Skip to content
- All 7 days of the week in Farsi — script, pronunciation, and the logic behind the names
- Why the Persian week starts on Saturday — and what that means practically
- All 12 Iranian Solar Hijri months in Farsi with English equivalents
- Essential time vocabulary: today, tomorrow, yesterday, morning, evening, now
- Example sentences using days and times in real Persian conversation
Days of the Week in Farsi — Plus Months, Time Vocabulary and Calendar Guide
Time vocabulary is among the first things a Farsi learner needs in real conversations — making plans, asking when something happens, talking about the week ahead. This guide covers everything you need: all seven days with full pronunciation, the logic behind the Persian naming system, Iranian months, and the everyday time expressions that native speakers use constantly.
Days of the Week in Farsi — All Seven with Pronunciation
The Logic Behind Persian Day Names
Once you understand the system, all seven days become easy to remember. Six of the seven days are built from a simple formula:
Number + شنبه (Shanbeh)
- شنبه (Shanbeh) — Saturday — the base word, origin uncertain but likely from Aramaic shabbat
- یکشنبه (Yek = 1) — Sunday — literally “first shanbeh”
- دوشنبه (Do = 2) — Monday
- سهشنبه (Se = 3) — Tuesday
- چهارشنبه (Chahār = 4) — Wednesday
- پنجشنبه (Panj = 5) — Thursday
- جمعه (Jom’eh) — Friday — from Arabic, means “gathering” — the Islamic congregational prayer day
Memory shortcut: Learn the numbers 1–5 in Farsi (yek, do, se, chahār, panj) and add “shanbeh” — you immediately know Sunday through Thursday. Saturday is “shanbeh” on its own. Only Friday (jom’eh) is completely different.
The Iranian Work Week vs. the Western Week
The Iranian calendar and working week differ from the Gregorian calendar used in Western countries in two important ways:
- The week starts on Saturday, not Monday or Sunday. Saturday (Shanbeh) is the first working day of the week in Iran.
- Friday (Jom’eh) is the day of rest. Most businesses, schools, and government offices close on Friday. This is equivalent to Sunday in many Western countries.
- Thursday (Panjshanbeh) is the last working day — equivalent to Friday in the West. Iranians often say “ta panjshanbeh” (“until Thursday”) the way English speakers say “until the weekend.”
Cultural note — Chaharshanbe Suri: The last Wednesday before Nowruz (Persian New Year) is one of Iran’s most celebrated cultural events. Iranians jump over bonfires on Chaharshanbe Suri night, shouting “Zardi-ye man az to, sorkhi-ye to az man” (“Give me your red colour, take my yellow pallor”) — a ritual of purification to welcome spring. Knowing the days of the week connects you directly to this tradition.
Use Days and Dates in Real Persian Conversations
Book a free trial lesson at Danaa School. Your tutor will help you use time vocabulary naturally from day one.
Book a Free Trial →Iran uses the Solar Hijri (Shamsi) calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar. The Iranian year begins on Nowruz — around March 20–21 in the Gregorian calendar. The months are named after Zoroastrian concepts and ancient Iranian deities, predating the Islamic period.
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | Approx. Gregorian Equivalent | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| فروردین | Farvardin | Mar 21 – Apr 20 | Spring 🌸 |
| اردیبهشت | Ordibehesht | Apr 21 – May 21 | Spring |
| خرداد | Khordad | May 22 – Jun 21 | Spring |
| تیر | Tir | Jun 22 – Jul 22 | Summer ☀️ |
| مرداد | Mordad | Jul 23 – Aug 22 | Summer |
| شهریور | Shahrivar | Aug 23 – Sep 22 | Summer |
| مهر | Mehr | Sep 23 – Oct 22 | Autumn 🍂 |
| آبان | Ābān | Oct 23 – Nov 21 | Autumn |
| آذر | Āzar | Nov 22 – Dec 21 | Autumn |
| دی | Dey | Dec 22 – Jan 20 | Winter ❄️ |
| بهمن | Bahman | Jan 21 – Feb 19 | Winter |
| اسفند | Esfand | Feb 20 – Mar 20 | Winter |
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Example Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| امروز | Emruz | Today | Emruz kār dāram — I have work today |
| فردا | Fardā | Tomorrow | Fardā miāyam — I’ll come tomorrow |
| دیروز | Diruz | Yesterday | Diruz raftam — I went yesterday |
| این هفته | In hafte | This week | — |
| هفته آینده | Hafte-ye āyande | Next week | — |
| هفته گذشته | Hafte-ye gozashte | Last week | — |
| صبح | Sobh | Morning | Sobh zud miad — He comes early in the morning |
| ظهر | Zohr | Noon / Midday | — |
| بعدازظهر | Ba’d az zohr | Afternoon | — |
| عصر | Asr | Late afternoon / Evening | — |
| شب | Shab | Night / Evening | — |
| الان | Alān | Now / Right now | Alān miāyam — I’m coming now |
| بعداً | Ba’dan | Later | — |
| هر روز | Har ruz | Every day | — |
| آخر هفته | Ākhare hafte | Weekend | In Iran: Thursday evening + Friday |
Frequently Asked Questions
The Persian week starts on Saturday because Iran follows the Islamic convention of Friday as the day of rest — equivalent to Sunday in Christian traditions. The working week therefore begins on Saturday and ends on Thursday. Friday is Jom’eh, the day of congregational prayer and rest. The word shanbeh itself traces back to the ancient Middle Eastern Sabbath tradition.
The standard question is امروز چند شنبه است؟ (Emruz chand shanbeh ast?) — literally “Today is how many shanbeh?” This structure is unique to Persian and reflects the numbered day system. You can also say امروز چه روزی است؟ (Emruz che ruzi ast?) — “What day is today?”
Iran officially uses the Solar Hijri (Shamsi) calendar — a solar calendar that begins on Nowruz (around March 21). The current year in Iran is approximately 1403–1404. The Gregorian calendar is understood but not used officially. When Iranians write dates, they use the Solar Hijri system.
Dushanbe means “Monday” in Persian (دوشنبه — Do-shanbeh). The city was historically a Monday market town — its weekly market took place on Mondays — and the name stuck. This is a useful real-world reminder that Persian day names are deeply embedded in the geography and culture of Persian-speaking regions.
