Kinda as the title suggests. Anyone have recommendations for desktop keyboards? Specifically Mac? Can you get by with the Arabic keyboard or do you need a digital one or something? Thanks!

ذکرِ عدل و دادِ پادشاه

سپاس و ستایش مر خداوندی را سزاست که آفتابِ دولت را بر افقِ جهان افروخت و سایۀ عنایت خویش بر سرِ بندگان گسترد. در روزگارِ فرخندۀ پادشاهی، بنیادِ عدل و داد استوار گشت و رعایا در پرتوِ امن و امان به آسایش و آرامش روزگار گذراندند. فرمانِ همایون چون خورشیدِ جهان‌تاب بر آفاقِ ممالک تابید و نامِ شهریار به نیک‌نامی در صحایفِ ایام ثبت گردید.

Salam!

I’m currently learning Farsi with the mango app and I’ve already learned to read the script so I’m looking for a variety of media recs to get more immersion. For music I like hip hop and rock, for movies/tv I like “artsy” dramas (I’ve already enjoyed some Kiarostami, Farhadi, and Panahi) but I can also get down with stupid comedies. So, any recs for me, and any good Farsi media streaming platforms?

Merci va shabe khoobi dashte basheed!

Hi all! I've tested several different apps for learning Farsi, and there are some decent ones out there. Here's a small but current list. Some are paid and some are free. Some I bought subscriptions for a long time and forgot the price, and some I don't have yet. My experiences are extremely subjective. I have severe ADHD, as well as some medical issues (please forgive any typos), and it's extremely hard for something to keep my attention. I do have a background in instructional design, though I haven't really commented about that in too much detail (writing from my phone). But if anyone wants a longer write-up with more details, I can do that another time. I know there are some other new ones, too, but I haven't tried them yet. To me, the "best" one is whatever inspires you to use it consistently.

Mondly

Some flaws but one thing I like is that the daily lessons really just seem to throw you in to random things. Because there are no grammar explanations, it kind of reminds me of being around native speakers in that regard, which I find appealing and have found myself using this a decent amount. But don't expect explanations for anything. I had gotten a lifetime subscription at some point and don't remember the cost. I think there are better options I'd spend my money on today, but at the same time, my brain likes it and I keep going back. (Per tech support, maintenance is currently being paused while they go through an internal restructuring.)

Learn Persian - Beginners (BNR Languages)

I hadn't used this in a while, tbh. When I initially tested it, I thought it was decent. Reviewing it now, they've restructured it. Also, it teaches the script! This is huge, as most adult learning apps don't. So check it out if you didn't know the script yet. Free with ads. Since it's been revised, I'm going to go through it again. The audio on the letters used to be not great, but it's very clean and clear now. Send like a great starter app.

Mango

Often available through library subscriptions for free, so check them out. Otherwise, paid, but I don't recall the price. It's fully speaking based (no script) and very much on your honor for testing (no voice analysis). I've used this more for Japanese than Farsi and liked it. Using it consistently, I found it does help with memory and also that the levels were in different orders from other apps, so could be a good supplement for other material. One great thing about this is the autoplay feature, so you could play it in your car or while cleaning, etc.

Drops

This is very much vocab focused, and it's a bit like very pretty and interactive flash cards. With that in mind, there isn't that much to say about it. I must have bought the lifetime version of this at some point also, and I don't remember the cost. Very clean and polished. It does one thing, and it does it well.

Ling

I also like this one. Has a path that gives it a Duolingo-ish feel but it's not the same. Commonly introduces a few words and phrases per lesson, sometimes sentences (so far). Also ended each lesson with a conversation, and you have to fill in a couple of words after listening. Feels good for quick reviews and leaving when you only have a few minutes. I know this is paid, but I forget how much it is.

Learn Farsi (Persian) by Welsenes Brothers

I had only used this briefly when it was new. The design is very pretty, and the colors are very calming. Most of it is paywalled now, so I can't really give it a very fair review, but going through the first lesson again, it seems to be a lot of flash card type of introductions. I'd say it also feels good for quick studying when you don't have much time. App experience is very smooth and clean - it's quick and responsive.

Lingora (new)

This is new, and it's my new favorite. It doesn't teach the script (as far as I remember, though I may have skipped it), but it doesn't present it as an afterthought, either. I will definitely be buying the lifetime subscription. It has a lot of different types of quizzes, so they are varied and not boring (good gamification). But it also thoroughly explains grammar concepts and in a way I haven't really seen before. However, it also includes one of my very favorite language learning techniques that I believe is criminally underutilized, and I don't understand why, and that is a word-by-word translation using the word order of he target language. I've copy/pasted a sample below. Also, I've had a couple of questions along the way, and the developer was super responsive.

Literal to Natural

Notice how word-by-word meaning becomes natural speech.

FOREIGN:

مری این همکار من است. او یک مُعَلّم است.

ROMANIZATION:

meri, in hamkâr-e man ast. u yek mo'allem ast.

WORD-BY-WORD:

Mary, this colleague me is. he a teacher is.

LITERAL TRANSLATION

Mary, this is the colleague of me. He is a teacher.

NATURAL ENGLISH:

Mary, this is my colleague. He is a teacher.

Salâm everyone!

I’m a student learning Persian. Most apps I tried either skipped the script, or taught the letters and then gave me nothing to do with them. None of them let me have a real conversation. So I built my own: learnalefba.com

Real conversations with an AI character

Each level ends with a conversation that uses the words you just learned. The character replies in Persian with the Finglish and the meaning underneath. Meanings come in English, French, German, Swedish or Mandarin Chinese, whichever you pick.

• Free: 3 typed conversations. You can type in Persian, Finglish or English
• On a plan, voice mode: the character speaks out loud and you answer by speaking Persian. Tap Slower to hear it again slowly, or Hint for ideas of what to say back. After you speak, it shows what it heard in Persian script, in Finglish, and what it means, so you can check it understood you
• Also on a plan, speaking practice: say words out loud and compare your voice with the app's recording of the word

It starts at your level, not at the beginning

• A short level check at the start tests your listening, letters, words and sentences
• It gets harder as you get answers right, so if you already have a good base it moves you up and skips what you know (up to level 9 of 12)
• How well you understand spoken Persian sets how hard the AI conversations are, and whether you see Finglish and English under the Persian
• Skipped lessons aren’t gone. You can still tap any of them to practise
• You can redo the level check anytime

It also teaches you to read and write properly

• The alphabet in small groups (letters that look alike come together), including how each letter changes shape inside a word
• Everyday words with audio
• Short grammar tips as you go
• 12 levels, plus a daily streak to keep you going
• Works for kids and adults, and a family can have separate learners on one device

What’s free: the full alphabet and the first 3 levels with no account needed, plus 3 typed AI conversations once you sign in with an email.

What a plan adds: all 12 levels, more AI conversations, voice mode and speaking practice. Plans are $4.99/month for 20 conversations, or $6.49/month or $39/year for unlimited.

Free month for testers: the first 25 people who want the full version can use code FARSI at checkout for a free first month of the $4.99 plan. To be upfront about how that works:

• You’ll need to add a card at checkout, but you pay $0 today
• After one month it renews at $4.99/month unless you cancel
• You can cancel anytime before then from the plans screen (“Manage my plan”) and you won’t be charged

I’m still improving it, so I’d really appreciate feedback, especially from native speakers:

• Is anything wrong or unnatural in the Persian?
• Did the level check put you at the right level?
• What’s confusing or missing?
• What would make you actually keep using it?

Mamnoon! 🙏

I'm from Germany and have a few Iranian friends, I've been trying to learn some Persian on my own, I have been interested both in Iranian and Tajik music and would also like to visit Tajikistan (for it's beatiful mountain landscapes). Is it a good idea to use learning materials from both varieties of Persian at the same time, or will I just end up confused? Another aspect I would like to know: How close is Farsi to other Indo-Iranian languages, like Kurdish, Pashto and Urdu/Hindi? My guess would be that Kurdish can sometimes be almost intelligable, am I right?

Textbooks won't teach you these, but you'll hear them in pretty much every Iranian house. Here's the script, how it's said, what it literally means and what it actually means.

**صبر کن مهمونا برن!** (sabr kon mehmoonā beran!)

- Literally: wait for the guests to leave.

- Actually: you're in trouble, just not in front of company.

**بذار بابات بیاد!** (bezār bābāt biyād!)

- Literally: let your dad come.

- Actually: wait till your dad gets home.

**تودهنی می‌خوای؟** (toodahani mikhāy?)

- Literally: do you want one in the mouth?

- Actually: stop talking back. It's the same mikhāy? she uses to offer you food, which is why the classic comeback is na mersi, siram! (no thanks, I'm full).

تا سه می‌شمرم! (tā se mishmoram!)

- I'm counting to three. Nobody has ever found out what happens at three.

گوشیتو می‌گیرم! (gooshito migiram!)

- I'm taking your phone. Useful bit of grammar in there: gooshi (phone) + -t (your) + -o, the spoken form of rā.

میذارم میرم! (mizāram miram!)

- Literally: I'll put it down and go. Actually: I'm leaving and that's it. Mizāram is the spoken form of migozāram. She never actually leaves. She goes to the kitchen.

Which ones did I miss? Every family seems to have its own.

Hello everyone, I am a Farsi tutor and this time around when I wanted to teach alphabets to my beginners I made a pdf file in which I teach groups of letters that look like eachother together, it also includes the instructions to write the letter and with each word group I have put together new words that the students are able to read with what they have learned already. I also designed a website to play a game to practice the newwords. I am thinking about making my own website and publish this pdf as a book cause I didn't like what I had seen in the market but before that I need more students to test this book with them and get their feedbacks. So if you are a beginner and willing to learn the alphabets in 5 sessions, DM me.

I am writing a letter to a Persian woman, mostly in English. I started calling her my dear without realizing azizam was so commonly used in her culture, so I want to write out the word. Realizing now I can't attach a picture on this sub, but if someone could DM me and make sure I'm not going to look like a fool for trying to write this, I would appreciate it.

AI (boo me) seems to think this could be a Muharram parade helmet, but just wondered if the script could be translated at all?

Pic 1
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I’m looking for Persian listening resources, such as podcasts, YouTube videos on various topics, or any other content suitable for listening practice. I’d appreciate any recommendations.

This gets asked here every week, so I put together what I found. None of them does everything, and the first thing worth figuring out is whether you want written Persian or the Persian people actually speak, because most stuff teaches the written one. A textbook will say ketāb mikhānam for "I'm reading a book". In Tehran everyone says ketāb mikhoonam. Neither is wrong, but if the goal is talking to family, check which one you're getting before you pay.

Apps:

Duolingo still doesn't have Persian, as far as I can tell.

Pimsleur is audio only and teaches the Persian spoken in Iran. Good for getting used to hearing and saying it, but it mostly stays at the basics and the core course doesn't teach you to read.

Mango has a proper course with grammar and culture notes, and a lot of public libraries give it to you for free, so check yours before paying for anything.

Rosetta Stone is the immersion one with speech recognition. Fine for vocab, not great at explaining why things work the way they do.

Mondly has Persian too, but reviews tend to say it gets repetitive.

Farsi-jān is mine, so judge this one yourself. It teaches spoken Tehrani Persian for people who understand more than they can say: voiced conversations you answer out loud, and a pronunciation checker. The downsides: it's new and small, the voices are AI rather than real people, the checker only looks at kh, gh and r so far, it's web only for now, and it's Tehran Persian, so it won't help much with formal writing or Dari. It's free during early access, and later the conversations and speaking parts go paid while the drills stay free.

Books:

Persian of Iran Today is a free course from UT Austin and probably the best free way to learn to read and write properly.

Colloquial Persian (Routledge) is built around everyday conversation, so it's the one if speaking is the goal.

Listening:

Chai and Conversation has been around for years and is good for picking up spoken Persian on a walk or a drive.

YouTube and Iranian TV are free and endless. Really good for your ear once you have some basics, pretty brutal as a starting point.

People:

A tutor on italki or Preply is still the fastest way to actually start talking. If you want Tehran Persian, ask for a Tehrani tutor and tell them you want spoken, not written, or you'll end up with the textbook version.

Weekend Persian schools are mostly for kids and mostly reading and writing.

If I had to pick:

- Starting from zero: Mango or a beginner book for structure, plus Pimsleur in the car.

- You understand your family but answer in English: anything that makes you answer out loud. A tutor is the obvious one, and it's also who I built Farsi-jān for.

- You want to read: Persian of Iran Today, plus a few minutes of alphabet flashcards a day.

Full disclosure again: Farsi-jān is mine, so I've tried to be as hard on it as on the others.

What did I miss? And what actually worked for you?

I made this and I'm posting it myself. It's a course for people who understand more Farsi than they can read or say. It has voiced conversations: condolences at a khatm, a haircut, buying saffron at the bazaar, taarof over the bill with your amoo, a doctor's visit.

In most of them you can answer out loud. There's also a pronunciation grader. You say a word and it checks your kh, gh and r: it passes them or tells you which one to try again. It's new, so it will get some words wrong. Everything is free during early access.

When it ends, most of the conversations and grading move to a paid plan, but the drills and review stay free. Anyone who signs up during early access is a founding member and keeps 50% off for life. All the voices are synthesised.

The conversations and the grader need a free account, and the app asks before your first recording. The recording is scored on a server in the US and deleted straight away. Two things I'd like to hear: 1. Is the grader fair to your accent, Tehrani or not? If you grew up speaking and it still marks a word down, tell me the word. 2. Does any line in the conversations sound wrong for Tehran? Feedback here has changed the course before. Someone pointed out that hosele-sh should be hoselash, and that's fixed everywhere now. It's called Farsi-jān, and the link is on my profile.

Note : I want to speak farsi and not read and write.

I am a native hindi / malayalam speaker. What's a good book to learn on your own? I tried studying with a teacher and it's not progressing​​ anymore.

I would say my current level is A1. I understand basic grammar and sentences. But I cannot form a sentence fast and ​​vocab is meh.

Looking for advice from someone who has done it already.

I’m half Persian and want to get a tattoo in Farsi but unfortunately I don’t speak or read Farsi - and I can’t ask my dad to translate because he doesn’t like tattoos🥲

Can someone please help me?

I have 2 options which I really like, and I believe they translate to the below but if you guys could please confirm if they are correct grammatically and actually make sense - I’d really appreciate it✨

1) gently - به آرامى

2) I live through love - زندهام به عشق

Thank you 🤍

I want an anki deck that properly teaches new words in such a way that it sticks in the learner's head. Meaning that you should probably learn sentences and the new word would be highlighted or something. Any suggestions?

To those also learning Persian, how long ago did you start, and are you happy with your progress?
What’s your pacing?
Do you prefer to self teach or use a teacher?
If you’ve learnt other languages, do you find Persian harder or easier to learn when comparing ?

A close Iranian friend of mine told me that if I had a Persian name, I’d definitely be a Pouya (پویا).

I know it literally means dynamic or active, but he insisted it’s about my actual face and the vibe I give off.

For Iranians here: is there an archetype for someone named Pouya? What kind of face, look, or expression pops into your head when you hear that name?

Hi r/farsi!

I'm Bahman, the developer of persianutils, a free, open-source collection of Persian language utilities for software developers (Scala/Java). Version 6.0 just shipped, and since a good part of the releasse is really about Persian writing conventions, I thought this community would both enjoy it and have strong opinions about it (which I'd genuinely love to hear).

== What's Inside ==

- TextSanitiser -- cleans up messy text. Every rule is a switch you can turn on or off:

- Arabic letter variants become Persian ones: علي -> علی

- Western and Eastern Arabic digits both become Persian digits: 456 and ٤٥٦ → ۴۵۶

- Punctuation is normalised: سلام, چطوری? ← سلام، چطوری؟

- Half-space spacing is repaired: می روم ← می‌روم

- Dangling half-spaces are attached to the previous word: کتاب ها ← کتاب‌ها

- Keshide (tatweel) is stripped: تــــست ← تست

- Diacritics (اعراب) can optionally be removed: كِتابِ مَن ← کتاب من

- NumToWord -- numbers in words, cardinal and ordinal:

- Cardinal: ۲۳۵ → دویست و سی و پنج

- Ordinal: ۲۳۵ → دویست و سی و پنجم

- DateToWord -- dates the way you'd say them out loud:

- Persian calendar: ۱۳۶۱/۳/۳ → «سوم خرداد یک هزار و سیصد و شصت و یک»

- Gregorian calendar: 1992/12/3 → «سوم دسامبر یک هزار و نه‌صد و نود و دو»

- DateConverter -- Gregorian ↔ Solar Hijri (هجری خورشیدی) conversion.

Links: GitHub: https://github.com/bahmanm/persianutils · Documentation: https://persianutils.bahmanm.com · Release notes: https://github.com/bahmanm/persianutils/releases/tag/v6.0

It's Apache-2.0 licensed and completely free.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

[image.png](https://postimg.cc/kDt0WTBm)

I have been having a language exchange with someone living in Iran via Telegram for a few months now and it has been so useful.

I've written an app for myself and now would like to pay her for some translation services for my app but I really dont know of a way to transfer money to her? Has anyone done this before? Any suggestions

Thank you 😊

​

Hi everyone, I’m Ellie. I’m a Persian language and literature teacher, and I’ve been teaching and studying Persian for more than 30 years.

Before the pandemic, most of my teaching was in person. When everything moved online, I initially found the change difficult. But unexpectedly, it opened a new door: I began meeting Persian learners from different countries and different backgrounds.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of watching my students grow with the language. Some started with just a few simple sentences. Later, some were able to speak Persian with their partners and friends, communicate with Persian-speaking family members, read Persian literature, continue their studies at university, or even speak Persian with their own children.

That is probably the part of teaching I love most. Language is not only about grammar and vocabulary. It can become a bridge between people, families, generations, and cultures.

In my classes, we gradually build from everyday Persian and conversation toward more advanced language and, for those who are interested, Persian literature. I particularly enjoy introducing students to writers and poets such as Hafez, Saadi, Khayyam, and Ferdowsi.

After more than three decades of teaching, I still find it fascinating to see the moment when a student realizes, “I can actually say this in Persian.”

I’m curious to hear from other Persian learners here: What made you want to learn Persian, and what part of the language do you find most challenging?

Salam doostan, 

I am working on a project right now about the many different names in the persian language for the date (korma, the fruit). 

I am fascinated by the complex ecosystem of names for this life-giving fruit and want to make a project documenting the many different regional/local vernacular words for it.

I would love the community’s input on this! What are different names in farsi that you know of for the date? Do you have any ideas for resources/websites I might turn to learn more about local cultivar names? Places where I can find lists of names? Any suggestions for me as I move forward? Merci!

Hi there! Formal and colloquial farsi have big differences. There are some patterns and simple rules that can be drawn to transform formal to colloquial, but even if I start to understand well formal form, I am lost when listening colloquial conversations.

How did you manage this?

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to explain to my German-and-English-speaking friends the word "fahm", in the specific meaning of not having the situational/societal awareness, the intelligence, the understanding and comprehension, the cognitive grasp, to act logically and appropriately (so generally for calling someone nafahm).

"Understandingless" is one word I've found, but it doesn't capture the whole meaning of the word with this specific meaning. Could any of you please give me the German or English equivalent for fahm, or even a psychological term?

Thank you in advance!!