Since I started teaching Persian in 2022, I have noticed the same small mistakes coming up again and again.
They are completely normal, especially when learning a language that works differently from your own. However, if you do not identify them early, they can slow down your progress.
So I have gathered the 5 mistakes I see most often among Persian learners.
This list will help you recognize them more easily, avoid them, and make faster progress.
1st mistake: Using the wrong word order
One of the first mistakes Persian learners make is using the wrong word order.
In English, sentences generally follow the order Subject – Verb – Object, while Persian follows: Subject – Object – Verb
For example:
“I eat an apple” in Persian is:
Man yek sib mi khoram (literally: “I an apple eat”)
At first, this structure may feel unusual, but don’t worry — your brain will gradually get used to it.
With practice, Persian word order will become natural.
2nd mistake: Pronouncing short “a” and long “â” the same way
Another common difficulty concerns the Persian vowels a and â.
In Persian, the short a is pronounced similarly to the “a” sound in many languages, but there is also a long â sound.
This sound is longer and deeper, produced further back in the throat (somewhere between an “a” and an “o” sound).
Many learners tend to pronounce a and â in the same way or mix them up.
In most situations, a Persian speaker will still understand what you mean. However, sometimes the difference in pronunciation completely changes the meaning of a word.
Here are a few examples:
bad means “bad”, while bâd means “wind”
tab means “fever”, while tâb means “swing”
kar means “deaf”, while kâr means “work”
tar means “wet”, while târ refers to a traditional Iranian musical instrument
As with word order, distinguishing these two sounds simply takes time and practice.
3rd mistake: Incorrectly conjugating the verb “to be”
In Persian, the verb “to be” has a special feature: in the third person singular present tense (he/she is), it does not take the usual verb ending.
However, once learners start studying other verbs and see the written ending –ad (pronounced –eh in spoken Persian), they often add the same ending to ast, creating the incorrect form:
❌ astad
The correct form is:
✅ ast = he/she is
It is a small detail, but one that many beginners encounter when they start building their grammar foundations.
4th mistake: Confusing false friends
Some Persian words look similar to words in other languages.
Sometimes the meaning is close, but sometimes the words have completely different meanings.
For example:
Sahra refers to any desert, not only the Sahara Desert.
And Rish means “beard”, not “rich”!
These similarities can be fun and motivating, but they are also a good reminder to always check the real meaning of a word before using it.
5th mistake: Mixing up the conjunctions “yâ” and “va”
Among the words beginners often confuse are yâ and va.
Their pronunciation is quite similar, but their meanings are different.
Yâ = “or”
Examples:
Chây yâ ghahveh?
→ Tea or coffee?
Ketâb yâ majale?
→ Book or magazine?
In yâ ân?
→ This or that?
It is used when presenting two alternatives or options.
Va = “and”
Examples:
Ketâb va khodkar
→ Book and pen
Man va to
→ Me and you
Dustân va khânevâdeh
→ Friends and family
To summarize:
Yâ → Or
Va → And
Want to take your Persian further?
If you would like to learn Persian in a clear, structured, and engaging way, I offer personalized lessons adapted to your level and your goals.
📩 You can also contact me directly at farsikhuneh@gmail.com