The first time my Italian girlfriend met my mother over video call, she said salâm. My mother responded with a fifteen-second string of phrases that included asking about her health, her family’s health, expressing unworthiness of the call, and invoking God’s blessings. all before my girlfriend could say a second word.
That’s persian greetings in a nutshell. Salâm is where you start. It’s not where Iranians stop. There are layers. formality levels, taarof phrases, goodbye rituals that take longer than the actual conversation. This post maps all of it: 25+ social phrases with both registers, the cultural rules that govern when to use which one, and the taarof traps that confuse every foreigner. (For the full social code behind these phrases, see our guide to Iranian social customs, humor, and internet culture.) (For the deep history of taarof, see the Encyclopaedia Iranica on ta’arof culture.)
Salâm Is Just the Start
In English, “hello” is enough. You say it, the other person says it back, and you move on. In Persian, سلام. salâm. hello is the opening move of a ritual. (If you want structured drills, UT Austin’s Persian language resource has excellent free materials.) What follows depends on who you’re talking to, how formal the situation is, and how much taarof the moment demands.
سلام. salâm. hello/peace
Universal, works everywhere, always safe. Literally means “peace” (from Arabic). Salâm, chetori?. Hi, how are you?
سلام علیکم. salâm aleykum. peace be upon you
The full Arabic form. More formal, used with elders and in religious contexts. The response is علیکم سلام. aleykum as-salâm.
درود. dorud. greetings (pure Persian)
Some Iranians. especially secular or nationalist types. use dorud instead of salâm to avoid the Arabic origin. You’ll see it in formal settings and online. In casual speech, salâm dominates by a mile.
Meeting Someone: First Contact Phrases
حال شما چطوره؟. hâl-e shomâ chetoreh?. How are you? (formal)
Spoken: حالت چطوره؟. hâlet chetoreh?. How are you? (informal)
The default follow-up to salâm. Note the register shift. shomâ (you-formal) becomes the clitic -et (your) in spoken.
hâl-e shomâ chetor ast?
حال شما چطور است؟
How are you? (formal)
hâlet chetore?
حالت چطوره؟
How are you? (spoken)
خوبم، ممنون. khubam, mamnun. I’m good, thanks
The safe response. But the classic Iranian response is:
بد نیست. bad nist. not bad
This is the default. Even if everything is wonderful. Even if you just won the lottery. Bad nist. Iranians don’t oversell their happiness. it’s culturally considered tempting fate.
خوشبختم. khoshbakhtam. nice to meet you (literally “I’m fortunate”)
For meeting someone for the first time. Formal. The spoken equivalent is often just khoshhâlam. I’m happy (to meet you).
اسمتون چیه؟. esmetun chi-e?. What’s your name? (polite)
Spoken informal: اسمت چیه؟. esmet chi-e?
Response: اسم من … است. esm-e man … ast (formal) / esm-am …-e (spoken).
از آشنایی با شما خوشوقتم. az âshnâyi bâ shomâ khoshvaghtam. pleased to make your acquaintance
Very formal. Used in business or when meeting an elder for the first time. In casual settings, khoshhâlam does the job.
The Taarof Layer: Greetings That Aren’t What They Seem
Taarof is the system of ritualized politeness that governs Iranian social interaction. It makes greetings longer, goodbyes impossible, and compliments into negotiations. If you’ve read about spoken vs written Persian, you know the language has two registers. Taarof adds a third dimension. what’s said literally vs what’s actually meant.
قربانت برم. ghorbânat beram. may I be sacrificed for you
Literal meaning: I’d die for you. Actual meaning: a warm, affectionate greeting. Used between close friends and family. If an Iranian aunt says this to you, she likes you. She is not planning any sacrifices.
قدمت روی چشم. ghadamet ruy-e cheshm. your step is upon my eye
Meaning: you honor us with your presence. Said when someone visits your home. The “eye” in Persian poetry and culture represents the most precious thing. putting someone’s footstep on your eye is extreme reverence.
خوش آمدید. khosh âmadid. welcome (literally “you came well”)
Standard welcome. Response: خوش آمدم. khosh âmadam. I came well. Yes, you confirm that you came well. This is normal.
بفرمایید. befarmâyid. please (come in / sit down / go ahead)
The Swiss army knife of taarof. It means “please” in the sense of inviting action: befarmâyid at the door = come in. Befarmâyid at the table = sit down/help yourself. Befarmâyid at a shop = please, go ahead. You’ll hear this word fifty times at a dinner party.
The three-round taarof rule: when offered something (food, a seat, a favor), refuse the first time. The host offers again. Refuse again. They offer a third time. NOW you can accept. or deliver the final refusal with dastet dard nakoneh, lotf dâri. Accepting on the first offer looks greedy. Only refusing once signals you might actually want it. Three rounds is the protocol.
Goodbye Phrases: It Takes 20 Minutes to Leave
Iranian goodbyes are famously long. You announce you’re leaving. Everyone protests. You stand up. Someone brings tea. You sit back down. Twenty minutes later you try again. This is normal. Here are the phrases that fill those twenty minutes.
خداحافظ. khodâhâfez. goodbye (literally “God protect you”)
The universal goodbye. Spoken: often shortened to khodâfez. You can hear greetings pronounced by native speakers on Forvo.
به امید دیدار. be omid-e didâr. hope to see you again
More formal than khodâhâfez. Used when parting with someone you might not see soon.
خدانگهدار. khodâ negahdâr. God keep you
An alternative to khodâhâfez with the same meaning. Some people prefer one, some the other. No real difference.
فعلاً. fe’lan. for now / bye for now
Casual, used on the phone or when leaving temporarily. Fe’lan, khodâfez. Bye for now.
شب بخیر. shab bekheyr. good night
Only said when parting at night or going to bed. Not a greeting. a farewell.
مراقب خودت باش. morâgheb-e khodet bâsh. take care of yourself
Warm, personal. Said by someone who cares about you. Morâgheb-e khodetun bâshin is the formal/plural version.
زحمت کشیدید. zahmat keshidid. you went to trouble
Said when leaving someone’s house. acknowledging the effort they made hosting you. Response: zahmat-i nabud (it was no trouble).
دستت درد نکنه. dastet dard nakoneh. may your hand not hurt
Thanking someone for their effort. cooking, hosting, helping. Essential. Skipping this when someone has cooked for you is a social crime.
khodâ hâfez, be omid-e didâr
خداحافظ، به امید دیدار
Goodbye, hope to see you
khodâfez, fardâ mibinamet
خدافظ، فردا میبینمت
Bye, see you tomorrow
Phone Greetings
Phone greetings in Persian follow slightly different rules than in-person greetings. The opener changes, the tone is faster, and you identify yourself sooner.
الو. alo. hello? (phone only)
From French allô. Only used when answering the phone. Never in person.
سلام، خوبی؟. salâm, khubi?. hi, you good?
The standard phone opener between friends. Fast, casual, straight to the point.
ببخشید مزاحم شدم. bebakhshid mozâhem shodam. sorry to bother you
The polite opener when calling someone you don’t know well, or calling at an unusual hour. Mozâhem means “bothersome”. you’re apologizing for existing on their phone. Classic taarof.
کاری نداری؟. kâri nadâri?. need anything else?
Said before hanging up. The signal that the conversation is wrapping up.
قطع نکن. ghat’ nakon. don’t hang up
Literal. Said when you need to say one more thing. Sabr kon, ghat’ nakon. wait, don’t hang up.
Register Guide: When to Use Which
The biggest mistake learners make with greetings is using the wrong register. Saying salâm aleykum to a college friend sounds like you’re their grandfather. Saying chetori dâdâsh? to your boss sounds like you’re trying to get fired.
| Situation | Greeting | How Are You? | Goodbye |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close friend | سلام (salâm) / چطوری (chetori) | خوبی؟ (khubi?) | فعلاً (fe’lan) / خدافظ (khodâfez) |
| Colleague | سلام (salâm) | حالتون خوبه؟ (hâletun khube?) | خداحافظ (khodâhâfez) |
| Elder/boss | سلام علیکم (salâm aleykum) | حال شما چطوره؟ (hâl-e shomâ chetore?) | خداحافظ، به امید دیدار (khodâhâfez, be omid-e didâr) |
| Stranger | سلام (salâm) / ببخشید (bebakhshid) | . (not expected) | خداحافظ (khodâhâfez) |
| Phone (friend) | الو سلام (alo salâm) | خوبی؟ (khubi?) | فعلاً خدافظ (fe’lan khodâfez) |
| Phone (formal) | الو سلام (alo salâm) | حالتون خوبه؟ (hâletun khube?) | خداحافظ (khodâhâfez) |
The key variable is شما (shomâ) vs تو (to). When in doubt, use shomâ. No Iranian will be offended by being addressed too formally. Being addressed too casually? That’s a different story. For how this register split affects the entire language, the spoken vs written guide explains the system.
FAQ
How do you say hello in Persian?
What does ghorbânat beram mean in Farsi?
How do Iranians say goodbye?
What is taarof in Persian greetings?
What is the difference between salâm and dorud in Farsi?
Persian greetings are a performance. Every salâm opens a negotiation of warmth, respect, and social positioning that happens automatically for native speakers and confusingly for everyone else. The phrases on this page are your script. memorize the register chart, learn the taarof rules, and you’ll navigate the social side of Farsi with confidence.
For more on the vocabulary that powers these interactions, the 100 most common words post covers the core language, and the beginner’s guide maps the full learning path from zero.
Want to practice the taarof dance with someone who’ll play the Iranian host while you try not to accidentally accept tea on the first offer? I’m on Preply. We’ll role-play a dinner party entrance. you greet, I respond with escalating taarof, and we see how many rounds you can handle before caving. Most students break at round two. My record is four.
Planning a trip to Iran? Our travel survival phrasebook covers everything from airports to bazaars, building on these greetings with the Farsi you actually need on the ground.
