The Imperative Formula
Every language needs a way to tell people what to do. In Farsi, the imperative is built from the same present stem you already know from the present tense. just with a different prefix and no mi- (the UT Austin’s Persian grammar guide covers this pattern in detail). The formula is clean: be- + present stem + ending. That’s your positive command.
This post is part of the Persian Grammar series.
If you’ve made it through 13 lessons of this grammar series, you’ve already done the hard part. The imperative reuses everything you know. present stems, personal endings, the negation prefix. It just rearranges them into commands. And once you learn the spoken shortcuts, you’ll realize that half the phrases you’ve been hearing in Iranian movies and music are imperatives you didn’t recognize.
If you’re brand new to Persian verbs, start with the beginner’s guide and the past tense lesson first. the imperative builds on foundations laid there.
Imperative Formula: be- + present stem + ending = positive command. na- + present stem + ending = negative command.
Example: be + nevis = benevis! (Write!) / na + nevis = nanevis! (Don’t write!)
Forming Positive Commands
Take the present stem of any verb, slap be- (ب) on the front, and you’ve got an informal command. For the informal “you” (to), there’s no ending. just the bare stem. For the formal “you” (shomâ), add -id (ید).
neveshtan (to write) → present stem: nevis → benevis! (بنویس) = Write!
khândan (to read) → present stem: khân → bekhân! (بخوان) = Read!
khordan (to eat) → present stem: khor → bekhor! (بخور) = Eat!
zadan (to hit/call) → present stem: zan → bezan! (بزن) = Hit!/Call!
For formal commands (when talking to someone you’d address as “shomâ”), add -id:
benevisid! (بنویسید) = Please write! (formal)
bekhânid! (بخوانید) = Please read! (formal)
bekhorid! (بخورید) = Please eat! (formal)
That’s the whole system for regular verbs. If you know the present stem, you know the imperative. The Verb Hub has the full list of present stems if you need a refresher.
Negative Commands: The na- Prefix
To tell someone not to do something, swap be- for na- (ن). Everything else stays the same.
nanevis! (ننویس) = Don’t write!
nakhor! (نخور) = Don’t eat!
nazan! (نزن) = Don’t hit!
nakhân! (نخوان) = Don’t read!
Formal negatives just add -id:
nanevisid! (ننویسید) = Please don’t write! (formal)
nakhorid! (نخورید) = Please don’t eat! (formal)
This mirrors how negation works across all of Farsi. the na-/ne- prefix is the universal “not.” In the imperative, it replaces be- rather than stacking on top of it. You never say “na-be-nevis”. it’s just “nanevis.”
Formal vs Informal Commands
Persian has a built-in politeness system for commands, and it maps directly to the to/shomâ distinction you learned with pronouns:
Informal (to): be- + stem (no ending)
Formal (shomâ): be- + stem + -id
benevis → you (informal) write! → to a friend, sibling, child
benevisid → you (formal) write! → to a stranger, elder, boss, group
boro → go! (informal — practice imperative forms on Cooljugator)
beravid / borid → please go (formal)
In practice, Iranians soften commands constantly. A bare imperative can sound blunt, even rude. Adding lotfan (لطفاً. please) transforms a command into a polite request:
Lotfan benevisid = Please write (formal, polite)
Lotfan beshinid = Please sit down (formal, polite)
But the ultimate politeness upgrade is a single word that does more work than “please” ever could…
The Irregular Imperatives You’ll Hear Daily
The five most common verbs in Farsi are irregular. and their imperatives are the ones you’ll hear twenty times a day in Iran. Memorize these as fixed phrases:
raftan (to go) → boro! (برو) = Go! | formal: beravid / borid! (بروید)
âmadan (to come) → biâ! (بیا) = Come! | formal: biâid / biâin! (بیایید)
goftan (to say) → begu! (بگو) = Say!/Tell! | formal: beguid / begin! (بگویید)
didan (to see) → bebin! (ببین) = Look!/See! | formal: bebinid! (ببینید)
dâdan (to give) → bede! (بده) = Give! | formal: bedid / bedin! (بدید)
You’ll also hear these compound verb imperatives everywhere:
negâh kon! (نگاه کن) = Look! (negâh kardan)
gush kon! (گوش کن) = Listen! (gush kardan / gush dâdan)
sabr kon! (صبر کن) = Wait! Be patient! (sabr kardan)
tamâshâ kon! (تماشا کن) = Watch! (tamâshâ kardan)
Notice that compound verbs form their imperative from the light verb (kardan → kon). The noun part stays unchanged. This is why knowing your compound verbs pays off. the imperative is always just “noun + bokon/kon.”
“Befarmâid”. The Most Versatile Word in Persian
If you learn one imperative in Farsi (and hear command pronunciation on Forvo to get the tone right), make it this one: befarmâid (بفرمایید). It comes from farmâyidan (to command/to deign), and it’s the Swiss Army knife of Persian politeness.
Befarmâid can mean:
- Please sit down. when gesturing to a chair
- Please come in. when opening your door
- Please eat / help yourself. when serving food
- Please go ahead. when yielding in line or at a door
- Here you are. when handing something to someone
- Please, after you. holding a door, elevator
The informal version is befarmâ (بفرما), but you’ll almost always hear the formal befarmâid because the word itself is a politeness marker. using it informally somewhat defeats its purpose.
In a single Iranian dinner party, you might hear “befarmâid” thirty times: when you arrive (come in), when food is served (eat), when tea appears (have some), when someone offers you the better seat (please sit). It’s the verbal lubricant of Persian social life, and if you master nothing else from this lesson, master this word. Pair it with the Mersi and taarof vocabulary and you’ll navigate any Iranian social situation.
Befarmâid (بفرمایید) is the single most versatile word in Persian. It replaces “please sit,” “please eat,” “come in,” “go ahead,” and “here you go”. all depending on context and gesture. At an Iranian home, you’ll hear it a dozen times before you even sit down. When someone says “befarmâid” and gestures at food, the correct response is “mersi” followed by eating. Refusing too many times triggers taarof loops that can last minutes.
Spoken Shortcuts
In spoken Farsi, imperatives get compressed just like everything else:
be- sometimes drops when the stem starts with certain consonants. “Bebin” stays as “bebin,” but “boro” is already the spoken form of “berav” (the stem rav becomes ro in speech).
Formal -id becomes -in in casual speech:
benevisid → benevisin
bekhorid → bekhorin
beravid → borin
Quick commands compress hard:
“bebin” → “bin” (just “see!”. super casual)
“begu” → “gu” (just “say!”. among close friends)
“bede” → “de” (just “give!”. very informal)
Common spoken command phrases you’ll hear:
Vâysâ! (وایسا) = Stop! Wait! (from vâistâdan. to stop)
Bashe! (باشه) = OK! Fine! (from budan. technically subjunctive, used as agreement)
Zud bâsh! (زود باش) = Hurry up! (literally: be quick!)
Hâlet khub bâshe! = Take care! (literally: may your state be good)
lotfan benevisid
لطفاً بنویسید
Please write.
benevis
بنویس
Write!
Make the imperative “Go!” from raftan (present stem: rav).
Show answer
boro! (برو). The stem “rav” becomes “ro” in the imperative (irregular). Formal: beravid / borid (بروید).
How do you say “Don’t eat!” (informal)?
Show answer
nakhor! (نخور). na- + present stem khor. The be- prefix is replaced by na- for negative commands.
Say “Please write” formally.
Show answer
Lotfan benevisid (لطفاً بنویسید). be- + nevis + -id (formal ending) + lotfan for politeness.
For the full grammar roadmap, head to the Persian Grammar Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you form the imperative in Farsi?
How do you form a negative imperative in Farsi?
What does “befarmaid” mean in Farsi?
What’s the difference between formal and informal commands in Persian?
What are the irregular imperatives in Farsi?
Ready to practice giving and understanding commands in real conversation? Join me for a Preply session. we’ll role-play ordering food, giving directions, and navigating taarof situations where “befarmâid” is your best friend.
