In This Guide

How Persian verbs work — infinitive form, present stem, and past stem explained simply
20 essential verbs of motion and physical action in Farsi
15 verbs of state and existence — to be, to have, to want, to know
15 verbs of communication and social interaction
15 verbs of emotion and perception in Persian
15 essential daily life verbs
Each verb with sentence examples in Persian script and English translation

Essential Persian Verbs: 80+ Common Farsi Verbs Organised by Category

Verbs are the engine of a language. In Persian, a single verb root generates the entire conjugation system — once you know the two stems of a verb (present and past), you can build every tense and form from them. This guide covers the 80 most essential Persian verbs, organised by semantic category, each with its infinitive form, both stems, and example sentences you can use immediately.

This page covers vocabulary — what the essential verbs are. For how Persian verbs conjugate — present stem, past stem, personal endings, and tense construction — see the companion guide: Persian verb conjugation →

How Persian Verbs Are Structured

Every Persian verb has three key forms you need to know:

Infinitive

The base form ending in ‑ن (‑an) or ‑دن (‑dan). This is the dictionary form. Example: رفتن raftan = to go

Present Stem (بن مضارع)

Used for present tense, subjunctive, imperative. Remove ‑ن from infinitive in regular verbs, but irregular verbs have unique present stems. رو row = present stem of raftan

Past Stem (بن ماضی)

Used for past tense and perfect aspects. Remove ‑ن from infinitive. رفت raft = past stem of raftan

Colloquial vs Formal

Persian verbs contract heavily in speech. می‌روم (miravom) → میرم (miram). This guide shows both forms where they differ significantly.

Verbs of Motion and Physical Action — فعل‌های حرکتی

Infinitive	Pronunciation	English	Example Sentence
رفتن	Raftan	To go	فردا به تهران می‌روم.Tomorrow I am going to Tehran.
آمدن	Āmadan	To come	بیا اینجا.Come here. (imperative)
برگشتن	Bargashtan	To return / To come back	کِی برمی‌گردی؟When are you coming back?
رسیدن	Rasidan	To arrive / To reach	قطار رسید.The train has arrived.
رفتن و آمدن	Raftan va āmadan	To go and come / To commute	هر روز رفت و آمد می‌کنم.I commute every day.
نشستن	Neshestan	To sit	بفرمایید بنشینید.Please sit down.
ایستادن	Istādan	To stand / To stop	اینجا بایست.Stand/stop here.
دویدن	Davidan	To run	هر صبح می‌دوم.I run every morning.
پریدن	Paridan	To jump / To fly	پرنده پرید.The bird flew away.
افتادن	Oftādan	To fall	از پله افتاد.He/she fell down the stairs.
بردن	Bordan	To take / To carry	کتاب را با خودت ببر.Take the book with you.
آوردن	Āvardan	To bring	آب بیار.Bring water. (colloquial)
خوردن	Khordan	To eat / To hit / To drink (colloquial)	ناهار خوردی؟Have you eaten lunch?
آشامیدن / نوشیدن	Āshāmidan / Nushidan	To drink	آب می‌نوشم.I am drinking water.
انداختن	Andākhtan	To throw / To drop	توپ را بینداز.Throw the ball.

Verbs of State and Existence — فعل‌های حالت

These are the most fundamental verbs in Persian — the ones that appear in almost every sentence. Many are irregular with unpredictable present stems, which is why they must be memorised individually.

Infinitive	Pronunciation	English	Example Sentence
بودن	Budan	To be	من ایرانی هستم.I am Iranian.
داشتن	Dāshtan	To have	وقت داری؟Do you have time?
خواستن	Khāstan	To want	چی می‌خوای؟What do you want? (colloquial)
توانستن	Tavānestan	To be able / Can	می‌تونم کمک کنم.I can help. (colloquial)
دانستن	Dānestan	To know (a fact)	نمی‌دانم.I don’t know.
شناختن	Shenākhtan	To know (a person)	او را می‌شناسم.I know him/her.
شدن	Shodan	To become	هوا سرد شد.The weather became cold.
ماندن	Māndan	To stay / To remain	چند روز می‌مانی؟How many days are you staying?
باید	Bāyad	Must / Should (modal)	باید بروم.I must go / I have to go.
نیاز داشتن	Niyāz dāshtan	To need	به کمک نیاز دارم.I need help.

Verbs of Communication — فعل‌های ارتباطی

Infinitive	Pronunciation	English	Example Sentence
گفتن	Goftan	To say / To tell	چی گفتی؟What did you say?
پرسیدن	Porsidan	To ask	یه سوال بپرسم؟Can I ask a question?
جواب دادن	Javāb dādan	To answer	جواب تلفن را بده.Answer the phone.
صحبت کردن	Sohbat kardan	To talk / To speak	فارسی صحبت می‌کنی؟Do you speak Farsi?
نوشتن	Neveshtan	To write	آدرست را بنویس.Write your address.
خواندن	Khāndan	To read / To sing	روزنامه می‌خوانم.I am reading the newspaper.
شنیدن	Shenidan	To hear / To listen	صدایت را نمی‌شنوم.I can’t hear your voice.
فهمیدن	Fahmidan	To understand	نمی‌فهمم.I don’t understand.
توضیح دادن	Tuzih dādan	To explain	دوباره توضیح بده.Explain it again.
تکرار کردن	Tekrār kardan	To repeat	لطفاً تکرار کن.Please repeat.

Verbs of Emotion and Perception — فعل‌های احساسی

Infinitive	Pronunciation	English	Example Sentence
دوست داشتن	Dust dāshtan	To like / To love	تو را دوست دارم.I love you.
دیدن	Didan	To see	می‌بینمت.I’ll see you. / See you later.
احساس کردن	Ehsās kardan	To feel	حالت چطوره؟How are you feeling?
ترسیدن	Tarsidan	To be afraid / To fear	نترس.Don’t be afraid.
خندیدن	Khandidan	To laugh / To smile	چرا می‌خندی؟Why are you laughing?
گریه کردن	Gerye kardan	To cry	گریه نکن.Don’t cry.
تعجب کردن	Ta’ajjob kardan	To be surprised	تعجب کردم!I was surprised!
ناراحت بودن	Nārāhat budan	To be upset	ناراحت نباش.Don’t be upset.
خوشحال بودن	Khoshhāl budan	To be happy	خوشحالم که اومدی.I’m happy you came. (colloquial)
یادآوری کردن	Yādāvari kardan	To remember	یادم میاد.I remember. (colloquial)

Essential Daily Life Verbs — فعل‌های روزمره

Infinitive	Pronunciation	English	Example Sentence
کار کردن	Kār kardan	To work	کجا کار می‌کنی؟Where do you work?
خوابیدن	Khābidan	To sleep	چند ساعت خوابیدی؟How many hours did you sleep?
بیدار شدن	Bidār shodan	To wake up	ساعت هفت بیدار می‌شم.I wake up at seven.
خریدن	Kharidan	To buy	این رو از کجا خریدی؟Where did you buy this?
فروختن	Forukhtan	To sell	می‌فروشید؟Are you selling (this)? / Is it for sale?
پختن	Pokhtan	To cook	غذا پختی؟Have you cooked?
شستن	Shostan	To wash	دستت را بشور.Wash your hands.
باز کردن	Bāz kardan	To open	پنجره را باز کن.Open the window.
بستن	Bastan	To close	در را ببند.Close the door.
کمک کردن	Komak kardan	To help	می‌تونم کمک کنم؟Can I help?
درست کردن	Dorost kardan	To make / To fix / To prepare	چای درست می‌کنم.I’ll make tea.
فراموش کردن	Farāmush kardan	To forget	فراموش نکن.Don’t forget.

Use These Verbs in Real Conversation

Practice Persian Verbs with a Native Tutor

Knowing a verb list is the starting point. Using verbs correctly in real conversation — with the right conjugation, register, and cultural context — requires speaking practice with a native speaker. Danaa School tutors build this fluency from day one. Book a free trial.

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What are the most important verbs to learn first in Persian?

The ten highest-priority verbs for beginners are: بودن (to be), داشتن (to have), رفتن (to go), آمدن (to come), خواستن (to want), توانستن (can/to be able), گفتن (to say), دیدن (to see), دانستن (to know), and فهمیدن (to understand). These ten verbs appear in almost every conversation and provide the skeleton for functional Persian communication.

How do Persian verbs conjugate?

Persian verbs conjugate by adding personal endings to the present or past stem. Present tense: می + present stem + personal ending (می‌روم = I go). Past tense: past stem + personal ending (رفتم = I went). The same pattern applies to all tenses with different prefixes. See the full conjugation guide: Persian verb conjugation →

What is the difference between دانستن and شناختن?

Persian has two verbs for “to know”: دانستن (dānestan) = to know a fact, to know how to do something; and شناختن (shenākhtan) = to know a person, to recognise something. “I know the answer” = جواب را می‌دانم. “I know him” = او را می‌شناسم. This distinction is the same as the French savoir/connaître or Spanish saber/conocer.

Persian Verb Conjugation Farsi Grammar Overview Persian Sentence Structure How to Memorise Persian Verbs 100 Common Farsi Words Learn Farsi — Full Guide