Grocery Shopping Words in Persian (Farsi): bread is نان (nân), milk is شیر (shir) and rice is برنج (berenj). The full list below gives each word in English, Persian script and pronunciation.
Grocery ⇒ خواربار /khâro bâr/
| English | Pronunciation | Persian |
| Almonds | bâdâm | بادام |
| Bread | nun | نان |
| Bun | nune komâj | نان کماج |
| Candy | âbnabât | آبنبات |
| Cereals | bereshtuk | برشتوک |
| Cheese | panir | پنیر |
| Chestnuts | shâhbalut | شاه بلوط |
| Chocolate | shokolât | شکلات |
| Coconut | nârgil | نارگیل |
| Cream | khâme | خامه |
| Cream cheese | panire khâme’i | پنیر خامه ای |
| Dressing | sos | سس |
| Eggs | tokhmemorgh | تخم مرغ |
| Hazelnut/filberts | fandogh | فندق |
| Ice cream | bastani | بستنی |
| Ketchup | sose kachâb | سس کچاپ |
| Mayonnaise | mâyonez | مایونز |
| Milk | shir | شیر |
| Mustard | khardal | خردل |
| Nuts | âjil | آجیل |
| Oat bread | nune jô | نان جو |
| Olive oil | roghan zeytun | روغن زیتون |
| Peanuts | bâdâm zamini | بادام زمینی |
| Pistachios | peste | پسته |
| Pumpernickel bread | nune siyâh | نان سیاه |
| Roll | nune gerd | نان گرده |
| Sausage | sosis | سوسیس |
| Vinegar | serke | سرکه |
| Walnuts | gerdu | گردو |
| White bread | nune sefid | نان سفید |
| Whole wheat bread | nune sefide kâmel | نان سفید کامل |
| Yogurt | mâste mive’i | ماست میوه ای |
Persian grocery words beyond the basics: rice, lentils, tea, sugar cubes and more, with phrases for the shop, measure words and a quiz.
More grocery words in Persian
These are staples you will find in any Iranian grocery store (بقالی, baghghâli, or سوپرمارکت, supermârket) and that the list above does not include: rice, pulses, tea, cooking basics and some typically Persian items.
| Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| برنج | /berenj/ | rice |
| عدس | /adas/ | lentils |
| لوبیا | /lubiyâ/ | beans |
| نخود | /nokhod/ | chickpeas |
| آرد | /ârd/ | flour |
| شکر | /shekar/ | sugar |
| قند | /ghand/ | sugar cubes |
| نمک | /namak/ | salt |
| روغن | /roghan/ | cooking oil |
| کره | /kare/ | butter |
| عسل | /asal/ | honey |
| مربا | /morabbâ/ | jam |
| چای | /chây/ | tea |
| قهوه | /ghahve/ | coffee |
| ماکارونی | /mâkâroni/ | pasta |
| رب گوجه | /rob-e gowje/ | tomato paste |
| کنسرو | /konserv/ | canned food |
| ماست | /mâst/ | yogurt (plain) |
| دوغ | /dugh/ | doogh (yogurt drink) |
| کشک | /kashk/ | kashk (whey, used in Persian dishes) |
| خرما | /khormâ/ | dates |
| کشمش | /keshmesh/ | raisins |
| سبزی | /sabzi/ | fresh herbs |
| آب معدنی | /âb-e ma'dani/ | mineral water |
| نوشابه | /nushâbe/ | soft drink |
Phrases for the grocery store
| Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| یه کیلو برنج می‌خواستم. | /ye kilo berenj mikhâstam./ | I'd like a kilo of rice. |
| نیم کیلو پنیر، لطفاً. | /nim kilo panir, lotfan./ | Half a kilo of cheese, please. |
| نون تازه دارید؟ | /nun-e tâze dârid?/ | Do you have fresh bread? |
| یه بسته چای بدید لطفاً. | /ye baste chây bedid lotfan./ | A packet of tea, please. |
| شیر کم‌چرب دارید؟ | /shir-e kamcharb dârid?/ | Do you have low-fat milk? |
| تاریخ انقضاش کِیه؟ | /târikh-e enghezâsh keye?/ | What's the expiry date? |
| یه کیسه هم بدید. | /ye kise ham bedid./ | Could I have a bag too? |
| همه‌ش چقدر شد؟ | /hamash cheghadr shod?/ | How much is it all together? |
Example sentences
| Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| هر روز صبح از نانوایی نان تازه می‌خرم. | /har ruz sobh az nânvâyi nân-e tâze mikharam./ | Every morning I buy fresh bread from the bakery. |
| برای شام برنج و عدس لازم داریم. | /barâ-ye shâm berenj va adas lâzem dârim./ | We need rice and lentils for dinner. |
| خیلی از ایرانی‌ها چای را با قند می‌خورند. | /kheyli az irâni-hâ chây râ bâ ghand mikhorand./ | Many Iranians drink tea with sugar cubes. |
| یک شیشه مربای آلبالو خریدم. | /yek shishe morabbâ-ye âlbâlu kharidam./ | I bought a jar of sour-cherry jam. |
| شیر و تخم‌مرغ تمام شده است. | /shir va tokhm-e morgh tamâm shode ast./ | We're out of milk and eggs. |
| لطفاً از سوپرمارکت دو بطری دوغ بخر. | /lotfan az supermârket do botri dugh bekhar./ | Please buy two bottles of doogh at the supermarket. |
Grammar note: measure words
To count food, put the number, then a measure word, then the food. The food stays singular, with no ezâfe after the measure word: دو کیلو سیب (do kilo sib), "two kilos of apples". For whole items, spoken Persian uses تا (tâ): دو تا نون (do tâ nun), "two loaves of bread".
| Measure word | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| کیلو | /kilo/ | kilo |
| گرم | /geram/ | gram |
| بسته | /baste/ | packet |
| شیشه | /shishe/ | jar, glass bottle |
| بطری | /botri/ | bottle |
| قوطی | /ghuti/ | can, tin |
| کیسه | /kise/ | bag |
| دانه | /dâne/ | piece, item |
Culture note
Iranians buy flatbread fresh, often still warm, from a نانوایی (nânvâyi, bakery) that usually bakes one kind. The best-known types are بربری (barbari), سنگک (sangak), baked on hot pebbles, لواش (lavâsh) and تافتون (tâftun).
Practice
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How do you say "rice"?
Show answer
berenj برنج
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Translate: "a kilo of rice"
Show answer
ye kilo berenj (written yek kilo berenj) یک کیلو برنج
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What is the difference between {{شکر}} and {{قند}}?
Show answer
{{شکر}} (shekar) is granulated sugar; {{قند}} (ghand) is sugar cubes.
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Which measure word means "jar"?
Show answer
shishe شیشه
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Where do you buy sangak bread?
Show answer
At a bakery, nânvâyi. نانوایی
Related lists: Meat and Drinks. See also the Persian pronunciation guide.
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