- How to say money in Farsi and Persian
- Essential Farsi vocabulary for cash, price, saving, spending and debt
- Common Persian expressions and idioms about money
- Useful money phrases for shopping, travel and everyday conversation
- English money idioms compared with Persian equivalents
- Internal links to Persian vocabulary, idioms and conversational Farsi lessons
Money in Farsi: Persian Money Expressions, Idioms and Everyday Vocabulary
Money in Farsi is most commonly said as پول, pronounced pul. It is one of the most useful everyday Persian words because it appears in shopping, travel, family conversations, work, business, saving, spending and daily life.
But learning only the word پول is not enough. Persian has many practical money expressions, from simple phrases like “How much is it?” to idioms about wasting money, saving money, being expensive or being short on cash.
This guide teaches you Persian money vocabulary, common Farsi expressions, useful idioms, pronunciation, English meanings and real examples so you can understand and use money-related Persian naturally.
Quick answer: Money in Farsi is پول — pul. Cash is پول نقد — pul-e naghd. To say “I don’t have money,” you can say پول ندارم — pul nadāram. For more beginner vocabulary, visit Common Farsi Words and Conversational Farsi Classes.
Start with the most common Persian money words. These are useful in daily conversation, especially when shopping, travelling, paying bills or talking about prices.
| English | Farsi | Pronunciation | Meaning / Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money | پول | pul | General word for money |
| Cash | پول نقد | pul-e naghd | Physical money / cash |
| Card | کارت | kārt | Bank card or payment card |
| Price | قیمت | gheymat | Cost or price of something |
| Expensive | گران / گرون | gerān / gerun | Formal / spoken word for expensive |
| Cheap | ارزان / ارزون | arzān / arzun | Formal / spoken word for cheap |
| Discount | تخفیف | takhfif | Reduction in price |
| Debt | بدهی / قرض | bedehi / gharz | Money owed |
| Salary | حقوق | hoghoogh | Monthly pay |
| Income | درآمد | darāmad | Money earned |
| Expense | خرج / هزینه | kharj / hazineh | Money spent |
| Savings | پسانداز | pas-andāz | Money saved |
Once you know the basic words, practise full phrases. These are useful in shops, restaurants, taxis, markets and everyday conversation.
Pronunciation: gheymatesh chande?
Meaning: How much is it?
Pronunciation: kheyli gerune.
Meaning: It is very expensive.
Pronunciation: takhfif dārad?
Meaning: Does it have a discount?
Pronunciation: bā kārt hesāb mikonam.
Meaning: I will pay by card.
Pronunciation: pul-e naghd nadāram.
Meaning: I do not have cash.
Persian has many everyday expressions with پول. Some are literal, and some are idiomatic. These expressions are useful because they appear naturally in daily Farsi conversations.
| Persian Expression | Pronunciation | English Meaning | Example Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| پول داشتن | pul dāshtan | To have money | پول داری؟ — Do you have money? |
| پول نداشتن | pul nadāshtan | To not have money | الان پول ندارم — I do not have money right now. |
| پول درآوردن | pul darāvordan | To make money | چطور پول درمیاری؟ — How do you make money? |
| پول خرج کردن | pul kharj kardan | To spend money | زیاد پول خرج نکن — Do not spend too much money. |
| پول جمع کردن | pul jam’ kardan | To save up money | دارم پول جمع میکنم — I am saving up money. |
| پول هدر دادن | pul hadar dādan | To waste money | این فقط پول هدر دادنه — This is just wasting money. |
| پول قرض گرفتن | pul gharz gereftan | To borrow money | ازش پول قرض گرفتم — I borrowed money from him/her. |
| پول قرض دادن | pul gharz dādan | To lend money | به دوستم پول قرض دادم — I lent money to my friend. |
Money idioms in Persian are often emotional, direct and practical. They can describe generosity, poverty, greed, waste, value or someone’s financial situation.
| Persian Idiom | Pronunciation | Literal Meaning | Real Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| پول از پارو بالا رفتن | pul az pāru bālā raftan | Money going up from a shovel | To make a lot of money |
| پول بادآورده | pul-e bād-āvardeh | Money brought by the wind | Easy or unearned money |
| پولش از پارو بالا میره | pulesh az pāru bālā mireh | His/her money goes up from a shovel | He/she is making lots of money |
| دستش به دهنش میرسه | dastesh be dahanesh mireseh | His/her hand reaches the mouth | He/she earns enough to live |
| هشتش گرو نهشه | hashtesh gerov-e noheshe | His eight is pledged to his nine | He/she is financially struggling |
| دست و بالش بازه | dast o bālesh bāzeh | His/her hands and arms are open | He/she is financially comfortable |
| جیبش خالیه | jibesh khāliyeh | His/her pocket is empty | He/she has no money |
| دخل و خرجش نمیخونه | dakhl o kharjesh nemikhuneh | Income and expenses do not match | Spending is higher than income |
Learner note: Some Persian money idioms sound strange if translated word-for-word. Learn the real meaning and the situation where people use the phrase, not only the literal translation.
These phrases are useful for real conversations about shopping, prices, budgeting and daily expenses.
Saving Money
دارم پول جمع میکنم
I am saving up money.
Spending Too Much
خیلی پول خرج کردی
You spent too much money.
Too Expensive
خیلی گرونه
It is very expensive.
Good Price
قیمتش خوبه
The price is good.
No Cash
پول نقد ندارم
I do not have cash.
Waste of Money
پول هدر دادنه
It is a waste of money.
Persian often has a formal version and a spoken version. In writing, you may see more formal words. In everyday speech, people often use shorter, more casual forms.
| English | Formal Persian | Spoken Persian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expensive | گران | گرون | gerān / gerun |
| Cheap | ارزان | ارزون | arzān / arzun |
| How much? | چقدر است؟ | چنده؟ | cheghadr ast? / chande? |
| It became expensive | گران شد | گرون شد | gerān shod / gerun shod |
| It costs a lot | هزینه زیادی دارد | خیلی خرج داره | hazineh-ye ziyādi dārad / kheyli kharj dāreh |
If you travel, shop in a Persian-speaking environment, or speak with Persian-speaking family members, these phrases are practical and easy to reuse.
Pronunciation: bebakhshid, gheymat-e in chande?
Meaning: Excuse me, how much is this?
Pronunciation: misheh kamtar hesāb konid?
Meaning: Can you charge less?
Pronunciation: kārt ghabul mikonid?
Meaning: Do you accept card?
Pronunciation: naghdi hesāb konam yā bā kārt?
Meaning: Should I pay in cash or by card?
Some English money idioms have a close Persian equivalent, while others need explanation. The goal is not always to translate word-for-word, but to express the same idea naturally.
| English Idiom | Meaning | Natural Persian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money does not grow on trees | Money is limited | پول که علف خرس نیست | pul ke alaf-e khers nist |
| A waste of money | Not worth the cost | پول هدر دادنه | pul hadar dādaneh |
| Easy money | Money earned with little effort | پول بادآورده | pul-e bād-āvardeh |
| To be broke | To have no money | جیبم خالیه | jibam khāliyeh |
| To make a lot of money | To earn a lot | پولش از پارو بالا میره | pulesh az pāru bālā mireh |
| To live beyond your means | To spend more than you earn | دخل و خرجش نمیخونه | dakhl o kharjesh nemikhuneh |
Money language in Persian is not only practical. It also reflects values around generosity, hospitality, family responsibility, saving, dignity and social behaviour. For example, people may avoid talking too directly about someone’s income, but they may use idioms or indirect phrases to describe financial comfort or difficulty.
In Persian-speaking families, money can also appear in expressions about respect, gratitude and support. A phrase may sound financial on the surface, but the real meaning may be emotional or social.
Example: When someone says دستش به دهنش میرسه, they are not literally talking about the hand and mouth. They mean the person earns enough to live and manage their life.
Use these full sentences to practise money vocabulary in context.
Pronunciation: man bāyad pul jam’ konam.
Meaning: I need to save money.
Pronunciation: in kheyli gerun dar umad.
Meaning: This ended up costing a lot.
Pronunciation: nemikhām pulamo hadar bedam.
Meaning: I do not want to waste my money.
Pronunciation: hoghoogham in māh dir vāriz shod.
Meaning: My salary was paid late this month.
Pronunciation: dakhl o kharjam nemikhuneh.
Meaning: My income and expenses do not match.
Money vocabulary looks simple, but learners often make mistakes because Persian uses different words depending on context.
| Mistake | Why It Happens | Better Persian | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using قیمت for every cost | قیمت means price, but هزینه means cost/expense | هزینهاش زیاده | Its cost is high |
| Using formal Persian in casual speech | Spoken Persian often shortens words | چنده؟ | How much is it? |
| Translating idioms word-for-word | Idioms rarely translate literally | جیبم خالیه | I am broke |
| Confusing پول نقد and پول | پول is money; پول نقد is cash | پول نقد ندارم | I do not have cash |
Minute 1: Say the basic words aloud: پول، قیمت، تخفیف، کارت، نقد.
Minute 2: Practise asking: قیمتش چنده؟
Minute 3: Practise one shopping sentence: با کارت حساب میکنم.
Minute 4: Practise one idiom: جیبم خالیه.
Minute 5: Make your own sentence with پول خرج کردن or پول جمع کردن.
Build Real-Life Farsi Vocabulary with Danaa School
Danaa School helps learners understand Persian beyond isolated words. Learn everyday Farsi expressions, idioms, pronunciation, conversation and cultural meaning with native-speaking tutors.
Learn Farsi Online →Money in Farsi is “پول,” pronounced “pul.” It is the most common everyday word for money in Persian.
Cash in Persian is “پول نقد,” pronounced “pul-e naghd.” You can say “پول نقد ندارم” meaning “I do not have cash.”
You can say “قیمتش چنده؟” pronounced “gheymatesh chande?” This is a natural spoken way to ask “How much is it?” in Persian.
A common casual phrase is “جیبم خالیه,” pronounced “jibam khāliyeh,” meaning “my pocket is empty” or “I am broke.”
“پول از پارو بالا رفتن” literally means “money going up from a shovel.” It means making a lot of money or earning very well.
To say “waste money” in Farsi, use “پول هدر دادن,” pronounced “pul hadar dādan.” For example, “این پول هدر دادنه” means “This is a waste of money.”
Yes. Persian money idioms are useful because they appear in everyday conversation, family discussions, shopping, work and cultural situations. They help learners understand real spoken Persian better.
