A friend of mine. French, B1 in Farsi. told me she could discuss Hafez poetry but couldn’t order a kebab without pointing. She’d spent a year learning from literary texts and grammar books. Beautiful Farsi, completely useless in a kababi shop.
These three dialogues fix the most common version of that problem. They cover the three situations where you absolutely need spoken Farsi and can’t rely on gestures alone: ordering food (because half the restaurants don’t have menus), asking for directions (because Google Maps in Iran is unreliable), and taking a taxi (because the meter is a suggestion, not a rule).
Each dialogue shows both the written/formal version and the colloquial/spoken version side by side. because what your textbook taught you and what people actually say are different languages. This is part of the conversation series.
Dialogue 1: Ordering Food at a Restaurant
Setting: A traditional restaurant in Tehran. No English menu. The waiter approaches your table. You need to ask what’s available, order, handle dietary restrictions, and pay.
The Dialogue
Waiter: سلام، خوش اومدید. چی میل دارید؟
Salâm, khosh umadid. Chi meyl dârid?
“Hello, welcome. What would you like?”
You: سلام. امروز چی دارید؟
Salâm. Emruz chi dârid?
“Hi. What do you have today?”
Waiter: کباب کوبیده داریم، جوجه داریم، قورمه سبزی هم داریم.
Kabâb kubide dârim, juje dârim, ghorme sabzi ham dârim.
“We have koobideh kebab, chicken kebab, and ghormeh sabzi.”
You: یه پرس کوبیده لطفاً. با نون اضافه.
Ye pors kubide lotfan. Bâ nun ezâfe.
“One serving of koobideh please. With extra bread.”
Waiter: نوشیدنی چی میخورید؟
Nushidani chi mikhorid?
“What will you drink?”
You: یه دوغ لطفاً.
Ye dugh lotfan.
“A doogh please.” (yogurt drink. the classic with kebab)
— After eating —
You: خیلی خوشمزه بود. دست شما درد نکنه. حساب لطفاً.
Kheyli khoshmaze bud. Daste shomâ dard nakone. Hesâb lotfan.
“That was delicious. Bless your hands. Check please.”
Waiter: نوش جان. قابلی نداشت.
Nush-e jân. Ghâbeli nadâsht.
“To your soul. It was nothing.” (ta’arof. they still expect payment)
Key Vocabulary
| Spoken | Formal | English |
|---|---|---|
| چی دارید؟. chi dârid? | چه غذایی دارید؟. che ghazâyi dârid? | What do you have? |
| یه پرس. ye pors | یک پرس. yek pors | One serving |
| نون. nun | نان. nân | Bread |
| حساب. hesâb | صورتحساب. surat-hesâb | The check/bill |
Pro tip: دست شما درد نکنه (daste shomâ dard nakone. may your hands not hurt) is the single most powerful phrase you can say in a restaurant. It directly thanks the person who cooked. Iranians will beam. You’ll get better service next time. The full food vocabulary has 100+ words for everything on an Iranian table.
Dialogue 2: Asking for Directions
Setting: You’re on a street in Isfahan, looking for a specific mosque. Your phone is dead (or the VPN stopped working). You approach a passerby.
The Dialogue
You: ببخشید، مسجد جامع کجاست؟
Bebakhshid, masjed-e jâme’ kojâst?
“Excuse me, where is the Jameh Mosque?”
Them: مسجد جامع؟ از اینجا مستقیم برید. بعد سر چهارراه بپیچید سمت راست.
Masjed-e jâme’? Az injâ mostaghim berid. Ba’d sar-e chahârrâh bepichid samt-e râst.
“Jameh Mosque? Go straight from here. Then at the intersection turn right.”
You: مستقیم بعد راست. دوره؟
Mostaghim ba’d râst. Dure?
“Straight then right. Is it far?”
Them: نه، پنج دقیقه پیادهست.
Na, panj daghighe piyâde-st.
“No, five minutes on foot.”
You: خیلی ممنون.
Kheyli mamnun.
“Thank you very much.”
Them: خواهش میکنم. خوش بگذره!
Khâhesh mikonam. Khosh begzare!
“You’re welcome. Enjoy!”
Direction Vocabulary
| Farsi | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| مستقیم | mostaghim | Straight |
| راست | râst | Right |
| چپ | chap | Left |
| چهارراه | chahârrâh | Intersection |
| سر کوچه | sar-e kuche | At the alley corner |
| رد کنید / رد بشید | rad konid / rad beshid | Pass / go past |
| کنار / پشت / روبروی | kenâr / posht-e / ruberuye | Next to / behind / across from |
| پیاده | piyâde | On foot / walking |
Survival tip: If the directions are too complex, show your phone and say میشه روی نقشه نشون بدید؟ (mishe ru-ye naghshe neshun bedid?. can you show me on the map?). Iranians will happily point on your Google Maps screen. or walk you there personally, which happens more often than you’d expect.
Dialogue 3: Taking a Taxi
Setting: You’re on a street in Tehran and need to get to the Grand Bazaar. You flag down a yellow taxi (not using Snapp this time). The negotiation begins.
The Dialogue
You: ببخشید، بازار بزرگ میرید؟
Bebakhshid, Bâzâr-e Bozorg mirid?
“Excuse me, are you going to the Grand Bazaar?”
Driver: دربست؟
Darbast?
“Private?” (whole car to yourself, more expensive)
You: آره، دربست. چقدر میشه؟
Âre, darbast. Cheghad mishe?
“Yes, private. How much?”
Driver: پنجاه تومن.
Panjâh tomân.
“Fifty toman.” (= 500,000 rials)
You: گرونه. سی تومن چطوره؟
Gerune. Si tomân chetore?
“That’s expensive. How about thirty toman?”
Driver: نمیصرفه. چهل تومن.
Nemisarfe. Chehel tomân.
“Doesn’t cover costs. Forty toman.”
You: باشه، چهل. بریم.
Bâshe, chehel. Berim.
“OK, forty. Let’s go.”
— During the ride —
Driver: از کجایی؟ چرا فارسی بلدی؟
Az kojâyi? Cherâ Fârsi baladi?
“Where are you from? How come you know Farsi?”
You: از [country] ام. فارسی یاد میگیرم.
Az [country]-am. Fârsi yâd migiram.
“I’m from [country]. I’m learning Farsi.”
Driver: آفرین! خوش اومدی به ایران.
Âfarin! Khosh umadi be Irân.
“Good for you! Welcome to Iran.”
— Arriving —
You: همینجا نگه دارید لطفاً. چهل تومن بفرمایید.
Haminjâ negah dârid lotfan. Chehel tomân befarmâyid.
“Stop here please. Here’s forty toman.”
Driver: دستت درد نکنه. خوش بگذره.
Dastet dard nakone. Khosh begzare.
“Bless your hands. Enjoy yourself.”
Taxi Vocabulary
| Spoken | Formal | English |
|---|---|---|
| دربست. darbast | (same) | Private taxi (whole car) |
| سواری / خطی. savâri / khatti | (same) | Shared taxi (fixed route) |
| چقدر میشه؟. cheghad mishe? | هزینه چقدر است؟. hazine cheghad ast? | How much will it be? |
| نمیصرفه. nemisarfe | صرف نمیکند. sarf nemikonad | Not worth it / doesn’t cover costs |
| بریم. berim | برویم. beravim | Let’s go |
| نگه دارید. negah dârid | (same) | Stop (hold here) |
Pro tip: Use Snapp (Iran’s Uber) when possible. it eliminates the price negotiation entirely and the fare is always cheaper than flagging a street taxi. The app is in Persian, but you just drop a pin on the map. No Farsi typing needed.
Practice Strategy
Read each dialogue out loud three times (use Forvo to check your pronunciation). Play both roles. Then cover the English column and try to produce the Farsi from memory. When you can get through a dialogue with only 1-2 glances at the script, you’re ready for the real thing.
For more structured conversation practice, the guided first conversation starts from an even simpler level. The small talk guide picks up where these survival dialogues leave off.
The One Scene a Week series has 24 complete dialogue episodes in real-life settings. from the market to the mechanic shop. Each one builds on these foundations.
FAQ
What Farsi phrases do I need to order food in Iran?
How do I negotiate a taxi fare in Farsi?
How do I ask for directions in Farsi?
What’s the difference between darbast and savari taxis in Iran?
What should I say after a meal in Iran?
Three dialogues. Three situations that account for 80% of tourist-level Farsi. Memorize the key phrases, practice the dialogues out loud, and when the moment comes. just try. The worst that happens is a smile and a gentle correction. The best that happens is you order your own kebab, find your own way, and negotiate your own taxi. That’s independence in a foreign language, and it starts right here.
Want to drill these dialogues with spaced repetition? ZabanYar lets you import vocabulary from any passage and creates adaptive flashcards. Turn these three dialogues into your personal phrasebook.