گ (gâf) is the 26th letter of the Persian alphabet. It is pronounced g, as in “go”, as in گل (gol, flower).
How to write گ (gâf)
Persian is written from right to left, and most letters change shape depending on where they sit in a word. These are the four forms of گ:
| On its own | Start of a word | Middle | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| گ | گـ | ـگـ | ـگ |
گ joins the letter that comes after it.
How to pronounce گ (gâf)
Pronounced g, as in "go", always hard, never like the g in "gem".
Persian words with گ
| Persian | Pronunciation | English | Where گ is |
|---|---|---|---|
| گل | gol | flower | start |
| گربه | gorbe | cat | start |
| گرم | garm | warm | start |
| انگور | angur | grapes | middle |
| انگشت | angosht | finger | middle |
| زندگی | zendegi | life | middle |
| سنگ | sang | stone | end |
| بزرگ | bozorg | big | end |
Good to know
- گ is one of the four letters Persian added to the Arabic alphabet (پ چ ژ گ).
- گ is written like ک with one extra stroke on top.
Quiz: the letter گ
Check yourself on گ (gâf): 7 quick questions with instant answers.
1. Which sound does گ (gâf) make?
2. Which word starts with گ?
3. What does گربه (gorbe) mean?
4. Does گ join the letter that comes after it?
5. What is the name of the letter گ?
6. Where is گ in the word انگور (angur, grapes)?
7. What is the position of گ in the 32-letter Persian alphabet?
Answer key with explanations
- D. g: گ is pronounced g. Pronounced g, as in “go”, always hard, never like the g in “gem”.
- D. گل (gol): گل (gol) means “flower” and begins with گ.
- B. cat: گربه (gorbe) means “cat”.
- A. Yes, it joins the next letter: گ joins the next letter, so it has four forms.
- B. gâf: گ is called gâf.
- A. In the middle: In انگور, گ comes in the middle, so it uses its middle form.
- D. 26th: گ is the 26th letter: ا ب پ ت ث ج چ ح خ د ذ ر ز ژ س ش ص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ک گ ل م ن و ه ی
Common questions
How do you pronounce گ in Persian?
گ (gâf) is pronounced g. Pronounced g, as in “go”, always hard, never like the g in “gem”.
Does گ connect to the next letter?
Yes. گ joins the letter after it, so it has four forms: on its own, at the start, in the middle and at the end of a word.
Does Arabic have the letter گ?
No. گ is one of the four letters Persian added (پ چ ژ گ) for sounds standard Arabic does not have.
The Farsi alphabet (Farsi: /alefbâye fârsi/ الفبای فارسی) consists 32 letters, most of which have two forms, short and full. In Farsi, words are written from right to left while numbers are written from left to right. Farsi is a writing style based on the Arabic script. It is entirely written cursively. That is, the majority of letters in a word connect to each other. Therefore, the appearance of a letter changes depending on its position: beginning (joined on the left), middle (joined on both sides), end (joined on the right) of a word and some letters are written isolated.
This writing style is also implemented on computers. Whenever the Farsi script is typed, the computer connects the letters to each other.
Following is a table showing the Farsi alphabet and how it is pronounced in English. There are also some examples of how those letters would sound if you place them in a word.
| ح | چ | ج | ث | ت | پ | ب | الف |
| ش | س | ژ | ز | ر | ذ | د | خ |
| ق | ف | غ | ع | ظ | ط | ض | ص |
| ی | ه | و | ن | م | ل | گ | ک |
گـ – گ
“گـ – گ” called “gâf”, is the twenty-sixth letter of the Persian alphabet. It has short and full forms. “گ” sounds /ge/ like “g” in “get”.
How to write it:
Sample Words:
 |
 |
 |
| گُرگ | سَگ | تَگَرگ |
| Previous< | >Next |
Take this lesson further
Serious about Persian? Get all 30 of our Persian learning books for $199.99 (55% less than buying them one by one).
Free Persian Starter Pack: Alphabet + 100 Core Words
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.
Practise with free Persian games
Read Enthusiastically
Listen Carefully
Practice! Practice! Practice!
Communicate!
Free Persian Starter Pack: Alphabet + 100 Core Words
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.
Practise with free Persian games
Free Persian Starter Pack: Alphabet + 100 Core Words
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.