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Persian Vocabulary Flashcards: Everyday Words and Short Exchanges

96 English-audience cards for everyday Iranian Persian: script-to-meaning recall, selected short responses, sound aids and clear written/spoken distinctions.

By author Flashcards Open Source App

About this deck

96 cards for English-speaking beginners learning selected everyday words and short exchanges in modern Iranian Persian. Read Persian script and recall an English sense on 71 cards; produce Persian from a precise English meaning or short situation on 23 cards. Two introductory cards cover reading direction and unwritten short vowels. Backs give the answer first, a pronunciation aid and brief original usage notes or contexts.

The sequence moves through basics (20), people (16), food (18), places (16), time (14) and everyday things (12). Each topic introduces words before selected production prompts. Related forward, reverse and colloquial variants are separated by at least three unrelated cards; later spacing is set by the review scheduler. Every card uses the tag persian.

Standard spellings keep their standard readings: خانه is khaane, while explicitly colloquial خونه is khune; likewise نان naan / نون nun and آنها aanhaa / اونا unaa. آره aare is an informal yes. Polite and familiar you are distinguished. Short contexts select meanings of ambiguous spellings such as شیر (milk as a drink) and در (door as an object).

Sound aids are approximate, not IPA, reversible letter transliteration, or audio. a ≈ cat; e ≈ bed; o is a short pure o; aa ≈ father (a back vowel); i ≈ machine; u ≈ food. sh ≈ ship; ch ≈ chair; kh is like ch in Scots loch; gh is a voiced sound made at the back of the mouth, with no exact English equivalent; y ≈ yes; j ≈ jam; g is always hard. An apostrophe marks a brief catch before d in ba'dan; both a sounds use the short vowel. Stress and fine sound differences are not marked. Persian words read right to left; short vowels are usually unwritten.

Selected production cards help recall useful greetings, polite requests, pronouns, places and objects. There is no automatic reversal of every word, exhaustive vocabulary or alphabet course, grammar syllabus, audio or listening assessment, literary Persian, Dari or Tajik coverage, exam alignment, or promise of reading or conversation mastery. An English answer on a recognition card is the selected sense, not a claim that a word has only one meaning.

AI-assisted original selection, prompts, answers, contexts, organization and generated cover by Flashcards Open Source App. Individual language facts and script/register guidance were checked with UT Austin Persian Online and dictionary entries. No course prose, source examples, protected vocabulary inventory, third-party image or private learner collection was copied. CC0 applies only to our original wording, organization, metadata and generated media to the extent applicable rights exist; language facts and referenced sources retain their own status. Independent educational material; no affiliation with or endorsement by the referenced institutions.

Cards in this deck

  1. Card 1

    Question

    Persian script: which direction do you read words?

    Answer

    From right to left.

    Numbers inside Persian text can follow a different direction. This deck uses modern Iranian Persian spellings.

  2. Card 2

    Question

    Persian script: are short vowel sounds normally all written?

    Answer

    No. Short vowels are usually left unwritten.

    Learn a word’s script together with its sound. Back-side Latin letters here are approximate sound aids, not IPA or a reversible letter transliteration; they cannot replace audio.

  3. Card 3

    Question

    Persian → English: سلام

    Answer

    Hello.

    Pronunciation aid: salaam.

    Use as a general greeting.

  4. Card 4

    Question

    Persian → English: خداحافظ

    Answer

    Goodbye.

    Pronunciation aid: khodaahaafez.

    Use when parting.

  5. Card 5

    Question

    Persian → English: بله

    Answer

    Yes.

    Pronunciation aid: bale.

    A neutral or polite yes.

  6. Card 6

    Question

    Persian → English: نه

    Answer

    No.

    Pronunciation aid: na.

    A basic negative reply.

  7. Card 7

    Question

    Persian → English: لطفاً

    Answer

    Please.

    Pronunciation aid: lotfan.

    Example: آب، لطفاً. — Water, please.

  8. Card 8

    Question

    Persian → English: ممنونم

    Answer

    Thank you.

    Pronunciation aid: mamnunam.

    A common expression of thanks; literally, I am grateful.

  9. Card 9

    Question

    Persian → English: ببخشید

    Answer

    Excuse me; sorry.

    Pronunciation aid: bebakhshid.

    Use to get someone’s attention politely or apologize for a small mistake.

  10. Card 10

    Question

    Persian → English: خوب

    Answer

    Good; well.

    Pronunciation aid: khub.

    Example: خوب است. — It is good. This is the standard written form of the sentence.

  11. Card 11

    Question

    Persian → English: این

    Answer

    This; this one.

    Pronunciation aid: in.

    Example: این کتاب — this book.

  12. Card 12

    Question

    Persian → English: آن

    Answer

    That; that one (standard written form).

    Pronunciation aid: aan.

    Often اون, un, in ordinary colloquial Iranian Persian. The written word here is read aan.

  13. Card 13

    Question

    Persian → English: آره

    Answer

    Yes (informal).

    Pronunciation aid: aare.

    Colloquial Iranian Persian; بله, bale, is more neutral or polite.

  14. Card 14

    Question

    English → Persian: hello (general greeting)

    Answer

    سلام

    Pronunciation aid: salaam.

    Use when meeting someone.

  15. Card 15

    Question

    English → Persian: please (polite request word)

    Answer

    لطفاً

    Pronunciation aid: lotfan.

    Also commonly written لطفا without the final diacritic.

  16. Card 16

    Question

    English → Persian: thank you (use ‘I am grateful’)

    Answer

    ممنونم

    Pronunciation aid: mamnunam.

    متشکرم, moteshakkeram, is another standard way to thank someone.

  17. Card 17

    Question

    English → Persian: excuse me (politely get attention)

    Answer

    ببخشید

    Pronunciation aid: bebakhshid.

    For example, before asking a stranger a question.

  18. Card 18

    Question

    English → Persian: yes (neutral or polite)

    Answer

    بله

    Pronunciation aid: bale.

    Informal آره, aare, also means yes, but is less suitable for this cue.

  19. Card 19

    Question

    English → Persian: no (basic reply)

    Answer

    نه

    Pronunciation aid: na.

    For a short negative answer.

  20. Card 20

    Question

    English → Persian: goodbye (general farewell)

    Answer

    خداحافظ

    Pronunciation aid: khodaahaafez.

    Use when leaving.

  21. Card 21

    Question

    Persian → English: من

    Answer

    I; me.

    Pronunciation aid: man.

    Example: من اینجا هستم. — I am here.

  22. Card 22

    Question

    Persian → English: تو

    Answer

    You (one person, familiar).

    Pronunciation aid: to.

    Use with a friend or someone you address familiarly; شما is the polite alternative.

  23. Card 23

    Question

    Persian → English: شما

    Answer

    You (polite singular or plural).

    Pronunciation aid: shomaa.

    Use for several people, or respectfully for one person.

  24. Card 24

    Question

    Persian → English: او

    Answer

    He; she (standard written form).

    Pronunciation aid: u.

    Persian does not distinguish he and she in this pronoun.

  25. Card 25

    Question

    Persian → English: ما

    Answer

    We; us.

    Pronunciation aid: maa.

    Example: ما اینجا هستیم. — We are here.

  26. Card 26

    Question

    Persian → English: آنها

    Answer

    They; them (standard written form).

    Pronunciation aid: aanhaa.

    A colloquial form is اونا, unaa. Do not read the standard spelling as unaa.

  27. Card 27

    Question

    Persian → English: دوست

    Answer

    Friend.

    Pronunciation aid: dust.

    Example: دوست من — my friend.

  28. Card 28

    Question

    Persian → English: خانواده

    Answer

    Family.

    Pronunciation aid: khaanevaade.

    Example: خانوادهٔ من — my family.

  29. Card 29

    Question

    Persian → English: مادر

    Answer

    Mother (standard noun).

    Pronunciation aid: maadar.

    مامان, maamaan, is the familiar word mum/mom.

  30. Card 30

    Question

    Persian → English: پدر

    Answer

    Father (standard noun).

    Pronunciation aid: pedar.

    بابا, baabaa, is the familiar word dad.

  31. Card 31

    Question

    Persian → English: بچه

    Answer

    Child; kid.

    Pronunciation aid: bache.

    A common everyday noun for a child.

  32. Card 32

    Question

    Persian → English: اونا

    Answer

    They; them (colloquial).

    Pronunciation aid: unaa.

    Ordinary spoken Iranian Persian; standard written آنها is aanhaa.

  33. Card 33

    Question

    English → Persian: I (subject pronoun)

    Answer

    من

    Pronunciation aid: man.

    Example: من دانشجو هستم. — I am a student.

  34. Card 34

    Question

    English → Persian: you (address one stranger politely)

    Answer

    شما

    Pronunciation aid: shomaa.

    The same pronoun also addresses several people.

  35. Card 35

    Question

    English → Persian: we (subject pronoun)

    Answer

    ما

    Pronunciation aid: maa.

    Example: ما آماده هستیم. — We are ready.

  36. Card 36

    Question

    English → Persian: friend (one person)

    Answer

    دوست

    Pronunciation aid: dust.

    Example: یک دوست — one friend.

  37. Card 37

    Question

    Persian → English: آب

    Answer

    Water.

    Pronunciation aid: aab.

    Example: آب سرد — cold water.

  38. Card 38

    Question

    Persian → English: چای

    Answer

    Tea.

    Pronunciation aid: chaay.

    Example: چای گرم — warm tea.

  39. Card 39

    Question

    Persian → English: نان

    Answer

    Bread (standard written form).

    Pronunciation aid: naan.

    The everyday spoken form نون is nun; this standard spelling is read naan.

  40. Card 40

    Question

    Persian → English: برنج

    Answer

    Rice.

    Pronunciation aid: berenj.

    Example: برنج و مرغ — rice and chicken.

  41. Card 41

    Question

    Persian → English: پنیر

    Answer

    Cheese.

    Pronunciation aid: panir.

    Example: نان و پنیر — bread and cheese.

  42. Card 42

    Question

    Persian → English: تخم‌مرغ

    Answer

    Egg (hen’s egg).

    Pronunciation aid: tokhm-e morgh.

    An ordinary food word; also written تخم مرغ.

  43. Card 43

    Question

    Persian → English: سیب

    Answer

    Apple.

    Pronunciation aid: sib.

    Example: یک سیب — one apple.

  44. Card 44

    Question

    Persian → English: شیر (as a drink)

    Answer

    Milk.

    Pronunciation aid: shir.

    This spelling also has other meanings, including lion and tap/faucet; the drink context selects milk.

  45. Card 45

    Question

    Persian → English: گوشت

    Answer

    Meat.

    Pronunciation aid: gusht.

    Use for meat as food; the word alone does not specify the animal.

  46. Card 46

    Question

    Persian → English: مرغ (as food)

    Answer

    Chicken.

    Pronunciation aid: morgh.

    For example: مرغ و برنج — chicken and rice. In other contexts مرغ can refer to a hen or bird.

  47. Card 47

    Question

    Persian → English: نمک

    Answer

    Salt.

    Pronunciation aid: namak.

    Example: کمی نمک — a little salt.

  48. Card 48

    Question

    Persian → English: صبحانه

    Answer

    Breakfast.

    Pronunciation aid: sobhaane.

    Example: وقت صبحانه — breakfast time.

  49. Card 49

    Question

    Persian → English: غذا

    Answer

    Food; a meal.

    Pronunciation aid: ghazaa.

    Example: غذای گرم — hot food.

  50. Card 50

    Question

    Persian → English: نون

    Answer

    Bread (colloquial).

    Pronunciation aid: nun.

    Ordinary spoken Iranian Persian. Standard written نان is naan.

  51. Card 51

    Question

    English → Persian: water, please (short request)

    Answer

    آب، لطفاً.

    Pronunciation aid: aab, lotfan.

    A simple request when choosing a drink.

  52. Card 52

    Question

    English → Persian: breakfast (the meal)

    Answer

    صبحانه

    Pronunciation aid: sobhaane.

    Use for the morning meal.

  53. Card 53

    Question

    English → Persian: milk (the drink)

    Answer

    شیر

    Pronunciation aid: shir.

    The drink cue distinguishes it from other words with the same spelling.

  54. Card 54

    Question

    English → Persian: bread (standard written noun)

    Answer

    نان

    Pronunciation aid: naan.

    Colloquial نون, nun, is common in speech; the cue asks for standard spelling.

  55. Card 55

    Question

    Persian → English: خانه

    Answer

    House; home (standard written form).

    Pronunciation aid: khaane.

    The colloquial form خونه is khune. Keep this spelling and its standard reading together.

  56. Card 56

    Question

    Persian → English: اتاق

    Answer

    Room.

    Pronunciation aid: otaagh.

    Example: اتاق کوچک — a small room.

  57. Card 57

    Question

    Persian → English: خیابان

    Answer

    Street; avenue.

    Pronunciation aid: khiyaabaan.

    Example: این خیابان — this street.

  58. Card 58

    Question

    Persian → English: کجا

    Answer

    Where?

    Pronunciation aid: kojaa.

    Example: کجا هستید؟ — Where are you? (polite or plural).

  59. Card 59

    Question

    Persian → English: مغازه

    Answer

    Shop; store.

    Pronunciation aid: maghaaze.

    Example: مغازهٔ کوچک — a small shop.

  60. Card 60

    Question

    Persian → English: بازار

    Answer

    Market; bazaar.

    Pronunciation aid: baazaar.

    Example: بازار نزدیک است. — The market is nearby.

  61. Card 61

    Question

    Persian → English: بیمارستان

    Answer

    Hospital.

    Pronunciation aid: bimaarestaan.

    Standard pronunciation shown; colloquial bimaarestun is also heard.

  62. Card 62

    Question

    Persian → English: داروخانه

    Answer

    Pharmacy.

    Pronunciation aid: daarukhaane.

    Example: داروخانه باز است. — The pharmacy is open. Standard pronunciation shown.

  63. Card 63

    Question

    English → Persian: where? (question word)

    Answer

    کجا؟

    Pronunciation aid: kojaa.

    For a full place question: کجاست؟ — Where is it?

  64. Card 64

    Question

    Persian → English: خونه

    Answer

    House; home (colloquial).

    Pronunciation aid: khune.

    Ordinary spoken Iranian Persian. Standard written خانه is khaane.

  65. Card 65

    Question

    Persian → English: ایستگاه

    Answer

    Station; stop (for transport).

    Pronunciation aid: istgaah.

    Example: ایستگاه اتوبوس — bus stop.

  66. Card 66

    Question

    Persian → English: نزدیک

    Answer

    Near; nearby.

    Pronunciation aid: nazdik.

    Example: نزدیک بازار — near the market.

  67. Card 67

    Question

    English → Persian: pharmacy (standard written noun)

    Answer

    داروخانه

    Pronunciation aid: daarukhaane.

    A place to obtain medicines; standard reading shown.

  68. Card 68

    Question

    English → Persian: home / house (standard written noun)

    Answer

    خانه

    Pronunciation aid: khaane.

    Colloquial خونه, khune, is common in speech; the cue asks for standard spelling.

  69. Card 69

    Question

    Persian → English: اینجا

    Answer

    Here.

    Pronunciation aid: injaa.

    Example: اینجا خوب است. — It is good here.

  70. Card 70

    Question

    English → Persian: where is the hospital? (standard written question)

    Answer

    بیمارستان کجاست؟

    Pronunciation aid: bimaarestaan kojaast.

    کجاست combines کجا (where) with است (is).

  71. Card 71

    Question

    Persian → English: روز

    Answer

    Day.

    Pronunciation aid: ruz.

    Example: یک روز — one day.

  72. Card 72

    Question

    Persian → English: شب

    Answer

    Night.

    Pronunciation aid: shab.

    Example: شب سرد — a cold night.

  73. Card 73

    Question

    Persian → English: صبح

    Answer

    Morning.

    Pronunciation aid: sobh.

    Example: صبح زود — early in the morning.

  74. Card 74

    Question

    Persian → English: عصر

    Answer

    Late afternoon; early evening.

    Pronunciation aid: asr.

    An approximate part of the day, not a fixed clock time.

  75. Card 75

    Question

    Persian → English: امروز

    Answer

    Today.

    Pronunciation aid: emruz.

    Example: امروز اینجا هستم. — I am here today.

  76. Card 76

    Question

    Persian → English: فردا

    Answer

    Tomorrow.

    Pronunciation aid: fardaa.

    Example: فردا می‌آیم. — I will come tomorrow. Standard written sentence.

  77. Card 77

    Question

    Persian → English: دیروز

    Answer

    Yesterday.

    Pronunciation aid: diruz.

    Example: دیروز اینجا بودم. — I was here yesterday.

  78. Card 78

    Question

    Persian → English: الان

    Answer

    Now; right now.

    Pronunciation aid: alaan.

    Example: الان نه. — Not now.

  79. Card 79

    Question

    Persian → English: بعداً

    Answer

    Later.

    Pronunciation aid: ba'dan; the apostrophe marks a brief catch before d, and both a sounds use the short vowel.

    Also commonly written بعدا without the final diacritic.

  80. Card 80

    Question

    Persian → English: هفته

    Answer

    Week.

    Pronunciation aid: hafte.

    Example: یک هفته — one week.

  81. Card 81

    Question

    Persian → English: سال

    Answer

    Year.

    Pronunciation aid: saal.

    Example: یک سال — one year.

  82. Card 82

    Question

    Persian → English: دقیقه

    Answer

    Minute (unit of time).

    Pronunciation aid: daghighe.

    Example: پنج دقیقه — five minutes.

  83. Card 83

    Question

    English → Persian: today (this day)

    Answer

    امروز

    Pronunciation aid: emruz.

    Example: امروز وقت دارم. — I have time today.

  84. Card 84

    Question

    English → Persian: tomorrow (the next day)

    Answer

    فردا

    Pronunciation aid: fardaa.

    Example: فردا وقت دارم. — I have time tomorrow.

  85. Card 85

    Question

    Persian → English: کتاب

    Answer

    Book.

    Pronunciation aid: ketaab.

    Example: این کتاب — this book.

  86. Card 86

    Question

    Persian → English: خودکار (on a writing desk)

    Answer

    Pen (writing instrument).

    Pronunciation aid: khodkaar.

    In other contexts خودکار also means automatic; this noun use means pen.

  87. Card 87

    Question

    Persian → English: کاغذ

    Answer

    Paper.

    Pronunciation aid: kaaghaz.

    Example: یک برگ کاغذ — one sheet of paper.

  88. Card 88

    Question

    Persian → English: کلید

    Answer

    Key (for a lock).

    Pronunciation aid: kelid.

    Example: کلید خانه — the house key.

  89. Card 89

    Question

    Persian → English: تلفن

    Answer

    Telephone; phone.

    Pronunciation aid: telefon.

    Example: شمارهٔ تلفن — telephone number.

  90. Card 90

    Question

    Persian → English: کیف (for carrying belongings)

    Answer

    Bag (everyday carrying bag).

    Pronunciation aid: kif.

    The exact kind of bag depends on context.

  91. Card 91

    Question

    Persian → English: میز

    Answer

    Table; desk.

    Pronunciation aid: miz.

    Example: روی میز — on the table.

  92. Card 92

    Question

    Persian → English: صندلی

    Answer

    Chair.

    Pronunciation aid: sandali.

    Example: این صندلی — this chair.

  93. Card 93

    Question

    Persian → English: در (a household object)

    Answer

    Door.

    Pronunciation aid: dar.

    The same spelling can also be a preposition meaning in/at; the object cue selects door.

  94. Card 94

    Question

    Persian → English: پنجره

    Answer

    Window.

    Pronunciation aid: panjere.

    Example: پنجره باز است. — The window is open.

  95. Card 95

    Question

    English → Persian: book (a thing to read)

    Answer

    کتاب

    Pronunciation aid: ketaab.

    Example: یک کتاب — one book.

  96. Card 96

    Question

    English → Persian: key (for opening a door)

    Answer

    کلید

    Pronunciation aid: kelid.

    Example: کلید در — the door key.

Illustration of a glass of tea, flatbread, a pomegranate and a plain blue notebook on a sunlit table beside a turquoise tile accent.

96 cards

Persian Vocabulary Flashcards: Everyday Words and Short Exchanges

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