Good Luck in Persian: 20+ Ways to Say It (and How to Reply)

The most common way to say good luck in Persian is موفق باشی (movaffagh bâshi), which literally means “may you be successful.” Use it with friends and family. With a teacher, a boss, an elder or a group, say موفق باشید (movaffagh bâshid). Iranians usually wish you success rather than luck, so a word-for-word “good luck” sounds odd in Persian.

موفق باشی Listen موفق باشید Listen

Below you will find the two phrases you need first, a dozen more ways to wish someone well, the right words for exams, job interviews, trips and games, how to answer when someone wishes you luck, and the customs Iranians follow for good luck. Every phrase has its Persian script, pronunciation and a note on when people actually say it, followed by practice.

The two phrases you need first

موفق (movaffagh) means “successful,” and باشی / باشید (bâshi / bâshid) are the subjunctive forms of بودن (budan, “to be”). Together they work like the English “may you be successful.” The only difference between the two is the ending: -i for “you” (singular, informal) and -id for the polite or plural “you.” If you are not sure which to use, موفق باشید is always safe. You can read more about this verb form in our lesson on the Persian present subjunctive, and about when to choose شما in polite Persian: shomâ instead of to.

Iranians say موفق باشی in many places where English speakers say “good luck,” and also where English speakers say “all the best” or “take care.” A teacher may end a class with موفق باشید, and a shopkeeper may say it to a student buying school supplies. It is also a common way to sign off a message to someone starting something new.

Why not translate “good luck” word for word?

Persian does have a word for luck: شانس (shâns), borrowed from French chance. But شانس خوب (shâns-e khub, “good luck”) is not a set wish. Said on its own, it sounds like a translation. Persian wishes focus on the result you want for the other person (success, a good outcome, God’s help), not on luck. Keep شانس for real games of chance, as you will see below.

More ways to say good luck in Persian

These are the phrases you will hear and read most often. “Spoken” means everyday conversation; “written” means cards, emails, speeches and formal messages.

Listen to the most useful ones:

ایشالا موفق باشی Listen به امید موفقیت Listen خدا پشت و پناهت Listen شانس بیاری Listen

A note on ishâllâ and khodâ

ایشالا (ishâllâ) is the spoken form of ان‌شاءالله (enshâ’allâh, “God willing”). Before a wish it means “I really hope.” Phrases with خدا (khodâ, God) are part of everyday Persian and are used as ordinary expressions of goodwill, much like “bless you” in English. Our guide to inshallah in Persian explains the different ways it is used.

Making the polite and plural forms

Most of these phrases change their ending for شما. The informal ending -et (“your”) becomes -etân in formal Persian and -etun in speech:

• خدا پشت و پناهت (khodâ posht-o panâhet) → formal خدا پشت و پناهتان باشد (khodâ posht-o panâhetân bâshad)
• خدا به همراهت (khodâ be hamrâhet) → spoken polite خدا به همراهتون (khodâ be hamrâhetun)
• ایشالا ببری (ishâllâ bebari) → ایشالا ببرید (ishâllâ bebarid), for a team or someone you call shomâ

Good luck for exams, interviews, trips and games

موفق باشی works almost everywhere, but Iranians usually add a wish that fits the situation. Here is what people actually say.

Before an exam

ایشالا امتحانت رو خوب بدی Listen

The last one needs some background: Iranian schools grade on a scale of 0 to 20, so بیست (bist, twenty) is a perfect score. You will also hear a lot of good-luck wishes around the کنکور (konkur), Iran’s national university entrance exam, which is a very big event for students and their families. For more exam vocabulary, see the dialogue in Persian Conversation 45: talking about exam results.

Before a job interview

• امیدوارم مصاحبه خوب پیش بره (omidvâram mosâhebe khub pish bere): I hope the interview goes well. Spoken. Listen
• از پسش برمیای (az pasesh barmiâi): you’ve got this, you can handle it. Spoken, to a friend.
• ایشالا قبول بشی (ishâllâ ghabul beshi): I hope you get it (lit. are accepted).

To a colleague you call shomâ, the polite spoken version is ایشالا مصاحبه‌تون خوب پیش بره. موفق باشید. (ishâllâ mosâhebe-tun khub pish bere. movaffagh bâshid.)

Before a trip

• سفر به خیر (safar be kheyr): have a good trip, bon voyage. Works in any register. Listen
• خدا به همراهت (khodâ be hamrâhet): God be with you.
• خوش بگذره (khosh begzare): have fun, enjoy.
• مواظب خودت باش (movâzeb-e khodet bâsh): take care of yourself.

For airport, hotel and transport words, see travel words and phrases in Persian.

Before a match, a game or a contest

• ایشالا ببری (ishâllâ bebari): I hope you win. Listen
• پیروز باشید (piruz bâshid): may you be victorious, said to a team or a contestant.
• شانس بیاری (shâns biâri): hope you get lucky. Best for games of pure chance; for an exam it would suggest the person needs luck rather than skill.

A new job, a move, a new chapter

Here Iranians use the general wishes: ایشالا موفق باشی, به امید موفقیت in writing, and خدا پشت و پناهت from older relatives. If you want to celebrate the news itself, see congratulations in Persian; Iranians often say both, first مبارکه (mobârake, “congratulations”) and then موفق باشی.

Hard moments: surgery, a difficult meeting, waiting for news

“Good luck” can sound light here, in Persian as in English. Use a wish for a good outcome instead: ایشالا که همه چی خوب پیش می‌ره (ishâllâ ke hame chi khub pish mire, “I hope everything goes well”) or simply به امید خدا (be omid-e khodâ). Listen

How to reply when someone wishes you good luck

A simple thank you is always fine, but Iranians often add something. These are the usual answers:

برام دعا کن Listen مرسی، همچنین Listen

For more ways to say thanks, see thank you in Persian.

A short dialogue

سارا: فردا امتحان دارم.
Sârâ: fardâ emtehân dâram. (I have an exam tomorrow.)

علی: ایشالا امتحانت رو خوب بدی. موفق باشی.
Ali: ishâllâ emtehânet ro khub bedi. movaffagh bâshi. (I hope you do well. Good luck.)

سارا: مرسی، برام دعا کن.
Sârâ: mersi, barâm do’â kon. (Thanks, keep your fingers crossed for me.)

Luck words in Persian

When you want to talk about luck rather than wish it, these are the words to know.

خوش‌شانس Listen

Good luck customs in Iran

Words are only part of it. These customs are widely known in Iran, and you may see them in families or in films:

• Knocking on wood. After praising something (a healthy child, a new car, good grades), Iranians often say بزنم به تخته (bezanam be takhte, “let me knock on wood”) and tap something wooden, so the good thing is not spoiled.
• Burning espand. اسپند (espand), wild rue seeds, is burned on hot coals to protect against چشم‌زخم (cheshm-zakhm), the evil eye, for example before a wedding or after good news.
• Seeing off a traveler. Before a long trip, a family member may hold a Quran so the traveler passes under it, and someone pours a bowl of water on the ground behind them as they leave, as a wish for a safe and quick return.
• The thirteenth day of spring. On سیزده‌بدر (sizdah be-dar), the last day of the Nowruz holidays, families spend the day outdoors, a custom traditionally linked to leaving the bad luck of the day outside the home. Read more about Sizdah Bedar.

Good-luck wishes are also part of Persian politeness. Even a short موفق باشید at the end of a conversation shows care, and leaving without any wish when someone has told you about a big day can feel cold. See taarof and Persian politeness for the bigger picture.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Translating “good luck” literally. شانس خوب is understood but sounds foreign. Say موفق باشی or موفق باشید.
• Using -i with someone you call shomâ. موفق باشی to a professor sounds too casual.
• Wishing “luck” before an exam with شانس بیاری. It can sound like the person has not studied. Wish success instead.
• Mispronouncing movaffagh. The f is doubled (mo-vaf-fagh), and the final ق is the deep gh sound, as in the French r.

Common questions

How do you say good luck in Farsi?

Say موفق باشی (movaffagh bâshi) to a friend and موفق باشید (movaffagh bâshid) to someone you address politely or to a group. Both literally mean “may you be successful.” Adding ایشالا (ishâllâ) in front makes the wish warmer.

What does movaffagh bâshi mean?

It means “be successful” or “may you be successful,” and it is the standard Persian way to say good luck, all the best or best wishes. موفق means successful and باشی is the subjunctive “you be.”

How do you say good luck on your exam in Persian?

The most natural phrase is ایشالا امتحانت رو خوب بدی (ishâllâ emtehânet ro khub bedi), “I hope you do well on your exam,” often followed by موفق باشی. To wish someone a pass, say ایشالا قبول بشی (ishâllâ ghabul beshi).

How do you reply to movaffagh bâshid?

Say مرسی (mersi) or ممنون (mamnun), thanks. If the other person is in the same situation, say مرسی، همچنین (mersi, hamchenin), thanks, you too. Before an exam, many Iranians answer برام دعا کن (barâm do’â kon), pray for me.

What is the Persian word for luck?

The everyday word is شانس (shâns); the more literary word is بخت (bakht). “Lucky” is خوش‌شانس (khosh-shâns) and “unlucky” is بدشانس (bad-shâns). For wishes, though, Persian prefers موفقیت (movaffaghiyat), success.

How do you write good luck in Persian?

Good luck is written موفق باشید, from right to left. You can type it with our free online Persian keyboard, and test your greetings and wishes in the Persian greetings quiz. For hundreds more everyday expressions, the 1000 Most Common Farsi Phrases book groups them by situation.

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