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- How to say “country” in Persian — script, pronunciation, and grammar
- 50+ country names in Farsi — Middle East, Europe, Americas, Asia, Africa
- How to say “I am from…” in Persian and ask where someone is from
- Nationality adjectives in Farsi — Iranian, French, British, American…
- World regions in Persian — continent and region names
- Geography sentences and conversation examples
Country in Persian: Names, Nationalities & Geography Vocabulary
The word for country in Persian is کشور (keshvar) — and it opens the door to one of the most practically useful areas of Persian vocabulary. Conversations about where you are from, where you have travelled, which country something happened in, and how to describe nationalities all depend on this cluster of geography words.
This guide goes far beyond the single word. It covers country names from every major world region in Farsi, how to say nationality adjectives, how to ask and answer “where are you from” in Persian, and the grammar rule (the ezafe construction) that connects all of these words correctly.
The word کشور (keshvar) works exactly like the English word “country” — it can refer to any sovereign nation. The plural is formed with the standard Persian suffix ها: کشورها (keshvar-hā) — countries.
The Grammar Rule You Need: The Ezafe Construction
Before looking at country names, one grammar point makes everything easier to understand. In Persian, when you connect a noun with an adjective (like “European country”), the adjective comes after the noun — connected by the particle -e or -ye (called the ezafe):
- کشور اروپایی (keshvar-e orupāyi) — European country
- کشور اسلامی (keshvar-e eslāmi) — Islamic country
- کشور قدیمی (keshvar-e ghadimi) — ancient/old country
- کشورهای خاورمیانه (keshvar-hāye khāvar-miyāne) — Middle Eastern countries
The ezafe rule in brief: adjective follows noun, connected by -e (before consonants) or -ye (before vowels). This is one of the most fundamental patterns in Persian and applies to all noun-adjective combinations — not just country words.
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ایران | Irān | Iran | The name Persians use for their own country — Iran means “land of the Aryans” |
| افغانستان | Afghānestān | Afghanistan | -estān suffix means “land of” — Afghān + land |
| تاجیکستان | Tājikestān | Tajikistan | Dari Persian is also spoken here |
| عراق | Arāgh | Iraq | — |
| ترکیه | Torkiye | Turkey / Türkiye | — |
| عربستان سعودی | Arabestan-e Sa’udi | Saudi Arabia | Literally “Arab-land of the Saudis” |
| امارات متحده عربی | Emārāt-e Mottahede-ye Arabi | United Arab Emirates | Often shortened to امارات (Emārāt) |
| پاکستان | Pākestān | Pakistan | Pāk (pure/clean) + estān (land) |
| سوریه | Suriye | Syria | — |
| لبنان | Lebnān | Lebanon | — |
| اسرائیل | Esrāil | Israel | — |
| فلسطین | Felestin | Palestine | — |
| اردن | Ordon | Jordan | — |
| قطر | Ghatr | Qatar | Note: ق is pronounced “gh” in Farsi, not the Arabic “q” |
| کویت | Koveyt | Kuwait | — |
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| انگلستان | Engelestān | England |
| بریتانیا | Britaniyā | Britain / United Kingdom |
| فرانسه | Farānse | France |
| آلمان | Ālmān | Germany |
| اسپانیا | Espāniyā | Spain |
| ایتالیا | Itāliā | Italy |
| هلند | Holand | Netherlands / Holland |
| سوئد | Soved | Sweden |
| سوئیس | Soveys | Switzerland |
| روسیه | Rusiye | Russia |
| یونان | Yunān | Greece |
| لهستان | Lahestān | Poland |
| اتریش | Otrish | Austria |
| نروژ | Norvezh | Norway |
| پرتغال | Porteghal | Portugal |
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| آمریکا | Āmrikā | America / USA | Also ایالات متحده (Eyālāt-e Mottahede) |
| کانادا | Kānādā | Canada | Large Iranian diaspora community |
| استرالیا | Ostorāliyā | Australia | — |
| چین | Chin | China | The word “china” for porcelain comes from this Persian name |
| ژاپن | Zhāpon | Japan | — |
| هند | Hend | India | Ancient Persian word for India — the English “India” traces back through Persian |
| برزیل | Berezil | Brazil | — |
| مکزیک | Maksik | Mexico | — |
| آرژانتین | Ārzhāntin | Argentina | — |
| کره جنوبی | Kore-ye Jonubi | South Korea | جنوبی (jonubi) = southern |
| مصر | Mesr | Egypt | — |
| مراکش | Marākesh | Morocco | — |
| اتیوپی | Etiyupi | Ethiopia | — |
| نیجریه | Nijiriye | Nigeria | — |
Persian nationality adjectives are formed by adding the suffix ی (i) to the country name — similar to how English adds “-ian” or “-ish.” The same ezafe rule applies when using them: noun + -e + nationality.
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | Nationality | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| ایرانی | Irāni | Iranian | ایران + ی |
| انگلیسی | Engelisi | English / British | Also used for the English language |
| فرانسوی | Farānsavi | French | فرانسه + ی (slight vowel adjustment) |
| آلمانی | Ālmāni | German | — |
| آمریکایی | Āmrikāyi | American | — |
| چینی | Chini | Chinese | Also means “porcelain/china” — the same word |
| هندی | Hendi | Indian | — |
| ژاپنی | Zhāponi | Japanese | — |
| ترکی | Torki | Turkish | Also used for the Turkish language |
| عربی | Arabi | Arabic / Arab | Also used for the Arabic language |
| روسی | Rusi | Russian | Also used for the Russian language |
| اسپانیایی | Espāniyāyi | Spanish | — |
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| آسیا | Āsiyā | Asia |
| اروپا | Orupā | Europe |
| آمریکا | Āmrikā | America (the continent) |
| آفریقا | Āfrikā | Africa |
| استرالیا | Ostorāliyā | Australia (continent) |
| خاورمیانه | Khāvar-miyāne | Middle East |
| آسیای مرکزی | Āsiyāye markazi | Central Asia |
| شبهجزیره عربی | Shebhe-jazire-ye Arabi | Arabian Peninsula |
| اروپای غربی | Orupāye gharbi | Western Europe |
| آمریکای شمالی | Āmrikāye shomāli | North America |
| آمریکای جنوبی | Āmrikāye jonubi | South America |
| جهان | Jahān | The world |
Use These Words in Real Persian Conversations with a Native Tutor
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Book a Free Trial →Frequently Asked Questions
The Persian word for country is کشور (keshvar). It is used in exactly the same way as the English word “country” — for any independent nation or state. The plural is کشورها (keshvar-hā).
The standard phrase is من اهل … هستم (Man ahl-e … hastam) — “I am from…” where you insert the country name. Ahl-e literally means “of the people of” — it is the most natural way to express origin in Persian. Alternatively: من از … هستم (Man az … hastam) — “I am from…” is also understood, though slightly less natural for origin specifically.
Informal: اهل کجایی؟ (Ahl-e kojāyi?) — literally “of where are you?” Formal (to use with elders or strangers): اهل کجا هستید؟ (Ahl-e kojā hastid?). When someone tells you where they are from, a natural warm response is عالیه! (Ālie! — Wonderful!) or خوش آمدید (Khosh āmadid — Welcome).
By adding the suffix ی (i) to the country name — similar to English “-ian” or “-ish.” Iran → ایرانی (Irāni = Iranian). Germany/آلمان → آلمانی (Ālmāni = German). This suffix is also how languages are named: فارسی (Fārsi = Persian/Farsi), انگلیسی (Engelisi = English).
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