Get Well Soon in Persian: Phrases, Replies and Messages for the Sick

The most common way to say get well soon in Persian is ایشالا زود خوب شی (ishâllâ zud khub shi), literally “God willing, you get well soon.” In formal speech or writing, use ان‌شاءالله هر چه زودتر بهبود پیدا کنید (enshâallâh har che zudtar behbud peydâ konid). When you first hear someone is ill, Iranians usually say خدا بد نده (khodâ bad nade) before anything else.

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Wishing someone a quick recovery in Persian is less about one fixed phrase and more about a small set of expressions that Iranians use together: one to react to the news, one to wish recovery, and one to show you care. Below you will find all of them with pronunciation, what they literally mean, who you can say them to, how the sick person usually replies, and short messages you can send by text or write in a card.

Get well soon: the core phrases

These are the phrases you will hear most often. The spoken forms are what people actually say to friends, family and coworkers; the formal forms are for writing, for elders you do not know well, and for professional settings.

A quick word on ایشالا (ishâllâ). It is the spoken form of ان‌شاءالله (enshâallâh), “God willing,” and in a get-well wish it works much like “hopefully” in English. Iranians of every background use it this way, religious or not. If you want the full story of the word, see our guide to how inshallah is used in Persian.

How the phrase is built

زود (zud) means “soon” or “quickly,” خوب (khub) means “good” or “well,” and شدن (shodan) means “to become.” So زود خوب شی is literally “(that) you become well soon.” The ending changes with the person you are talking to:

You will also hear the forms with بـ (be-): زود خوب بشی (zud khub beshi). Both are correct in speech; the shorter خوب شی is a little more casual. If verb endings are new to you, our post on how to conjugate Persian verbs explains the pattern.

The first reaction: khodâ bad nade

When an Iranian hears that you are sick, the first thing out of their mouth is very often خدا بد نده (khodâ bad nade), literally “may God not give (you) bad.” It is the Persian equivalent of “oh no, I’m sorry to hear that,” and it comes before the get-well wish, not instead of it. You can use it for anything from a cold to a broken arm to a hospital stay.

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The polite form is خدا بد نده too; the phrase does not change for formal or informal “you,” which makes it easy for learners. A typical exchange sounds like this:

• A: سرما خوردم، حالم خوب نیست. (sarmâ khordam, hâlam khub nist.) I’ve caught a cold, I don’t feel well.
• B: خدا بد نده. ایشالا زود خوب شی. (khodâ bad nade. ishâllâ zud khub shi.) Oh no, I’m sorry. I hope you get well soon.
• A: بد نبینی، مرسی. (bad nabini, mersi.) Thank you.

The reply: bad nabini

خدا بد نده has its own fixed reply: بد نبینی (bad nabini), “may you not see bad (things),” or with the polite ending بد نبینید (bad nabinid). It returns the good wish to the speaker. Many people simply say مرسی (mersi) or ممنون (mamnun) instead, which is also fine. Knowing بد نبینی will make you sound like someone who has spent time with Iranians.

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Wishing protection: balâ be dur and dige balâ nabini

بلا به دور (balâ be dur), literally “may misfortune be far away,” is said to someone who is ill or has had an accident. It expresses the hope that the trouble passes and does not come back. In speech it often shrinks to بلا دور or بلا به دور باشه (balâ be dur bâshe).

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Once the person has recovered, or after a scare such as a car accident where nobody was badly hurt, you will hear دیگه بلا نبینی (dige balâ nabini), “may you never see harm again.”

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Phrases that show you care

A get-well wish in Persian usually comes with a few more lines of care. These are the ones you will hear in Iranian homes:

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Affectionate phrases between close people

Between family members and close friends, Persian uses expressions of love that sound dramatic when translated word for word but are completely ordinary:

• قربونت برم (ghorbunet beram), literally “may I be sacrificed for you.” It means something like “oh, my dear.” A mother might say قربونت برم، زود خوب می‌شی (ghorbunet beram, zud khub mishi), “my dear, you’ll be better soon.”
• الهی بمیرم (elâhi bemiram), literally “may I die (instead).” It expresses deep sympathy when hearing that someone you love is in pain. It is very common, especially among women and older relatives, and nobody takes it literally.

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Use these only with people you are close to. With a colleague or someone you just met, stay with خدا بد نده and ایشالا زود خوب شید. For more words like these, see our list of Persian expressions for emotions.

How to reply when someone wishes you well

If you are the one who is sick, here is how to answer the wishes you receive:

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For more ways to say thank you, from مرسی to the formal سپاسگزارم (sepâsgozâram), see thank you in Persian.

Get well soon messages to send or write in a card

Here are ready-made messages, from casual texts to formal notes. Spoken Persian is normal in text messages between friends; for work, use the written forms.

To a friend (text message)

• شنیدم مریضی. خدا بد نده. ایشالا زود خوب شی. اگه چیزی لازم داشتی بهم بگو. (shenidam marizi. khodâ bad nade. ishâllâ zud khub shi. age chizi lâzem dâshti behem begu.) “I heard you’re sick. So sorry. Get well soon. If you need anything, tell me.”
• بلا به دور. حسابی استراحت کن و مراقب خودت باش. (balâ be dur. hesâbi esterâhat kon va morâgheb-e khodet bâsh.) “May it pass quickly. Get plenty of rest and take care of yourself.”

To a colleague or manager

• شنیدم کسالت دارید. ان‌شاءالله هر چه زودتر بهبود پیدا کنید. (shenidam kesâlat dârid. enshâallâh har che zudtar behbud peydâ konid.) “I heard you are unwell. I hope you recover as soon as possible.”
• برای شما آرزوی سلامتی و بهبودی هر چه سریع‌تر دارم. (barâ-ye shomâ ârezu-ye salâmati va behbudi-ye har che sari’tar dâram.) “I wish you good health and the quickest possible recovery.”

To a family member

• قربونت برم، امیدوارم حالت زود خوب بشه. دلم برات تنگ شده. (ghorbunet beram, omidvâram hâlet zud khub beshe. delam barât tang shode.) “My dear, I hope you feel better soon. I miss you.”

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Words for being sick

To understand the news before you react to it, these are the words people use when they tell you they are ill. For a longer list, see our pages on pain and symptoms in Persian and words for seeing a doctor.

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To hear these words in a real conversation, listen to our dialogues at the doctor’s office and a broken leg.

Visiting a sick person in Iran

Visiting someone who is ill is called عیادت (‘eyâdat), and it is taken seriously in Iranian culture. When a relative, neighbor or friend is in hospital or recovering at home, people are expected to visit, and not visiting can be noticed.

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• What to bring. Flowers and fruit are common. A very Iranian gift for a hospital visit is کمپوت (kompot), canned fruit in syrup, which is easy for a patient to eat. A box of sweets also works for someone recovering at home.
• What to say. Start with خدا بد نده, ask حالتون چطوره؟ (hâletun chetore?), “how are you feeling?”, and end with ان‌شاءالله زود خوب می‌شید (enshâallâh zud khub mishid) or بلا به دور.
• How long to stay. Keep the visit short so the patient can rest, unless the family asks you to stay.
• Taarof. The family may thank you for coming with زحمت کشیدید (zahmat keshidid), “you went to trouble.” A modest reply is خواهش می‌کنم، وظیفه بود (khâhesh mikonam, vazife bud), “you’re welcome, it was my duty.” Read more about this kind of polite back-and-forth in our guide to taarof.

Bless you: what Iranians say after a sneeze

People often search for “bless you” along with “get well soon,” so here is a short answer. Persian has no single fixed phrase that everyone says after a sneeze, and many people say nothing at all. The most common response is عافیت باشه (‘âfiyat bâshe), “may it be (to your) health.” The person who sneezed may answer مرسی or سلامت باشید.

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You may also hear an old folk belief: if someone sneezes once just as they are about to leave or start something, people say صبر اومد (sabr umad), “patience has come,” meaning they should wait a moment before going. A second sneeze is said to cancel it. Many Iranians still say this half-jokingly.

Formal vs. spoken: a quick summary

If you want to type any of these messages yourself, our free Persian keyboard lets you write in Persian script from any computer. For hundreds more everyday expressions like these, grouped by situation, the book 1000 Most Common Farsi Phrases is a useful companion.

Want to test yourself on more everyday phrases? Try our Persian greetings quiz.

Common questions

How do you say get well soon in Farsi?

Say ایشالا زود خوب شی (ishâllâ zud khub shi) to a friend, or ایشالا زود خوب شید (ishâllâ zud khub shid) to someone you address politely. In writing, use ان‌شاءالله هر چه زودتر بهبود پیدا کنید (enshâallâh har che zudtar behbud peydâ konid).

What does “khoda bad nade” mean?

خدا بد نده (khodâ bad nade) literally means “may God not give bad.” Iranians say it when they hear that someone is sick or hurt, like “oh no, I’m sorry to hear that.” The usual reply is بد نبینی (bad nabini).

How do you wish someone a speedy recovery in Persian?

The formal phrase is آرزوی بهبودی سریع برای شما دارم (ârezu-ye behbudi-ye sari’ barâ-ye shomâ dâram), “I wish you a speedy recovery.” It suits cards, emails and messages to people you do not know well.

What does “bala be door” mean in Persian?

بلا به دور (balâ be dur) means “may misfortune stay far away.” It is said to someone who is ill or has had an accident, hoping the trouble passes and does not return.

How do you say “I’m sick” in Persian?

Say مریضم (marizam) or حالم خوب نیست (hâlam khub nist), “I don’t feel well.” For a cold, say سرما خوردم (sarmâ khordam).

What do Iranians say when someone sneezes?

Many say عافیت باشه (‘âfiyat bâshe), “to your health,” and many say nothing. There is also a folk saying, صبر اومد (sabr umad), “patience has come,” used when someone sneezes once just before leaving.

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