Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Notes

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Becky: Hi everyone, Becky here, and welcome back PersianPod101.com. This is Basic Bootcamp, Lesson 4 - Counting from 1-100 in Persian. This is the 4th in a 5-part series that will help ease your way into Persian.
Mohammad: Salam, man Mohammadam. Hi, I’m Mohammad. In this lesson, you’ll learn one of the essentials in Persian…numbers!
Becky: Yes, we'll start with the basics. In this lesson, we’ll count from one to ten.
Mohammad: This conversation takes place at a gym.
Becky: It’s between David and his coach, who will be counting his pushups. Now, let’s listen to the conversation.
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Becky: Mohammad, do Iranians have to count a lot in their daily lives?
Mohammad: Well, we use numbers for so many things in our everyday lives!
Becky: Our Listeners will be able to tell the difference, as the dialogue sounded so different to English!
Mohammad: Yes, they are really different, but don't worry. The difficult part is only in the beginning. Once you hear them a few times, you'll start memorizing them easily.
Becky: The key point is to practice, right? By the way, are larger numbers created by matching the numbers from one to ten like in English?
Mohammad: For the most part, yes.
Becky: Okay, now onto the vocab.
KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES
Becky Let’s take a closer look at the usage for some of the words and phrases from this lesson. Mohammad, we’ve got the basic numbers one to ten, but how can we count above 10?
Mohammad: Well, there is no particular rule for the numbers from 10 to 20, except the fact that all of them end with the word "Dah" meaning "Ten". However the parts that we add before "Dah" have similarities with numbers from 1 to 10.
Becky: In that case, how about practicing them too, here with our listeners?
Mohammad: Great idea!
Becky: Listeners, listen and repeat. What's the word for "Eleven"?
Mohammad: "Yazdah" {pause}, "Yazdah".
Becky: And the word for "Twelve"?
Mohammad: "Davazdah" {pause}, "Davazdah".
Becky: And "Thirteen"?
Mohammad: "Sizdah" {pause}, "Sizdah".
Becky: And "Fourteen"?
Mohammad: "Chehardah" {pause}, "Chehardah".
Becky: And "Fifteen"?
Mohammad: "Panzdah" {pause}, "Panzdah".
Becky: And "Sixteen"?
Mohammad: "Shanzdah" {pause}, "Shanzdah".
Becky: And "Seventeen"?
Mohammad: "Hefdah" {pause}, "Hefdah".
Becky: And "Eighteen"?
Mohammad: "Hejdah" {pause}, "Hejdah".
Becky: And "Nineteen"?
Mohammad: "Noozdah" {pause}, "Noozdah".
Becky: And finally "Twenty"?
Mohammad: "Bist" {pause}, "Bist".
Becky: Great! Thank you.
Mohammad: Oh by the way listeners, the number "Bist" or "Twenty" is the first grade or A+, in the grading system of schools in Iran.
Becky: So Mohammad, what would you say about numbers above twenty? How are they formed?
Mohammad: They are a lot easier. It's enough to add an "O" meaning "And", plus the numbers from 1 to 10 to the multiples of ten.
Becky: So, for example 24, will become...
Mohammad: "Bist o Chehar" . Bist plus o plus chhar. The only thing that remains, is to remember the multiples of ten.
Becky: Okay, then I guess it's better if we practice them here too.
Mohammad: I'm ready!
Becky: Listeners, listen and repeat. What's the word for "Thirty"?
Mohammad: "Si" {pause}, "Si".
Becky: And the word for "Forty"?
Mohammad: "Chehel" {pause}, "Chehel".
Becky: And "Fifty"?
Mohammad: "Panjah" {pause}, "Panjah".
Becky: And "Sixty"?
Mohammad: "Shast" {pause}, "Shast".
Becky: And "Seventy"?
Mohammad: "Haftad" {pause}, "Haftad".
Becky: And "Eighty"?
Mohammad: "Hashtad" {pause}, "Hashtad".
Becky: And "Ninety"?
Mohammad: "Navad" {pause}, "Navad".
Becky: And finally "One Hundred"?
Mohammad: "Sad" {pause}, "Sad".
Becky: For example if you want to say 75, you say...
Mohammad: "Haftad o Panj". Haftad is Seventy, o is And, and Panj means Five. Together they become "Haftad o Panj".
Becky: And 48 is...?
Mohammad: "Chehel o Hasht". Chehel plus o plus Hasht. "Chehel o hasht"
Becky: For more information on creating higher numbers, be sure to check out the lesson notes. Okay, now onto the grammar.

Lesson focus

Becky In this lesson, we’re going to learn the numeral noun phrases and Cardinal and Ordinal numbers.
Mohammad: That's right. In no time, you'll be able to count in Persian, or tell the amount of groups of nouns using classifiers.
Becky So, that's how Persian is different to English. In Persian, you use classifiers.
Mohammad: Yes in most cases. Though there are times when you don't need them. The rule is, you have to say the number first, put the classifier next, and the noun in the end to form the noun group.
Becky: And though nouns have plural forms in Persian, you don't use the plural forms in this case, right?
Mohammad: It's true.
Becky: Ok, can you tell us more about classifiers? Are there many kinds of them?
Mohammad: There are a few of them that are used more often, such as عدد (adad), دانه (daneh), and تا (ta). For example you can say "Yek adad tokhmemorgh" meaning "One egg". Or you can remove the "Adad" and simply say "Yek tokhmemorgh".
Becky: These three classifiers can be used for everything and all numbers, right?
Mohammad: Generally that's correct. Except, "Daneh" is used more for smaller things, and "Ta" isn't used for "Yek" (or one). When counting something without stating their names, you say "Yeki, Do ta, Se ta,..." or simply "Yek, do, se,...".
Becky: I see. And what about other classifiers?
Mohammad: There are some classifiers, that can't be used for everything. Each one of them is used only for one special noun. Like for example "Nafar"...
Becky: Which means "Person" and is used for people.
Mohammad: "Galleh"
Becky: Herd for groups of animals.
Mohammad: "Raas"
Becky: One domestic animal.
Mohammad: "Shakheh"
Becky: One flower.
Mohammad: "Dast"
Becky: Set of clothes.
Mohammad: And "Jeld"
Becky: Volume of books.
Mohammad: These were the main and most used classifiers.
Becky: Very well. Now, let's continue our way into the ordinal numbers.
Mohammad: Great. It'll be very easy, since there is one simple rule for all ordinal numbers. Just add the "Om" suffix after each number.
Becky: Seems easy! For example if you want to say "The Seventh", it'll become?
Mohammad: "Haft" plus "Om". "Haftom". Just remember that there are three exceptions. "The First", ''The Second'' and "The Third", which instead of "Yekom", ''Doom'' and "Seom", become "Avval", ''Dovvom'' and "Sevvom". But it only applies to number "One" and all digits of ''Two'' and "Three".
Becky: So the "Thirty third" and “Seventy second” become...
Mohammad: "Si o Sevvom" and “Haftad o Dovvom”
Becky: And the "Eighty First" is?
Mohammad: "Hashtad o Yekom".
Becky: Perfect.

Outro

Becky Okay, that’s it for this lesson. Make sure you check the lesson notes to reinforce what you’ve learned in this lesson.
Mohammad: Thank you everyone, and "Khasteh Nabashid".
Becky Bye until next time!

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