An Iranian friend texts you: “salam, chetori? emshab biyam pishet?” You stare at it. You studied Farsi in Persian script. This is… Latin letters? Welcome to Finglish. the unofficial written form of colloquial Farsi that 85 million Iranians use on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram every day. Your textbook didn’t mention it because your textbook lives in 1995.
Texting is where colloquial Farsi becomes a written language. The contractions, slang, and shortcuts that exist only in speech suddenly appear as text. in both Persian script and Latin letters. If you want to understand modern Iranian communication, you need to understand how they text. For the broader context of spoken vs. written Farsi, see our complete guide.
Finglish: Why Iranians Write Farsi in Latin Letters
Finglish (فینگلیش). Farsi + English. is the practice of writing Persian using Latin letters. Before smartphones had good Persian keyboards, typing in Arabic script on a Western keyboard was painful. So Iranians improvised. And even though Persian keyboards are everywhere now, Finglish persists because:
- Speed. Latin letters are faster on many devices. no switching keyboard modes.
- Habit. An entire generation learned to text in Finglish and never stopped.
- Informality signal. Using Finglish says “this is casual” the way using all-lowercase does in English texting.
- International Iranian diaspora. Iranians living abroad often default to Latin keyboards.
Finglish Spelling “Rules” (Such As They Are)
There’s no official standard, but common conventions:
| Farsi Sound | Common Finglish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| خ (kh) | kh | خوبی → khoobi |
| غ/ق (gh/q) | gh or q | قشنگ → ghashang / qashang |
| ژ (zh) | zh | ژاپن → zhapon |
| ش (sh) | sh | شب → shab |
| چ (ch) | ch | چطوری → chetori |
| ع (‘) | Often omitted or ‘ | عالی → aali / ‘aali |
| آ (long â) | a, aa, or â | آب → ab / aab |
The reality? Everyone spells differently. “How are you?” might appear as: chetori, chetowri, chetori, or chetoori. Context does the heavy lifting.
Persian Script Texting: How It Differs from Formal Writing
When Iranians text in Persian script, they write colloquial. not formal. This means:
| Formal writing | How it’s texted | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| میخواهم بروم | میخوام برم | Contraction + space removal |
| نمیدانم | نمیدونم | Vowel shift, space removed |
| آن را | اونو | آن→اون, را→و, merged |
| برای شما | واست | Full contraction |
| کجا هستید؟ | کجایی؟ | Informal you, suffix verb |
Key texting conventions in Persian script:
- No half-spaces. Formal Persian uses half-spaces (نیمفاصله) between prefixes and stems. Texting kills them: میخوام → میخوام.
- Colloquial spelling. اون instead of آن, خونه instead of خانه, نمیدونم instead of نمیدانم.
- Emoji replaces punctuation. Iranian texting uses 🙂 or 😂 where formal writing would use periods or exclamation marks.
30 Common Texting Abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Full form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| slm | سلام | Hi |
| mrc / mersi | مرسی | Thanks |
| kb | خوبم | I’m good |
| in | اینشاالله | God willing |
| kh | خب | Well / OK |
| dg | دیگه | Anymore / right? |
| az | عزیزم | My dear |
| jn | جونم | My soul (endearment) |
| f | فدات | I’d die for you (casual love) |
| ch | چی | What? |
| kja | کجا | Where? |
| k | که | That / which |
| mn | من | I / me |
| to | تو | You |
| bro | برو | Go! |
| bya | بیا | Come! |
| y | یه | A / one |
| vl | ولی | But |
| hm | هم | Also |
| chn | چون | Because |
| fk | فکر کنم | I think |
| nmd | نمیدونم | I don’t know |
| bdg | بدون دلیل خاصی | No particular reason |
| mt | ممنونتم | Thank you (to you) |
| fe | فعلاً | For now / bye for now |
| khdafez | خدافظ | Bye |
| ey | عیب نداره | No worries |
| ba | باشه | OK / alright |
| tmm | تمام | Done / finished |
| alan | الان | Right now |
Voice Messages: The Real Texting
Here’s something textbooks will never teach you: Iranians prefer voice messages over typing. Telegram. the dominant messaging app in Iran. supports voice messages natively, and Iranians use them for everything. A “text” conversation between Iranians might actually be a series of 30-second audio clips.
This is great news for learners. If you can get an Iranian friend to text you via voice messages, you’re getting free listening practice in authentic colloquial Farsi. Respond with voice messages too. it’s speaking practice without the pressure of real-time conversation.
Emoji and Sticker Culture
Iranian emoji usage has some distinctive patterns:
- ❤️ and 🌹 used liberally. even between male friends. Iranian culture is more emotionally expressive than Western norms.
- 😂 is the default reaction. Iranians use it far more than the average Western texter.
- 🙏 means both “thank you” and “please”. context determines which.
- Telegram stickers are a whole culture: custom sticker packs with Iranian humor, political commentary, and inside jokes circulate constantly.
Meme Vocabulary and Internet Humor
Iranian internet culture has its own vocabulary layer. A few terms you’ll see on Instagram and Telegram:
- ریپلای (riplay). reply (English loan)
- فالو (fâlo). follow
- لایک (lâyk). like
- استوری (estori). Instagram story
- سمی (sammi). “toxic” / so funny it kills you
- کراش (kerâsh). crush (romantic)
- حق (haq). “truth” / “facts” (used as agreement, like “based”)
For more on Iranian internet language, see our post on Iranian Internet Culture & Slang and the guide to Instagram & TikTok Slang.
How to Practice Texting in Farsi
Start with ZabanYar’s AI tutor. you can text it in either Persian script or Finglish and it’ll respond naturally. It’s low-stakes practice before texting with real Iranians.
Join Iranian Telegram groups. There are groups for everything. language exchange, Iranian memes, cooking, football. Lurk first, then start participating when you’re comfortable.
Text in Persian script, not Finglish. As a learner, you need to build your reading and writing skills. Finglish is a crutch. Push yourself to type in Persian script. your phone’s autocomplete will help with spelling.
Also check out our guide to Finglish and its role in learning for more context on when Latin-letter Farsi helps vs. hurts your progress.
FAQ
What is Finglish and should I learn it?
What messaging app do Iranians use most?
Why do Iranians send voice messages instead of typing?
How do I type in Persian on my phone?
Is texting in Farsi good practice for learning the language?
Texting is where formal Farsi rules go to die. and where you learn how Iranians actually communicate in 2026. Start by downloading Telegram, switching to a Persian keyboard, and messaging ZabanYar in Farsi. Once you’re comfortable, find an Iranian language exchange partner and start texting for real. Your thumbs will learn faster than your textbook ever did.