What it means
اگه (age) means “if.” It is the spoken Tehrani contraction of اگر (agar), the standard subordinating conjunction that opens conditional clauses in Persian.
How to use it
- اگه بیای، خوشحال میشم (age biyây, khoshhâl misham) “if you come, I’ll be happy”
- اگه بشه (age beshe) “if possible”
- اگه بخوای، میبرمت (age bekhây, mibaramet) “if you want, I’ll take you”
Formal pair
Spoken: اگه (age). Written or formal: اگر (agar). The two are perfectly interchangeable in meaning. Age dominates speech and texting. Agar shows up in books, news, and any time the speaker is reaching for a more careful register.
Cultural note
Iranians soften nearly every request with an age clause. Instead of “pass the salt,” you hear اگه میشه نمک رو بدی (age mishe namak ro bedi), “if it’s possible for you to pass the salt.” The conditional creates polite distance, a small grammatical bow that smooths daily interaction.
References
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