لطفا

لطفا is the Persian “please.” Light enough to use anywhere, formal enough to never sound rude.

What it actually means

لطفا means “please” in Persian, used to soften requests and make demands sound polite. Iranians attach it to the start or end of any request: لطفا یه چای (lotfan ye chāi, “a tea, please”), در رو ببندید لطفا (dar-o bebandid lotfan, “close the door, please”). Unlike English “please,” which can sound clipped or impatient depending on tone, لطفا stays neutral. It works on its own as a one-word polite acknowledgment when handing someone something: لطفا (lotfan) said while holding out a cup of tea means “here you go, please take it.” The word’s quiet versatility is part of why it survives every register: news anchors say it, taxi drivers say it, children say it, presidents say it.

How to say it

لطفا is invariant. The word lives in every register from poetry to retail signs. For emphasis, Iranians sometimes pair it with می‌شه (mishe, “would it be possible”) to soften further: می‌شه لطفا یه لیوان آب بدید؟ (mishe lotfan ye līvān āb bedīd, “would it be possible to please give a glass of water?”). For higher formality, زحمت می‌کشین (zahmat mikeshin, “would you take the trouble”) sometimes replaces لطفا.

In a sentence

Cultural note

لطفا is borrowed from Arabic لُطْفًا, an adverbial form of the noun لطف (lutf, “kindness, grace”). The word’s full lineage runs through Arabic root ل ط ف (l-t-f) meaning “to be gentle, kind, gracious.” Persian also keeps the noun لطف (lotf, “favor, kindness”) in everyday use: “لطف می‌کنید” (lotf mikonīd, “you are doing me a kindness”) is a polite acknowledgment. Iranian politeness culture relies on a wider toolkit than just لطفا. The verbal layer sits inside the request itself: می‌شه (would it be possible), امکان داره (is it possible), می‌تونید (could you). Pairing لطفا with one of these creates the standard polite request structure. لطفا on its own is correct but can feel slightly clipped in higher-stakes social interactions, where Iranians prefer the longer form.

Related

You will see this word constantly with ممنون (thank you, the natural follow-up) and ببخشید (excuse me, the request opener). For the full politeness register Iranians use, see our guide to 7 unwritten rules of Iranian hospitality.