Compliments in Farsi: 23 Things to Say and 3 to Avoid
Zibâ (زیبا) is beautiful, khoshgel is pretty, qashang is lovely. 23 compliments in Farsi for people, homes and food, how to take one, and 3 to avoid.
Short answer: "Beautiful" in Farsi is زیبا (zibâ), the polished word. In everyday speech Iranians say خوشگل (khoshgel) for pretty or good-looking and قشنگ (qashang) for lovely things. Add kheyli (very) and you have a compliment. When someone compliments you, the reply is لطف داری (lotf dâri), "you're kind".
Compliments in Persian do more work than they do in English. They are part of ta'ârof, the system of ritual politeness, so there is a right moment, a right reply, and a few things that go down badly however nicely you mean them. Below are 23 compliments that are safe to use, grouped by situation, then the three mistakes I see most.
Beautiful, Pretty, Lovely: Which Word When
| Farsi | Finglish | Means | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| زیبا | zibâ | beautiful | Writing, poetry, slightly formal speech. Also a girl's name. |
| خوشگل | khoshgel | pretty, good-looking, cute | Everyday speech, people and things. |
| قشنگ | qashang | pretty, lovely | Things, places, voices, eyes, ideas. |
| شیرین | shirin | sweet | Children, a sweet way of talking, and dessert. |
| مهربان | mehrabân | kind | A compliment about character, which Iranians value a lot. |
A rule of thumb that has never let me down: khoshgel for people, qashang for things. A dress is qashang. The person wearing it is khoshgel. Zibâ fits both, but in conversation it can sound like you are reading from a card.
Compliments for People (1 to 6)
| # | Farsi | Finglish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | خیلی خوشگلی | kheyli khoshgeli | You're very beautiful. | Friendly or romantic. Tone decides which. |
| 2 | چشمات قشنگه | cheshmât qashange | Your eyes are beautiful. | Romantic, but deniable. Eyes are safe territory. |
| 3 | صدات خیلی قشنگه | sedât kheyli qashange | Your voice is really beautiful. | Warm, a little intimate. Good on the phone. |
| 4 | خیلی بامزه‌ای | kheyli bâmaze-i | You're really funny. | Works with anyone, in any context. |
| 5 | وای چه خوشگلی | vây che khoshgeli | Oh, how pretty! | Very casual. You'll see it in comments under photos. |
| 6 | داماد خیلی خوشتیپه. | dâmâd kheyli khoshtipe. | The groom is very handsome. | Swap in anyone. Khoshtip covers handsome and well-dressed. |
In the flirting guide I go further into which of these read as friendly and which read as interest. The short version: eyes and voice are fine, bodies are not.
Compliments for a Home, Tea and Food (7 to 12)
If you visit an Iranian home, this is where compliments earn the most. The host has cleaned, cooked and probably bought a fruit bowl the size of a car tyre. Noticing it is basic respect.
| # | Farsi | Finglish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | خونه‌تون خیلی قشنگه | khunetun kheyli qashange | Your home is very beautiful. | Say it once, early in a visit, and mean it. |
| 8 | خیلی زیباست | kheyli zibâst | It's very beautiful. | For the decor, the garden, the table. |
| 9 | چای‌تون خیلی خوشرنگه | châyetun kheyli khoshrange | Your tea has a beautiful colour. | A real compliment in Iran. Tea colour matters. |
| 10 | غذا حرف نداره | ghazâ harf nadâre | The food is beyond words. | Stronger than "delicious". |
| 11 | چه غذای خوشمزه‌ای | che ghazâ-ye khoshmaze-i | What delicious food! | The safe workhorse at any meal. |
| 12 | خیلی خوشمزه شده | kheyli khoshmaze shode | It turned out really delicious. | Sounds genuine because it is about this dish, today. |
Follow any food compliment with دستتون درد نکنه (dastetun dard nakone), "may your hand not hurt". That is number 13, and it is the most important line on this page. The house visit guide has the whole order of a visit, from the door to the 30-minute goodbye.
Praise for Something Someone Did (13 to 19)
- دستتون درد نکنه (dastetun dard nakone): thank you for your effort, literally "may your hand not hurt". After cooking, hosting, helping.
- آفرین (âfarin): bravo, well done. Teachers say it to students, parents to kids, friends to friends.
- احسنت (ahsant): bravo, excellent. More formal and a little literary. Older people use it.
- دمت گرم (damet garm): thanks a lot, nice one. Warm and casual, between friends.
- خسته نباشید (khaste nabâshid): literally "may you not be tired". You say it to anyone who has been working, as praise and thanks in one.
- گل گفتن (gol goftan): literally "to say a flower", meaning to say something spot on. When someone makes a great point, this is the verb for it.
- شیرین‌زبان (shirin-zabân): sweet-tongued, a charming speaker. A lovely thing to say about a child, or a guest who made everyone laugh.
Compliments for Big Moments (20 to 23)
- مهربان (mehrabân): kind. "Kheyli mehrabâni" is "you're very kind", a compliment about who someone is.
- ماشالله (mâshâllâh): literally "God has willed it". Said when you see something impressive: a garden, a new car, a child. More on why in the next section.
- چشمات روشن (cheshmât roshan): "may your eyes be bright". Said when someone has good news, or when you see them after a long time.
- خوشگل on its own, said about a child: "khoshgel!" Parents hear it all day and still like it. Say mâshâllâh first.
How to Take a Compliment in Farsi
Here is where learners get stuck. In English you say "thank you" and move on. In Persian, you deflect.
| When someone says | You reply | Finglish | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| any compliment to you | لطف داری | lotf dâri | you're kind (to a friend) |
| any compliment, formal | لطف دارید | lotf dârid | you're kind (polite or plural) |
| praise for a gift or something you made | قابلی نداره | qâbeli nadâre | it's nothing, it isn't worthy of you |
Lotf dâri works after almost any compliment. It does not agree with the compliment and does not reject it, which is exactly the point.
What Not to Say: 3 Compliments That Go Wrong
- Compliments about someone's body. Commenting on a person's physical body, especially a woman's, is inappropriate early on. Compliment eyes, smile, style, intelligence. Not the figure.
- Praising a baby without mâshâllâh. "Your baby is beautiful" on its own can sound like you are wishing the child the evil eye. Say ماشالله ماشالله (mâshâllâh mâshâllâh) and the compliment lands as a blessing. The evil eye post covers the whole belief.
- Taking a compliment with a flat "mersi". It is not rude, but it sounds like you agree you are wonderful. Lotf dâri is the better habit.
For the full set of lines to use with a partner's parents (several of the compliments above came from there), see 50 Farsi phrases for your partner's family.
FAQ
How do you say beautiful in Persian?
Zibâ (زیبا) is "beautiful". In conversation, khoshgel (خوشگل) is the usual word for a good-looking person and qashang (قشنگ) for a lovely thing.
How do you say pretty in Farsi?
Khoshgel (خوشگل) or qashang (قشنگ). "Kheyli khoshgeli" means "you're very pretty".
What do you say when an Iranian compliments you?
Lotf dâri (لطف داری), "you're kind", or lotf dârid to someone you call shomâ.
Get it wrong and the worst that happens is a warm laugh and a story they’ll tell for years. Get it right — refuse the tea twice, accept on the third — and you’ll watch a face open up. You didn’t just speak Persian. You played the game.
A teacher from Tabriz, based in Milano. 5.0 on Preply across 52 reviews, 1,652 lessons taught. He curates the growing dictionary behind this site.
