Persian Conversation 14: How Do You Get to University?

Talk about getting around in Persian: by bus or on foot, long time no see, how-often words, spoken vs written forms and a short quiz.

Getting to university: by bus or on foot?

Poriya runs into his friend Nima after a long time. After the greetings, he asks whether Nima always takes the bus to university. Nima says he usually walks. The dialogue introduces خیلی وقته ندیدمت (kheyli vaghte nadidamet), the Persian "long time no see", and words for how often you do something.

Listen for the spoken verb forms می‌ری (miri), "you go", and می‌رم (miram), "I go".

The dialogue

Key words and phrases

Spoken vs written Persian

The verb رفتن (raftan), "to go", has short spoken forms, and in speech the destination usually comes after the verb without به (be), "to".

How often and how

هیچ‌وقت needs a negative verb: هیچ‌وقت پیاده نمی‌رم (hichvaght piyâde nemiram), "I never walk". For means of transport use با (bâ), "with", but for walking use پیاده on its own, without با.

Try it yourself

• Greet a friend you have not seen for a while with خیلی وقته ندیدمت.
• Say how you usually get to work: معمولاً با مترو می‌رم سر کار (ma'mulan bâ metro miram sar-e kâr).

خیلی وقته ندیدمت is literally "it's a long time (that) I haven't seen you". A friend might reply منم همین‌طور (manam hamintor), "same here", or ask کجایی؟ (kojâyi?), "where have you been?". With someone you address as شما, say خیلی وقته ندیدمتون (kheyli vaghte nadidametun).

Notice also how Poriya puts دانشگاه at the very end of his question, after the verb. This word order is normal in conversation for destinations: می‌رم خونه (miram khune), "I'm going home"; رفتم بازار (raftam bâzâr), "I went to the bazaar".

The related word پیاده‌رو (piyâde-ro) means "sidewalk".

• Previous: Lesson 13
• Next: Lesson 15 (at a cafe)

Practice

1. How do you say "Long time no see" in Persian?

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   kheyli vaghte nadidamet خیلی وقته ندیدمت

2. How does Nima usually get to university?

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   He usually walks. پیاده

3. Ask a friend if they always go by bus.

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   hamishe bâ otobus miri? همیشه با اتوبوس می‌ری؟

4. Give the written form of {{می‌رم}}.

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   miravam می‌روم

5. Say "I sometimes go by taxi."

   Show answer

   gâhi bâ tâksi miram گاهی با تاکسی می‌رم

Find more dialogues in the Farsi conversation lessons series, and review the sounds behind the transliteration on the Persian pronunciation page.