تو

Switching from شما to تو with someone is a small ceremony. Iranians sometimes ask permission for it: "می‌تونیم تو باشیم؟" (can we be on "to" terms?). It marks the moment a relationship moves from polite distance to closeness. Lovers always use تو once they're together, even if they were شما while dating. Parents say تو to children; children traditionally say شما back to parents, though urban modern families often go تو in both directions. In Persian poetry, especially Sufi verse, the divine beloved is addressed as تو, which carries enormous tenderness: Hafez and Rumi talk to God the way you'd talk to your closest friend.