Easy Parsi (Farsi) for beginners
BACKGROUND HISTORY OF PARSI LANGUAGE
Parsi or Persian was the language of the Parsa people who ruled Iran between 550 – 330 BCE. It became the language of the Persian Empire and was widely spoken in the ancient days ranging from the borders of India in the east, Russian in the north, the southern shores of the Persian Gulf to Egypt and the Mediterranean in the west.
Over the centuries Parsi has changed to its modern form and today Persian is spoken primarily in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and parts of Uzbekistan.
Although the name of the language has been maintained as Persian or Parsi or its Arabic form Farsi (because in Arabic they do not have the letter P) the language has undergone great changes and can be categorized into the following groups.
- Old Persian
- Middle Persian
- Classical Persian
- Modern Persian
Old Persian is what the original Parsa tribe of the Hakhamaneshinian (Achaemenid) era spoke and they have left for us samples carved on stone in cuneiform script.
Middle Persian is the language spoken during the Sasanian era also known as Pahlavi.
Classical Persian the origin of this language is not very clear. Words have their roots in different languages spoken in various parts of the country but the majority of the words have their roots in Old Persian, Pahlavi and Avesta. Every countries that Arab conquered they totally lost its civilization, culture and language and adopted the Arabic language and the way of life.
Later on Moguls invaded Iran and they made people as their ambassadors of Iranian language, culture and art. And Moguls made Parsi as their court language in India.
Modern Persian language or Farsi (Arabic pronunciation of Parsi) as spoken today consists of a lot of words of non-Iranian origin. Some modern technical terms, understandably, have been incorporated from English, French and German and are recognizable, but Arabic has corrupted a major part of the language by replacing original Parsi words.
Parsi-e Tajik & Parsi-e Dari
The people of Tajikistan and Afghanistan have maintained a somewhat purer form of the Parsi language and call it Parsi-e Tajik in Tajikistan and Parsi-e Dari in Afghanistan.
Dari
The Dari language spoken by the Zarathushties of Yazd and Kerman has nothing in common with the Dari of Afghanistan. In fact the Zarathushti Dari is not understood by Farsi speaking people and is a language that has no script and has not been written.
Introduction to Persian Language, Start from the very beginning!
Part 1
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Lesson 1- The Alphabet, Short Vowels, Letters B, P, T
The Alphabet, Short Vowels, Letters B, P & T
To those who wants to learn Farsi language this is the first lesson you need to learn. The first thing you need to learn is to familiarize the alphabet, the short vowels and letter B, P, and T. We are going to learn Persian language step by step until we get familiar with it and we will notice our progress and move to advance level. This is helpful for you to speak, write read and even understand the said language. We will practice and do the basic simple steps to make it possible.
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson you will be able to know:
- the Persian alphabet, short vowels and letters B, P, and T,
- Learn the Persian writing,
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Lesson 1- Let’s Write
This page is recommended if you want to write in Persian. On this page you’ll find the same letters you have just studied This week. It will also help you detect Persian letters quite easily. Here, all you need to do is follow the arrows and numbers carefully. Please practice them for a couple of times.
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Lesson 1- Useful tips (Drills)+ Q & A
As we all know from the saying that practice makes perfect. On this session I will share some drills for you to able recognize words and letters. To help yourself, just keep on listening the correct pronunciation of the letters and keep on studying. I will put some questions below from the lesson that you learn try to answer the questions and keep on practicing.
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Lesson 1- (Practice) "Bright Horizon by Ahmad Shamlu"
Some people have asked me to make a bilingual zone on the Persian samples page. I agree with that, and I'm trying to do this as quickly as possible. First of all, I want to make sure that everyone understands something: Some of the works you'll find on this page are some of the best contemporary Persian literature.
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Quiz 1- Recognizing B, b, P, p, T, t
Please try to answer the questions first. Then, if you want to be sure, find the correct answers at the bottom of the following words.
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Quiz 1- Answers and explanations
Part 2
1
Lesson 2– The Alphabet, Long Vowels
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson the students will be able to;
- Learn alphabet long vowels
- Learn how to pronounce the long vowels
- Learn to write the long vowels
- Appreciate letters, words and writings in Farsi.
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Lesson 2– Let’s Write
This page is recommended if you want to write in Persian. On this page you’ll find the same letters you have just studied This week. It will also help you detect Persian letters quite easily. Here, all you need to do is follow the arrows and numbers carefully. Please practice them for a couple of times.
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Lesson 2– Useful tips (Drills)
As you know, practicing will help you improve your skills. Every week, you will be given some words to practice. I know that, as a beginner, you will find it difficult to read the entire words on your own. So, you are not asked to either read or write these words at this stage. Instead, you are just to identify the letters that you have already learned.
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Lesson 2- (Practice) Persian Poetry "The Tree Frog by Nima"
Today, we're featuring Nima, a beautiful tree frog from Iran. In some parts of Iran, people believe that when tree frogs sing, it means it's time for rain. So, they know this frog as a messenger of precipitation!
Imagine you are a farmer living in a fertile area. Your livelihood depends on water. Normally, you should have no trouble producing your products, as the area has been fertile for years. But, when the drought is threatening your life, you see the tree frog singing. This makes you happy, and you feel relieved. If you listen to the frog, you will be happy because you know that it is a sign that rain is coming. However, if you don't listen to the frog and don't see any rain, you will be unhappy.
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Quiz 2- Long vowel a, i, u
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Quiz 2- Answer and explanations
Part 3
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Lesson 3- Letters from /alef/ to /he/
OBJECTIVES:
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Lesson 3- Let’s Write
If you intend to write Persian, this particular page is highly recommended. The page consist of the same letters you have recently learned, and it will assist you in recognizing Persian letters with ease. By carefully following the arrows and numbers provided, you will be able to practice writing these letters multiple times. I encourage you to practice this page several times.
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Lesson 3– Useful tips (Drills)
Regular practice is key to improvement. Each week, you will receive a set of words to practice, but as a beginner, reading them in their entirety maybe challenging. Don’t attempt to pronounce them on your own as this can lead to confusion. Instead focus on identifying the letters taught in the current week’s lesson. Study the new lesson carefully and access the “useful drills” button to reach the practice page. Your goal is to recognize the letters covered in the lesson.
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Lesson 3- (Practice) Persian Poetry “An Oasis in Moment by Sohrab Sepehri”
Persian Poetry
An Oasis in Moment by Sohrab Sepehri
This week, Persian poetry page presents Sohrab Sepehri
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Questions 3- Alef to He
In addition to these questions, you may find other letters that we have already studied. To keep yourself updated, you’d better find those letters as well.
Please try to answer the questions first. Then, if you want to be sure, find the correct answers at the bottom of the following words.
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Lesson 3- Exercise and questions- Answer and explanations
Part 4
1
Lesson 4 – Letters /khe/ to /ze/
OBJECTIVES:
- Learn the letters /khe/ to /ze/
- Learn to write the letters /khe/ to /ze/
- Appreciate a Persian writing poem.
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Lesson 4- Let’s Write
If you intend to write in Persian, this page is recommended. It contains the same letters you learned this week and can aid in identifying Persian letters with ease. Simply follow the arrows and numbers attentively and practice writing them a few minutes.
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Lesson 4- Useful tips (Drills)
To improve your skills, you'll need to practice regularly. Each lesson includes some words to practice, but as a beginner, it may be difficult to read them entirely. At this stage, focus only on identifying the letters you have studied so far. Avoid trying to pronounce the words on your own as it may confuse you. Study the new lesson carefully first and then check out the Useful Drills page, where you'll find some unfamiliar words. Your goal is to recognize the letters you have just learned in the current lesson.
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Lesson 4- (Practice) Persian Poetry “Cheragh by Ahmad Shamlu / Shamloo”
This week, the Persian poetry page presents Ahmad Shamlu.
Maybe, one of the remarkable characteristics and strongest aspects in his writings is the epic rhythm of his works.
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Questions 4- khe to ze
Apart from these questions, you may encounter other letters that we have already covered. To stay up-to-date, it's recommended that you also locate those letters. for example.
Attempt to answer the questions first. If you're unsure, you can check the correct answers at the bottom of the given words.
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Lesson 4- Exercise and questions- Answer and explanations
Part 5
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Lesson 5 – Letters /zhe/ to /za:d/
Welcome back!
Did you review the previous lessons thoroughly? It's great if you did! If not, please review those lessons before moving on to the new ones. We went over five additional letters in the previous week. Can you recall what they are?
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Lesson 5- Let’s Write
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Lesson 5- Useful tips (Drills)
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Lesson 5- (Practice) Persian Poetry “Hello by Ali Salehi”
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Lesson 5- Exercise and questions
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Lesson 5- Exercise and questions- Answer and explanations
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