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- How Persian verb conjugation works using infinitive, present stem, and past stem
- Present, past, future, negative, imperative, and subjunctive patterns
- Clear conjugation charts for رفتن, کردن, داشتن, بودن, and آمدن
- Formal vs spoken Persian verb forms learners actually hear
- Internal links to essential verbs, memorisation methods, grammar, and sentence structure
Persian Verb Conjugation: Complete Farsi Verb Guide for Beginners
Persian verb conjugation looks difficult at first, but the system is logical. Most Persian verbs are built from two stems: a past stem and a present stem. Once you know those stems and the personal endings, you can form most Persian tenses with predictable patterns.
This guide explains how to conjugate Persian verbs step by step, with practical charts and examples. It focuses on the grammar system — how verbs change by tense, person, and mood.
This page is the conjugation page. For a vocabulary list of verbs, use essential Persian verbs. For memorisation methods, use how to memorise Persian verbs.
| Form | Persian Example | Pronunciation | Used For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | رفتن | raftan | Dictionary form: “to go”. Most infinitives end in ـن. |
| Past stem | رفت | raft | Used for past tense and perfect forms. Usually remove ـن from the infinitive. |
| Present stem | رو | rav / row | Used for present tense, subjunctive, and imperative. Often irregular and must be learned. |
Persian verbs show the subject through endings. This means the subject pronoun is often optional because the verb already tells us who is doing the action.
| Person | Pronoun | Ending | Example with رفتن |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | من | -am / ـم | رفتم |
| You informal | تو | -i / ـی | رفتی |
| He / She | او | – / no ending in simple past | رفت |
| We | ما | -im / ـیم | رفتیم |
| You polite/plural | شما | -id / ـید | رفتید |
| They | آنها | -and / ـند | رفتند |
| Pronoun | Formal | Spoken | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| من | میروم | میرم | I go / I am going |
| تو | میروی | میری | You go |
| او | میرود | میره | He/she goes |
| ما | میرویم | میریم | We go |
| شما | میروید | میرین | You go |
| آنها | میروند | میرن | They go |
| Pronoun | Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| من | رفتم | raftam | I went |
| تو | رفتی | rafti | You went |
| او | رفت | raft | He/she went |
| ما | رفتیم | raftim | We went |
| شما | رفتید | raftid | You went |
| آنها | رفتند | raftand | They went |
Formal future uses خواهم/خواهی/خواهد + past stem: خواهم رفت. In everyday speech, Persians often use present tense with a future time word.
Add نـ or نمیـ before the verb: نمیروم = I do not go; نرفتم = I did not go.
Commands often use ب + present stem: برو = go, بگو = say, بکن = do. Some verbs have irregular spoken forms.
| Infinitive | Past Stem | Present Stem | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| کردن | کرد | کن | من کار میکنم. — I work. |
| داشتن | داشت | دار | وقت داری؟ — Do you have time? |
| بودن | بود | باش | من اینجا هستم. — I am here. |
| آمدن | آمد | آی | کی میآیی؟ — When are you coming? |
| گفتن | گفت | گو | چی میگویی؟ — What are you saying? |
- Using the infinitive as the stem: رفتن is “to go”, but the present stem is رو and the past stem is رفت.
- Forgetting the می prefix: most present-tense verbs need می.
- Mixing formal and spoken endings: میروم is formal/written; میرم is spoken.
- Learning tenses without sentence practice: every conjugation should be used in a full sentence.
Practise Persian Verb Conjugation with a Native Tutor
Persian verbs make sense when you use them in real conversation. Danaa School tutors help you practise formal and spoken forms, correct mistakes, and build sentences step by step.
Book a Free Trial Lesson →Persian verbs are conjugated by combining a present or past stem with personal endings. Present tense usually uses می + present stem + ending, while past tense uses the past stem + ending.
Past stems are usually regular because they are formed by removing ن from the infinitive. Present stems are often irregular and should be learned for high-frequency verbs such as رفتن, آمدن, داشتن, بودن, and گفتن.
Formal Persian keeps full forms such as میروم, while spoken Persian often contracts them to forms like میرم. Learners should recognise both because textbooks, writing, and conversation use different registers.
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