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- How to say I like, I love, I enjoy and I prefer in Farsi — with full intensity scale
- How to express dislikes politely and directly in Persian
- Asking about someone’s preferences and making recommendations
- Agreeing and disagreeing in Farsi — from enthusiastic agreement to polite opposition
- The cultural dimension: why Iranians express opinions indirectly and how ta’arof shapes preferences
- Full dialogue: discussing what you like with a Persian-speaking friend
Likes and Dislikes in Farsi: Expressing Preferences, Opinions and Recommendations in Persian
Expressing what you like, what you don’t like, what you prefer, and what you think is one of the most socially active parts of any language. These are the phrases that come up constantly — when talking about food, films, music, places, decisions, suggestions. In Persian, this vocabulary is shaped not just by grammar but by cultural norms around expressing opinions, and understanding those norms is as important as knowing the words themselves.
Cultural note before the vocabulary: Persian culture, shaped by ta’arof, tends toward indirect expression of strong negative opinions — especially in social situations. Saying directly “من این را دوست ندارم” (I don’t like this) about food someone has cooked or a suggestion someone has made can feel abrupt. The phrases below cover the full range from casual direct expression (for close friends) to the more softened forms appropriate for social situations. See the full guide to ta’arof and Iranian culture →
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| دوست داشتن | Dust dāshtan | To like / To love | The most versatile verb — covers everything from mild liking to deep love. Literally “to have as a friend.” |
| خوش آمدن | Khosh āmadan | To like / To appeal to | Used with از (az — from/of): از این خوشم میآید = I like this |
| لذت بردن | Lazzat bordan | To enjoy | Literally “to take pleasure from” — از موسیقی لذت میبرم = I enjoy music |
| علاقه داشتن | Alāghe dāshtan | To be interested in / To care about | علاقه دارم به = I have interest in / I am fond of |
| ترجیح دادن | Tarjih dādan | To prefer | ترجیح میدهم = I prefer |
| عاشق بودن | Āshegh budan | To be in love with / To adore | Strongest liking — عاشق موسیقی هستم = I adore music |
Persian expresses degrees of liking and disliking across a rich range. Here is the complete scale from strongest positive to strongest negative:
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ترجیح میدم … به … | Tarjih midam … be … | I prefer … to … | ترجیح میدم چای به قهوه = I prefer tea to coffee |
| بیشتر دوست دارم | Bishtar dust dāram | I like … more / I prefer | — |
| مورد علاقهام | Mored-e alāghe’am | My favourite | مورد علاقهام غذای ایرانیه = my favourite is Iranian food |
| بهتره که | Behtare ke | It’s better that / I’d rather | Soft preference expression |
| از … خوشم میآد | Az … khosham mi’yad | I like … / … appeals to me | از موسیقی ایرانی خوشم میآد = I like Iranian music |
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| خوشت آمد؟ | Khoshat umad? | Did you like it? | Most natural everyday question |
| نظرت چیه؟ | Nazarat chiye? | What’s your opinion? | Casual — used between friends |
| از … خوشت میآد؟ | Az … khoshat mi’yad? | Do you like …? | — |
| چه چیزی دوست داری؟ | Che chizi dust dāri? | What do you like? | Open question about preferences |
| بیشتر … دوست داری یا …؟ | Bishtar … dust dāri yā …? | Do you prefer … or …? | Offering a choice |
| پیشنهادت چیه؟ | Pishnehādat chiye? | What do you recommend? | پیشنهاد = suggestion/recommendation |
Agreeing — موافقت
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| موافقم | Movāfegham | I agree | Standard — formal and informal |
| کاملاً درسته | Kāmelan doraste | Absolutely right / Completely correct | Enthusiastic agreement |
| حق داری | Hagg dāri | You’re right | Casual — حق = right/justice |
| منم همینطور فکر میکنم | Manam hamintor fekr mikonam | I think the same way / Same here | — |
| دقیقاً | Daghighan | Exactly! | Very common in Persian conversation — often borrowed as دقیقاً |
Disagreeing Politely — مخالفت مؤدبانه
Disagreeing in Persian culture: Direct contradiction (“You’re wrong”) is almost never the first response in Iranian social conversation. The preferred approach is to soften the disagreement with an acknowledgment first, then introduce your own view. These phrases model that cultural pattern — note how each opens with a bridge before the disagreement.
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| نه، زیاد موافق نیستم | Na, ziyād movāfeg nistam | No, I don’t really agree | Soft — the gentlest disagreement |
| ولی به نظرم … | Vali be nazaram … | But in my opinion … | Introduces your view after acknowledging theirs |
| یه جورایی، ولی … | Ye jurāyi, vali … | In a way, but … | Partial agreement before disagreement — very common |
| فکر میکنم فرق میکنه چون … | Fekr mikonam fargh mikone chon … | I think it’s different because … | Introducing a counter-argument gently |
| مخالفم | Mokhālfam | I disagree | Direct — appropriate with close friends, potentially abrupt in formal settings |
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| پیشنهاد میکنم | Pishnehād mikonam | I recommend / I suggest | Standard recommendation phrase |
| حتماً امتحانش کن | Hatman emtehānash kon | Definitely try it | Enthusiastic recommendation |
| ارزش داره | Arzesh dāre | It’s worth it | — |
| واقعاً خوبه | Vāghe’an khube | It’s really good | — |
| بهتره که نری | Behtare ke nari | It’s better not to go / I wouldn’t recommend it | Negative recommendation — indirect form preferred |
Practice Preferences and Opinions with a Native Persian Tutor
Expressing what you genuinely think in Persian — with the right cultural register — requires practice in real conversation. Danaa School tutors build exactly this fluency: natural opinion expression, recommendation phrases, and the cultural awareness around when to be direct and when to soften. Book a free trial.
Book a Free Trial Lesson →The most common and versatile expression is دوست دارم (dust dāram) — literally “I have as a friend.” To say you like a specific thing: دوستش دارم (dustesh dāram — I like it). For stronger liking: خیلی دوستش دارم (kheyli dustesh dāram — I love/really like it). For “I enjoy”: ازش لذت میبرم (azesh lazzat miboram).
The direct way: دوستش ندارم (dustesh nadāram — I don’t like it). For stronger dislike: ازش بدم میآد (azesh badam mi’yad — I don’t like it / it puts me off). The strongest: ازش متنفرم (azesh motanaferam — I hate it). In polite social contexts, Iranians often soften dislikes with زیاد دوست ندارم (ziyād dust nadāram — I don’t really like it) rather than a direct statement.
ترجیح میدم (Tarjih midam — I prefer). To compare two things: ترجیح میدم … به … (I prefer … to …). For example: ترجیح میدم چای به قهوه (I prefer tea to coffee). Alternatively, the simpler form: بیشتر دوست دارم (bishtar dust dāram — I like … more).
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