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Welcome in Farsi — Khosh Amadid (خوش آمدید): Meaning, Pronunciation & Persian Hospitality
When an Iranian says خوش آمدید (Khosh āmadid), they are not reciting a polite phrase — they are performing an act of culture. Persian hospitality is one of the most celebrated in the world, and the word welcome in Farsi carries the weight of a civilisation that has honoured guests as sacred for thousands of years. This guide covers the meaning, pronunciation, and every way to express welcome in Persian, along with the cultural traditions of Iranian hospitality that make these words so significant.
Quick Answer
How do you say welcome in Farsi?
خوش آمدید
Khosh āmadid
Pronunciation: khosh ah-mah-DEED
Literal meaning: “You have come pleasantly” — i.e., your arrival is a joy
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Khosh Amadid (خوش آمدید) — Full Meaning & Breakdown
Most people know خوش آمدید as “welcome” — but understanding what the phrase actually says reveals something deeper about how Iranians see guests.
Word-by-word breakdown
| خوش | Khosh | Pleasant, good, joyful — a positive quality |
| آمدید | Āmadid | You came / you have arrived — second person plural (polite form) |
| خوش آمدید | Together | “You have come pleasantly” — your arrival itself is a pleasant event |
The phrase uses the polite plural form آمدید (āmadid) rather than the informal singular آمدی (āmadi). This is because Iranian hospitality demands respect — even with someone you know well, the formal form is standard when welcoming them. It is the grammatical expression of the cultural value: the guest deserves your most respectful speech.
How to pronounce Khosh amadid correctly:
khosh ah-mah-DEED
• kh — throaty sound from the back of the throat, like the Scottish “loch” or German “Bach”
• osh — rhymes with “gosh”
• āmadid — ah-mah-DEED; stress on the final syllable
The most common mistake: saying “khosh” with a hard English “k” sound. The kh is always soft and throaty in Persian.
20 Ways to Say Welcome in Farsi — By Context
Persian has many ways to welcome a guest — from the standard everyday phrase to deeply poetic expressions reserved for important visitors. The right welcome depends on who you are greeting and the formality of the occasion.
Standard Welcome Expressions
| فارسی | Romanisation | Translation & when to use |
|---|---|---|
| خوش آمدید | Khosh āmadid | Welcome — the standard welcome in all situations |
| خوش اومدی | Khosh umadi | Welcome (informal singular) — for a close friend or family member |
| به منزل ما خوش آمدید | Be manzel-e mā khosh āmadid | Welcome to our home — said when a guest enters your house |
| به ایران خوش آمدید | Be Irān khosh āmadid | Welcome to Iran — used at airports, borders, and official contexts |
| به شهر ما خوش آمدید | Be shahr-e mā khosh āmadid | Welcome to our city — from a local host or official representative |
| بفرمایید | Befarmāyid | Please come in / please proceed — one of the most important hospitality words in Persian; invites the guest to enter, sit, or eat |
| بفرمایید بنشینید | Befarmāyid beneshinhid | Please have a seat — said immediately after welcoming a guest into the home |
| خانهتان باشد | Khānetān bāshad | May this be your home — telling a guest they are so welcome they should consider your home their own |
Warm & Affectionate Welcomes
| فارسی | Romanisation | Translation & meaning |
|---|---|---|
| خوش اومدی جانم | Khosh umadi jānam | Welcome, my dear — the most affectionate welcome; said to loved ones |
| چشممون روشن شد | Cheshmumon rowshan shod | Our eyes have been brightened — your arrival has brought light to us; deeply warm |
| خونه رو سر ما گذاشتی | Khune ro sar-e mā gozāshti | You have placed the home on our heads (honoured us) — a warm colloquial expression of delight at a visit |
| دیدنت واجب بود | Didanet vājeb bud | Seeing you was necessary — said when someone has been missed greatly; a warm welcome after absence |
| دلمون برات تنگ شده بود | Delmon barāt tang shodeh bud | Our hearts had become tight for you (we missed you) — said when welcoming someone after a long absence |
| خوش اومدی به خونهمون | Khosh umadi be khunemon | Welcome to our home (casual) — warm and informal; between close friends and family |
For Persian Heritage Families
Teach Your Children How to Welcome Guests in Farsi
خوش آمدید is one of the first phrases heritage children should learn — because Iranian hospitality culture begins the moment a guest arrives. At Danaa School, our native tutors help children of diaspora families build real Farsi skills, starting with the phrases that matter most in family life.
Book a Free Trial Lesson →Poetic Persian Welcomes — The Language of Hospitality at Its Most Beautiful
Some Persian welcome expressions go far beyond polite phrasing — they are miniature poems. These are the phrases that make Persian hospitality famous worldwide.
The most poetic Persian welcome
قدم روی چشم ما گذاشتید
Qadam roye cheshm-e mā gozāshtid
“You have placed your footstep upon our eyes.”
This is perhaps the most profound welcome expression in Persian. Placing someone’s foot upon your eye — your most precious organ — means you value them above your own sight. The guest is placed higher than the host’s ability to see. This phrase is said to an honoured or long-missed guest and carries centuries of Persian poetic tradition of placing the beloved or respected one above oneself.
The flower welcome
مقدمتان گلباران
Maghdametān golbārān
“May flowers rain upon your arrival / I have scattered flowers on the path of your coming.”
گلباران means “showered with flowers.” This expression says: your arrival is so wonderful that the path you walk should be covered in petals. It is one of the most visually poetic welcomes in Persian — capturing the Iranian love of beauty, flowers, and making the guest’s experience aesthetically magnificent. Used for formal and deeply honoured guests.
The light welcome
نور به چشممون اومدی
Nur be cheshmumon umadi
“You came as light to our eyes.”
نور (light) is one of the most spiritually loaded words in Persian. Telling someone they arrived as light to your eyes means their presence has illuminated your world. This is a warm, genuine expression of joy at a visitor’s arrival — particularly used for a loved one returning after absence.
The honour welcome
ممنون از تشریففرمایی شما
Mamnun az tashrif-farmāyi shomā
“Thank you for honouring us with your presence.”
تشریففرمایی (tashrif-farmāyi) is an elaborate formal word meaning “the honouring of someone by their presence.” Literally it says “the sending of honour.” When you use this expression, you are saying the guest has honoured the space by arriving. Used in formal business and official settings, and when welcoming very important guests.
مهماننوازی (Mehmān-navāzi) — Iranian Hospitality Culture
The Persian concept of hospitality — مهماننوازی (mehmān-navāzi) — is not a custom but a worldview. Understanding it explains why the welcome expressions above carry such weight.
🏛️ The ancient roots — Zoroastrian tradition
Iranian hospitality has its roots in Zoroastrianism — one of the world’s oldest religions, founded in ancient Persia. In Zoroastrian teaching, generosity and kindness to guests were spiritual obligations, not social customs. The act of welcoming a stranger was an act of worship. This spiritual dimension of hospitality was absorbed into Iranian culture across millennia and across the subsequent Islamic period — making it one of the most deeply embedded social values in the country.
☕ The tea ritual — چای (chāy)
No Iranian welcome is complete without چای (chāy — tea). Within minutes of a guest arriving, tea appears — dark, fragrant, and served in small glass cups with قند (ghond — sugar cubes) and sweets. Refusing tea is considered unusual and may even cause mild offence. The tea ritual is not about the drink — it is about the pause it creates, the warmth it signals, and the message: you are worth my time and care.
🎭 تعارف (Ta’arof) — the hospitality beneath the hospitality
Ta’arof is the elaborate system of Persian ritual courtesy that surrounds hospitality. When an Iranian host says “this house is yours” (خانهتان باشد), they mean it sincerely — but also within the understood framework of ta’arof. When they insist three times that you take more food, the social expectation is that you initially decline (modestly) before accepting. Understanding when ta’arof is sincere and when it is ritual is one of the most fascinating aspects of Persian social culture — and something only experience and language learning can fully teach.
🌹 The guest as sacred — مهمان حبیب خداست
There is a Persian proverb: مهمان حبیب خداست (Mehmān habib-e Khodāst) — “The guest is the beloved of God.” This saying captures the entire philosophy. A guest brings blessing to the home by arriving — the host benefits spiritually from the act of welcoming. This is why Iranian hospitality can feel overwhelming to those unfamiliar with it: the host is not simply being polite, they are fulfilling a sacred role.
Persian Hospitality Vocabulary — Key Words
| English | فارسی | Pronunciation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome | خوش آمدید | Khosh āmadid | The standard welcome |
| Guest | مهمان | Mehmān | Sacred in Iranian culture |
| Hospitality | مهماننوازی | Mehmān-navāzi | Guest-cherishing — a defining cultural value |
| Please come in | بفرمایید | Befarmāyid | Essential hospitality word — invites guest to enter/sit/eat |
| Tea | چای | Chāy | The first offering to any guest |
| Sweets | شیرینی | Shirini | Served with tea for all guests |
| Home / house | خانه / منزل | Khāneh / Manzel | Manzel is more formal; used in welcome phrases |
| Courtesy / ritual politeness | تعارف | Ta’ārof | The elaborate Persian politeness system |
| Generosity | سخاوت | Sakhāvat | Admired virtue — the basis of hospitality |
| You are welcome (response to thank you) | خواهش میکنم | Khāhesh mikonam | “I request / please” — the response to ممنون (thank you) |
⚠️ Important: “You’re welcome” in Farsi is NOT خوش آمدید
A common mistake — خوش آمدید means “welcome (to a place)” not “you’re welcome (in response to thank you).” When someone says ممنون (mamnun — thank you), the correct response is خواهش میکنم (Khāhesh mikonam) — literally “I request” but functioning as “you’re welcome.” You can also say قابل نداشت (Qābel nadāsht) — “it wasn’t worthy of thanks” — a ta’arof expression meaning your service was too small for thanks.
Learn Persian with Danaa School
At Danaa School, we help Persian heritage families and learners build real Farsi skills — from welcoming guests naturally to understanding the cultural context that makes the language so rich. Our native tutors work 1-on-1 at your pace and level.
Related: Hello in Persian — 25 greetings → · Goodbye in Farsi →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say welcome in Farsi?
The standard way to say welcome in Farsi is خوش آمدید (Khosh āmadid) — pronounced khosh ah-mah-DEED. It literally means “you have come pleasantly.” For a more informal welcome to a close friend or family member, use خوش اومدی (Khosh umadi). To welcome someone to your home specifically, say به منزل ما خوش آمدید (Be manzel-e mā khosh āmadid).
What does Khosh amadid mean in English?
خوش آمدید (Khosh āmadid) breaks down as: خوش (khosh — pleasant, good, joyful) + آمدید (āmadid — you have come/arrived). Together it means “You have come pleasantly” or “Your arrival is a joyful event.” It is not simply “hello” — it is a declaration that the guest’s presence itself is welcome and celebrated.
How do you pronounce Khosh amadid?
Pronounced: khosh ah-mah-DEED. The “kh” at the beginning is a soft, throaty sound made at the back of the throat — similar to the Scottish “loch” or German “Bach.” It is not a hard English “k” sound. The stress falls on the final syllable: ah-mah-DEED.
What does Befarmayid mean in Persian?
بفرمایید (Befarmāyid) is one of the most essential hospitality words in Persian. It is used to invite a guest to come in, sit down, eat, drink, or proceed with something. It literally means “please command / please proceed” but functions as “please come in,” “please sit,” or “please help yourself.” You will hear it constantly in any Iranian home.
What is the Persian proverb about guests?
The most famous Persian saying about guests is مهمان حبیب خداست (Mehmān habib-e Khodāst) — “The guest is the beloved of God.” This proverb captures the foundational Iranian attitude toward hospitality: welcoming a guest is not merely a social obligation but a spiritual act. The guest brings blessing to the home, and the host benefits from the divine favour that comes with generous hospitality.
How do you say “you’re welcome” in Farsi (as a response to thank you)?
When responding to ممنون (mamnun — thank you), say خواهش میکنم (Khāhesh mikonam) — “you’re welcome” / “please, think nothing of it.” You can also say قابل نداشت (Qābel nadāsht) — “it wasn’t worthy of your thanks” — a polite ta’arof expression. Note: خوش آمدید means “welcome to a place” — it is NOT used as a response to “thank you.”
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