Persian Verb Conjugation: How to Conjugate Farsi Verbs
To conjugate a Persian verb, take the right stem and add a personal ending. Past tenses use the past stem, which is the infinitive without its final ن: رفتن (raftan) → رفت (raft). Present tenses use the present stem, learned with each verb (رفتن → رو, rav), plus the prefix می (mi-). The endings are -am, -i, -ad, -im, -id, -and.
Persian verb conjugation chart: رفتن (raftan, to go)
These are the seven forms you need most. Every regular verb follows the same pattern once you know its two stems.
| Tense | I | you (sing.) | he, she | we | you (pl.) | they |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | میروم miravam | می‌روی miravi | می‌رود miravad | می‌رویم miravim | می‌روید miravid | می‌روند miravand |
| Simple past | رفتم raftam | رفتی rafti | رفت raft | رفتیم raftim | رفتید raftid | رفتند raftand |
| Past progressive | می‌رفتم miraftam | می‌رفتی mirafti | می‌رفت miraft | می‌رفتیم miraftim | می‌رفتید miraftid | می‌رفتند miraftand |
| Present perfect | رفته‌ام rafte-am | رفته‌ای rafte-i | رفته است rafte ast | رفته‌ایم rafte-im | رفته‌اید rafte-id | رفته‌اند rafte-and |
| Past perfect | رفته بودم rafte budam | رفته بودی rafte budi | رفته بود rafte bud | رفته بودیم rafte budim | رفته بودید rafte budid | رفته بودند rafte budand |
| Subjunctive | بروم beravam | بروی beravi | برود beravad | برویم beravim | بروید beravid | بروند beravand |
| Future | خواهم رفت khâham raft | خواهی رفت khâhi raft | خواهد رفت khâhad raft | خواهیم رفت khâhim raft | خواهید رفت khâhid raft | خواهند رفت khâhand raft |
Two forms in the chart are irregular in a small way: the “he, she” form of the present perfect keeps a separate است (ast), and the future uses the past stem after خواهم, خواهی and so on.
Step 1: Find the past stem
Every Persian infinitive ends in ن (-an), usually as -tan, -dan or -idan. Drop the final ن and you have the past stem. This rule has no exceptions. The past stem is called ستاک گذشته (setâk-e gozashte) in Persian.
| Infinitive | Pronunciation | English | Past stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| دیدن | didan | to see | دید (did) |
| گفتن | goftan | to say | گفت (goft) |
| نوشتن | neveshtan | to write | نوشت (nevesht) |
| رفتن | raftan | to go | رفت (raft) |
| آمدن | âmadan | to come | آمد (âmad) |
| خوردن | khordan | to eat | خورد (khord) |
More practice: how to form the past stem.
Step 2: Learn the present stem
The present stem follows no single rule, so learn it together with the infinitive. Some are close to the past stem, others are completely different:
| Infinitive | English | Present stem | I … (present) |
|---|---|---|---|
| خوردن | to eat | خور (khor) | می‌خورم (mikhoram) |
| داشتن | to have | دار (dâr) | دارم (dâram) |
| دیدن | to see | بین (bin) | می‌بینم (mibinam) |
| شنیدن | to hear | شنو (shenav) | می‌شنوم (mishenavam) |
| نوشتن | to write | نویس (nevis) | می‌نویسم (minevisam) |
| گفتن | to say | گو (gu) | می‌گویم (miguyam) |
| آمدن | to come | آ (â) | می‌آیم (miâyam) |
When a present stem ends in a vowel, a ی (y) is added before the ending: گو + م → می‌گویم (miguyam), آ + م → می‌آیم (miâyam). The full list of 100 verbs below gives both stems for each verb. More practice: how to find the present stem.
Step 3: Add the personal endings
| Pronoun | Pronunciation | Present ending | Past ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| من | man (I) | ـم -am | ـم -am |
| تو | to (you, sing.) | ـی -i | ـی -i |
| او | u (he, she) | ـد -ad | (no ending) |
| ما | mâ (we) | ـیم -im | ـیم -im |
| شما | shomâ (you, pl.) | ـید -id | ـید -id |
| آنها / ایشان | ânhâ / ishân (they) | ـند -and | ـند -and |
The two sets are the same except for “he, she”: the present adds -ad, the past adds nothing. Because the ending shows the person, the pronoun is often left out. Lessons: present verb endings and past verb endings.
Simple past: past stem + ending
The simple past of “to be” is the easiest place to start. The past stem of بودن (budan) is بود (bud):
| Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| بودم | budam | I was |
| بودی | budi | you were (sing.) |
| بود | bud | he, she was |
| بودیم | budim | we were |
| بودید | budid | you were (pl.) |
| بودند | budand | they were |
Examples
| Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| من دیروز مریض بودم. | man diruz mariz budam. | I was sick yesterday. |
| تو دانشجو بودی. | to dâneshju budi. | You were a student. |
| او استاد بود. | u ostâd bud. | He or she was a professor. |
| ما در کلاس بودیم. | mâ dar kelâs budim. | We were in the classroom. |
| شما در دانشگاه بودید. | shomâ dar dâneshgâh budid. | You were at the university. |
| آنها در خانه بودند. | ânhâ dar khâne budand. | They were at home. |
Every other verb works the same way: دیدم (didam, I saw), گفتی (gofti, you said), آمدند (âmadand, they came). See the lesson on the simple past tense.
Present tense: می + present stem + ending
For almost every verb, the present tense is می + present stem + ending. It covers both “I go” and “I am going”:
می + رو + م = میروم (miravam), I go, I am going.
| Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| می‌گویم | miguyam | I say, I am saying |
| می‌رود | miravad | he or she goes, is going |
| می‌خندیم | mikhandim | we laugh, we are laughing |
| من به مدرسه میروم. | man be madrese miravam. | I go to school. / I am going to school. |
| او اینجا زندگی می‌کند. | u injâ zendegi mikonad. | He or she lives here. |
| او با سارا می‌خندد. | u bâ Sârâ mikhandad. | He or she is laughing with Sara. |
Write می with a zero-width non-joiner so it stays separate but close: میروم, not میروم or می روم.
Two verbs without می
بودن (to be) and داشتن (to have) do not take می in the present. “To be” uses هستم (hastam), هستی, است, هستیم, هستید, هستند. “To have” adds the endings straight to دار:
| Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| دارم | dâram | I have |
| داری | dâri | you have (sing.) |
| دارد | dârad | he, she has |
| داریم | dârim | we have |
| دارید | dârid | you have (pl.) |
| دارند | dârand | they have |
“Right now”: دارم میروم
To stress that an action is happening at this moment, spoken and informal written Persian put the present of داشتن before the verb: دارم میروم (dâram miravam), I am going right now. The same works in the past: داشتم می‌رفتم (dâshtam miraftam), I was going (when…).
Other tenses
- Past progressive (می + past stem + ending): می‌رفتم (miraftam), I was going, I used to go.
- Present perfect (past stem + ه + short “to be”): رفته‌ام (rafte-am), I have gone.
- Past perfect (past participle + past of “to be”): رفته بودم (rafte budam), I had gone.
- Subjunctive (بـ + present stem + ending): بروم (beravam), (that) I go. It follows verbs such as می‌خواهم (I want) and باید (must): باید بروم (bâyad beravam), I must go. See the present subjunctive.
- Imperative (بـ + present stem, plural + -id): برو (boro, go), بروید (beravid, go, plural or polite), بگو (begu, say). See imperative verbs.
- Future (خواه + ending + past stem): خواهم رفت (khâham raft), I will go. In conversation the present is usually used instead: فردا میروم (fardâ miravam), I’ll go tomorrow.
Negative verbs
Add نـ (na-) to the front of the verb. Before می it becomes ne-, written نمی:
| Positive | Negative | English |
|---|---|---|
| رفتم (raftam) | نرفتم (naraftam) | I did not go |
| می‌گویم (miguyam) | نمی‌گویم (nemiguyam) | I do not say |
| زندگی می‌کنیم (zendegi mikonim) | زندگی نمی‌کنیم (zendegi nemikonim) | we do not live |
| می‌نویسد (minevisad) | نمی‌نویسد (neminevisad) | he or she does not write |
| می‌شنوم (mishenavam) | نمی‌شنوم (nemishenavam) | I do not hear |
| نگاه می‌کنم (negâh mikonam) | نگاه نمی‌کنم (negâh nemikonam) | I do not look |
| بیدار می‌شود (bidâr mishavad) | بیدار نمی‌شود (bidâr nemishavad) | he or she does not wake up |
| خواهم رفت (khâham raft) | نخواهم رفت (nakhâham raft) | I will not go |
Simple and compound verbs
A simple infinitive is one word:
| Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| شدن | shodan | to become |
| دیدن | didan | to see |
| نوشتن | neveshtan | to write |
| رفتن | raftan | to go |
| گفتن | goftan | to say |
| شنیدن | shenidan | to hear |
A compound verb is a noun or adjective plus a simple verb, most often کردن (kardan), شدن (shodan) or دادن (dâdan). Most everyday Persian verbs are compounds:
| Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| زندگی کردن | zendegi kardan | to live |
| گفتگو کردن | goftegu kardan | to talk, to have a conversation |
| بیدار شدن | bidâr shodan | to wake up |
| پرواز کردن | parvâz kardan | to fly |
| نگاه کردن | negâh kardan | to look |
| پند دادن | pand dâdan | to advise |
Only the verb part is conjugated; the first word never changes. For زندگی کردن, take the present stem of کردن, which is کن (kon): زندگی می‌کنم (zendegi mikonam, I live), زندگی می‌کنی (zendegi mikoni, you live), زندگی کردم (zendegi kardam, I lived). Negative and می attach to the verb part too: زندگی نمی‌کنم. See simple and compound infinitives.
100 common Persian verbs with their stems
Use this list to conjugate any of these verbs: past tenses from the past stem, present tenses from the present stem. For compound verbs, the part in brackets stays the same. For full conjugations of more than 200 verbs, type a verb into the Persian verb conjugator or browse the 200 most common Persian verbs.
| # | Infinitive | Pronunciation | English | Past stem | Present stem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | آزار دادن | âzâr dâdan | to hurt, to harass | آزار داد | (آزار) ده |
| 2 | آمدن | âmadan | to come | آمد | آ |
| 3 | آموختن | âmukhtan | to learn | آموخت | آموز |
| 4 | آوردن | âvardan | to bring | آورد | آور |
| 5 | اجاره دادن | ejâre dâdan | to rent out | اجاره داد | (اجاره) ده |
| 6 | ارائه دادن | erâ’e dâdan | to present | ارائه داد | (ارائه) ده |
| 7 | افروختن | afrukhtan | to light, to kindle | افروخت | افروز |
| 8 | افزودن | afzudan | to add, to increase | افزود | افزا |
| 9 | انداختن | andâkhtan | to throw, to drop | انداخت | انداز |
| 10 | ایستادن | istâdan | to stand, to stop | ایستاد | ایست |
| 11 | بخشیدن | bakhshidan | to forgive, to give | بخشید | بخش |
| 12 | برداشتن | bardâshtan | to pick up, to take | برداشت | بردار |
| 13 | بردن | bordan | to take away, to carry, to win | برد | بر |
| 14 | برگشتن | bargashtan | to return | برگشت | برگرد |
| 15 | بریدن | boridan | to cut | برید | بر |
| 16 | بستن | bastan | to close, to tie | بست | بند |
| 17 | به هوش آمدن | be hush âmadan | to regain consciousness | به هوش آمد | (به هوش) آ |
| 18 | بودن | budan | to be | بود | باش |
| 19 | بوسیدن | busidan | to kiss | بوسید | بوس |
| 20 | بوییدن | buyidan | to smell | بویید | بو |
| 21 | پاشیدن | pâshidan | to sprinkle, to spray | پاشید | پاش |
| 22 | پختن | pokhtan | to cook | پخت | پز |
| 23 | پذیرفتن | paziroftan | to accept | پذیرفت | پذیر |
| 24 | پرداختن | pardâkhtan | to pay | پرداخت | پرداز |
| 25 | پرسیدن | porsidan | to ask | پرسید | پرس |
| 26 | پسندیدن | pasandidan | to like, to approve of | پسندید | پسند |
| 27 | پوسیدن | pusidan | to rot, to decay | پوسید | پوس |
| 28 | پوشیدن | pushidan | to wear, to put on | پوشید | پوش |
| 29 | پیچیدن | pichidan | to twist, to turn | پیچید | پیچ |
| 30 | پیمودن | peymudan | to travel (a distance), to measure | پیمود | پیما |
| 31 | پیوستن | peyvastan | to join | پیوست | پیوند |
| 32 | ترساندن | tarsândan | to frighten | ترساند | ترسان |
| 33 | ترسیدن | tarsidan | to be afraid | ترسید | ترس |
| 34 | جستن | jastan | to jump, to leap | جست | جه |
| 35 | جنبیدن | jonbidan | to move, to stir | جنبید | جنب |
| 36 | جوشاندن | jushândan | to boil (something) | جوشاند | جوشان |
| 37 | جوشیدن | jushidan | to boil | جوشید | جوش |
| 38 | جویدن | javidan | to chew | جوید | جو |
| 39 | چرخیدن | charkhidan | to turn, to spin | چرخید | چرخ |
| 40 | چسباندن | chasbândan | to stick, to glue | چسباند | چسبان |
| 41 | چسبیدن | chasbidan | to stick, to cling | چسبید | چسب |
| 42 | چشیدن | cheshidan | to taste | چشید | چش |
| 43 | چیدن | chidan | to pick, to arrange | چید | چین |
| 44 | حل کردن | hal kardan | to solve | حل کرد | (حل) کن |
| 45 | خریدن | kharidan | to buy | خرید | خر |
| 46 | خم شدن | kham shodan | to bend, to bow | خم شد | (خم) شو |
| 47 | خواب دیدن | khâb didan | to dream | خواب دید | (خواب) بین |
| 48 | خوابیدن | khâbidan | to sleep | خوابید | خواب |
| 49 | خواستن | khâstan | to want | خواست | خواه |
| 50 | دادن | dâdan | to give | داد | ده |
| 51 | داشتن | dâshtan | to have | داشت | دار |
| 52 | دانستن | dânestan | to know | دانست | دان |
| 53 | دوختن | dukhtan | to sew | دوخت | دوز |
| 54 | دویدن | davidan | to run | دوید | دو |
| 55 | دیدن | didan | to see | دید | بین |
| 56 | راندن | rândan | to drive | راند | ران |
| 57 | رسیدن | residan | to arrive, to reach | رسید | رس |
| 58 | رقصیدن | raghsidan | to dance | رقصید | رقص |
| 59 | رنجیدن | ranjidan | to be offended | رنجید | رنج |
| 60 | ریختن | rikhtan | to pour, to spill | ریخت | ریز |
| 61 | زاییدن | zâyidan | to give birth | زایید | زا |
| 62 | زدن | zadan | to hit, to strike | زد | زن |
| 63 | ساختن | sâkhtan | to build, to make | ساخت | ساز |
| 64 | سپردن | sepordan | to entrust | سپرد | سپار |
| 65 | سنجیدن | sanjidan | to weigh, to measure | سنجید | سنج |
| 66 | سوختن | sukhtan | to burn | سوخت | سوز |
| 67 | شدن | shodan | to become | شد | شو |
| 68 | شستن | shostan | to wash | شست | شوی |
| 69 | شکستن | shekastan | to break | شکست | شکن |
| 70 | شمردن | shemordan | to count | شمرد | شمار |
| 71 | شناختن | shenâkhtan | to know (a person), to recognize | شناخت | شناس |
| 72 | شنیدن | shenidan | to hear | شنید | شنو |
| 73 | غلتیدن | ghaltidan | to roll | غلتید | غلت |
| 74 | فرستادن | ferestâdan | to send | فرستاد | فرست |
| 75 | فرمودن | farmudan | to command; polite “to say” | فرمود | فرما |
| 76 | فرو بردن | foru bordan | to sink, to swallow | فرو برد | (فرو) بر |
| 77 | فروختن | forukhtan | to sell | فروخت | فروش |
| 78 | فشردن | feshordan | to press, to squeeze | فشرد | فشار |
| 79 | فهمیدن | fahmidan | to understand | فهمید | فهم |
| 80 | کاشتن | kâshtan | to plant | کاشت | کار |
| 81 | کردن | kardan | to do, to make | کرد | کن |
| 82 | کشتن | koshtan | to kill | کشت | کش |
| 83 | کشیدن | keshidan | to pull, to draw | کشید | کش |
| 84 | کندن | kandan | to dig, to pull out | کند | کن |
| 85 | کوبیدن | kubidan | to pound, to hammer | کوبید | کوب |
| 86 | گذاشتن | gozâshtan | to put, to let | گذاشت | گذار |
| 87 | گرفتن | gereftan | to take, to get | گرفت | گیر |
| 88 | گریختن | gorikhtan | to escape, to flee | گریخت | گریز |
| 89 | گشتن | gashtan | to search, to wander | گشت | گرد |
| 90 | گفتن | goftan | to say, to tell | گفت | گو |
| 91 | لرزیدن | larzidan | to shake, to tremble | لرزید | لرز |
| 92 | ماندن | mândan | to stay, to remain | ماند | مان |
| 93 | مردن | mordan | to die | مرد | میر |
| 94 | نالیدن | nâlidan | to moan, to complain | نالید | نال |
| 95 | نشستن | neshastan | to sit | نشست | نشین |
| 96 | نگاه کردن | negâh kardan | to look | نگاه کرد | (نگاه) کن |
| 97 | نگه داشتن | negah dâshtan | to keep, to hold | نگه داشت | (نگه) دار |
| 98 | نوشتن | neveshtan | to write | نوشت | نویس |
| 99 | وزیدن | vazidan | to blow (of wind) | وزید | وز |
| 100 | یافتن | yâftan | to find | یافت | یاب |
Video: Persian verbs
Test your Persian verb conjugation.
1. What is the past stem of خوردن (khordan, to eat)?
2. Which ending means “we” in both present and past?
3. How do you say “I do not go”?
4. Which form is “he went”?
5. What is the present of داشتن for “I have”?
6. How is “I will go” formed?
7. In زندگی می‌کنم (zendegi mikonam), which part is conjugated?
Answer key with explanations
- A. خورد (khord): Drop the final ن of the infinitive: خوردن → خورد.
- B. -im: رفتیم (raftim, we went) and می‌رویم (miravim, we go) both end in -im.
- C. نمی‌روم (nemiravam): Before می the negative prefix is ne-: نمی‌روم.
- B. رفت (raft): In the past, “he, she” has no ending: just the past stem.
- C. دارم (dâram): داشتن does not take می in the present: دار + م.
- B. خواهم + the past stem رفت: The future is خواه + ending + past stem: خواهم رفت (khâham raft).
- D. Only کردن (as می‌کنم): In compound verbs only the verb part changes; زندگی stays the same.
Common questions
How do you conjugate verbs in Farsi?
Find the stem and add a personal ending. Past tenses use the past stem (the infinitive minus ن), present tenses use می plus the present stem. The endings are -am, -i, -ad (none in the past), -im, -id, -and: رفتم (raftam, I went), میروم (miravam, I go).
Are Persian verbs regular?
The endings and the past stem are fully regular. The only part you have to memorize is the present stem of each verb, such as بین (bin) for دیدن (didan, to see).
How many tenses does Persian have?
Beginners need about seven forms: present, simple past, past progressive, present perfect, past perfect, subjunctive and future. Most of them are built from the same two stems and one set of endings.
Is there a Persian verbs PDF?
You can print the tables on this page. For a full printed reference, 200 Absolutely Essential Persian Verbs gives complete conjugations for each verb.
How can I practice Persian verb conjugation?
Take the 25-question Persian verbs quiz, then check any verb you are unsure of in the verb conjugator.
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by: Reza about (category: Blog)
Reza is an experienced Persian instructor who has been tutoring students since 2008. He is the founder of Learn Persian Online, a tutoring company that has helped many students learn Persian, this beautiful language. He works with students individually and in group settings, he tutors both live and online Persian courses. Reza provides an individualized custom learning plan and the personalized attention that makes a difference in how people view Persian learning process.
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Wish you all the best!
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ERUM IMRAN –
Hi Reza ,
I am learning farsi through your lessons. Very well explained. Thankyou .Your Youtube channel is also very good. Keep up the good work.