is a form of the verb "Didan," meaning "to see", which contains the present or future tense; in Persian (Mi), the subject pronoun "I," or (Am) in Persian, and the object "You," or (Et) in Persian, in itself. |
Brandon: |
Wow! That's a complete sentence in just one word! Is it used often? |
Mohammad: |
Not really. But again, it depends on the person and the situation. |
Brandon: |
Let's say it one more time. Listeners, listen and repeat. |
Mohammad: |
"Mibinamet" (pause) "Mibinamet". |
Brandon: |
Okay. Now let’s move on to the grammar. |
| GRAMMAR POINT | |
Brandon: |
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to say "How are you?" in formal and informal ways. |
Mohammad: |
There are so many different ways. The one we used in our conversation as informal speech was "Chetori?" |
Brandon: |
This literally means "How are you?", but it's in singular form and it’s only used for speaking with friends or close people like family members. What is the formal form of this? |
Mohammad: |
That would be "Chetorid?," To make a verb plural, change the last "i" to an "id". |
Brandon: |
Oh, so in order to make anything formal, you use its plural form? |
Mohammad: |
Yes, that's the general rule. |
Brandon: |
And what are the other informal ways of asking "How are you?" |
Mohammad: |
" حالت چطوره؟ " meaning "How are you feeling?", and " خوبی؟ " which simply means "Are you fine?" |
Brandon: |
Once again "How are you feeling?" is... |
Mohammad: |
" حالت چطوره؟ " (Halet chetoreh?). |
Brandon: |
And its formal form? |
Mohammad: |
" حالتان چطور است؟ " (Haletan chetor ast?). It's plural even if used for only one person, and I would say, it's the most formal way of all. |
Brandon: |
Okay. So, let's say I'm your boss! How would you ask me how I'm feeling? |
Mohammad: |
" سلام آقا حالتان چطور است؟ " (Salam agha, haletan chetor ast?). |
Brandon: |
And if I'm your friend? |
Mohammad: |
I would say: " چطوری؟ خوبی؟ " (chetori? khoobi?). Just like in the conversation. |
Brandon: |
The formal form of which will be " چطورید؟ خوبید؟ " (chetorid? khoobid?), right? |
Mohammad: |
That's right. |
Brandon: |
Now, how do I have to respond to all of these? For example, how do I say "I'm fine"? |
Mohammad: |
" من خوبم " (Man Khoobam), is the same as "I'm fine." |
Brandon: |
Is this formal or informal? |
Mohammad: |
It can be used for both situations. And it's usually followed by a short thanks, like "Mamnoon". |
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Mohammad: |
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Mohammad: |
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Outro |
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|---|---|
Brandon: |
Okay, that was an exciting beginning! And that’s all for this lesson. To reinforce what you’ve learned in this lesson, please check the lesson notes. And if you have any comments or questions, leave us a post on this lesson at PersianPod101.com. |
Mohammad: |
We’re happy to help! |
Brandon: |
We'll continue with introductions in the next lesson, so stay tuned! |
Mohammad: |
See you soon. Khodahafez. |
Brandon: |
Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time. |
70 Comments
HideHello Listeners! How do you say "goodbye" in Persian?
Hi Michele,
Thank you for commenting! We are glad that you enjoyed the lesson!
If you ever have any questions, please let us know!
Sincerely,
Cristiane
Team PersianPod101.com
Great lesson indeed, I really like to learn Persian~👍😄
Hello Sirwan,
تو and شما. Good question.
تو is the pronoun used for the second person singular.
شما is the pronoun used for the second person plural. Ans also it's polite to call a stranger or someone older than you شما out of respect. Yes, you're right! It sounds formal too as زیرا does.
Hope it helps,
Mehrnaz
PersianPod101.com
hello.
What is different between تو and شما. And in which case we use those word. Same as will with different between زبرا and چون with an example please. thanks
Hi angel,
Thank you for taking your time to leave us a comment.
I am glad to hear that you found our lessons helpful. I hope you like the rest of our series.
Looking forward to seeing you often here.
Olivia
Team PersianPod101.com
👍👍👍👍
amazing lesson, thanks so much it helps me a lot even for the beginning i also heard from my neighbor that lotfan means please. i hope i'm right.
Hello Brandy Burton,
Thank you for posting.
We’ll consider your feedback for our future development.
Let us know if you have any question. 👍
Lena
Team PersianPod101.com
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