What it means
گفتگو کردن (goftogu kardan) means “to converse” or “to have a discussion.” The noun گفتگو (goftogu) is a pure Persian compound built from گفت (goft, said, past stem of گفتن) and گو (gu, an imperative form of گفتن meaning say), creating a word that literally captures the back-and-forth of speaking. Combined with کردن (kardan), it forms a compound verb. A more casual synonym is حرف زدن (harf zadan, to talk), while مذاکره کردن (mozâkere kardan, from Arabic) is used for formal diplomatic negotiation. گفتگو کردن sits between the two in register.
How to use it
- میخوام باهات گفتگو کنم. (Mikhâm bâhât goftogu konam.) “I want to have a talk with you.”
- اونا ساعتا با هم گفتگو کردن. (Unâ sâ’atâ bâ ham goftogu kardan.) “They conversed with each other for hours.”
- برنامه گفتگوی امشب رو دیدی؟ (Barnâme-ye goftoguy-e emshab ro didi?) “Did you watch tonight’s talk show?”
- لازمه که با مدیر گفتگو کنیم. (Lâzeme ke bâ modir goftogu konim.) “We need to have a conversation with the manager.”
Cultural note
گفتگو is the standard word for conversation-style television and radio programs in Iran, equivalent to the English term “talk show” or “dialogue program.” The word is also used in the name of diplomatic formats, such as گفتگوی تمدنها (goftoguy-e tamaddonhâ, Dialogue of Civilizations), a phrase associated with former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami’s 1990s foreign policy initiative at the United Nations. This gives the word a sense of purposeful, reasoned exchange rather than casual chat.