Persian Conjunctions: And, But, Because, If and More (with Spoken Forms)

The most common Persian conjunctions are و (va, spoken o, “and”), ولی (vali, “but”), یا (yâ, “or”), چون (chon, “because”), اگر (agar, spoken age, “if”) and که (ke, “that”). They go at the start of the clause they introduce, as in English: خسته بودم، چون کار کردم (khaste budam, chon kâr kardam), “I was tired because I worked.” A few, like قبل از اینکه (ghabl az inke, “before”), always take the subjunctive.

Below you will find every conjunction a learner needs, grouped by meaning, with Persian script, pronunciation, example sentences and the forms people really use in conversation. Watch for two things that trip up English speakers: some conjunctions change the verb form that follows, and spoken Persian swaps several formal words for shorter everyday ones.

Persian conjunctions at a glance

Persian grammar calls a conjunction حرف ربط (harf-e rabt, “linking word”). This table lists the ones you will meet most, from beginner to intermediate level.

How Persian conjunctions work

Persian puts the verb at the end of the sentence, but conjunctions behave much like English ones: they come first in the clause they introduce. می‌رم بیرون، ولی زود برمی‌گردم Listen (miram birun, vali zud barmigardam) means “I am going out, but I will be back soon.” The comma before the conjunction is optional; Persian uses the comma ، more freely than English does.

There are two families:

• Coordinating conjunctions join two equal parts: و (va, and), یا (yâ, or), ولی (vali, but). The verb after them is a normal indicative verb.
• Subordinating conjunctions attach a clause that depends on the main one: because, if, when, before, although. Many of them end in که (ke) or اینکه (inke, “this that”), so بعد (ba’d) “after” becomes بعد از اینکه (ba’d az inke), “after (something happened).” Some of these require the subjunctive, which you will find in its own section below.

If you want a refresher on where the verb and the other parts of the sentence go, read our guide to Persian sentence structure first.

And: و (va or o)

و Listen is written as one letter, but it has two pronunciations, and choosing the right one is one of the quickest ways to sound natural (see also the word page for va, the Persian word for “and”).

• o, attached to the word before it, is how Iranians say “and” between words and short phrases in normal speech and in reading aloud: نان و پنیر Listen (nân o panir, bread and cheese), من و تو (man o to, you and me).
• va is the careful, emphatic form. You hear it at the start of a sentence, between longer clauses, in news and speeches, and when someone pauses before “and”.

• علی به بازار رفت و یک کتاب خرید. (Ali be bâzâr raft va yek ketâb kharid.) Ali went to the bazaar and bought a book. Spoken: علی رفت بازار و یه کتاب خرید. (Ali raft bâzâr o ye ketâb kharid).
• پدر و مادرم در شیراز زندگی می‌کنند. (pedar o mâdaram dar Shirâz zendegi mikonand.) My father and mother live in Shiraz.

Two differences from English: in a list, Persian often repeats و between every item (سیب و پرتقال و موز, sib o porteghâl o moz, apples, oranges and bananas), where English uses commas. And try not to start every sentence with و; in writing it sounds heavy. To add a thought, Persian often uses هم (ham, also) or همچنین (hamchenin, also, formal) instead.

But: اما, ولی and بلکه

ولی (vali) and اما (ammâ)

Both mean “but,” and in most sentences you can use either. ولی Listen (vali) is the one you will hear most in conversation (more on the word vali). اما Listen (ammâ) is a little more formal and is common in writing, though people say it too.

• فارسی سخت است، اما شیرین است. (fârsi sakht ast, ammâ shirin ast.) Persian is hard, but it is sweet. Spoken: فارسی سخته، ولی شیرینه. (fârsi sakhte, vali shirine).
• دوستش دارم، ولی وقت ندارم. (dustesh dâram, vali vaght nadâram.) I like it, but I do not have time.

One difference: اما can also come after the first word or phrase of its clause, like English “however”: من اما موافق نیستم. (man ammâ movâfegh nistam), “I, however, do not agree.” ولی cannot move like this. Literary texts also use لیکن (likan) and ولیکن (valikan) for “but”; you only need to recognize them.

بلکه (balke): not this, but rather that

بلکه Listen corrects a negative statement. Use it where English says “not X but Y.”

• من معلم نیستم، بلکه دانشجو هستم. (man mo’allem nistam, balke dâneshju hastam.) I am not a teacher, but a student.
• او نه‌تنها فارسی، بلکه عربی هم بلد است. (u na-tanhâ fârsi, balke arabi ham balad ast.) She knows not only Persian but also Arabic.

The pattern نه‌تنها … بلکه … هم (na-tanhâ … balke … ham) is the Persian “not only … but also.” In casual speech people often drop بلکه and simply say ولی … هم (vali … ham) or rephrase.

Or: یا (yâ)

یا Listen means “or” in statements and questions. Doubled, یا … یا, it means “either … or.”

• چای می‌خواهی یا قهوه؟ (chây mikhâhi yâ ghahve?) Do you want tea or coffee? Spoken: چای می‌خوای یا قهوه؟ (chây mikhây yâ ghahve).
• یا امروز می‌آیم یا فردا. (yâ emruz miâyam yâ fardâ.) I will come either today or tomorrow.
• میای یا نه؟ (miyây yâ na?) Are you coming or not? (spoken)

Pairs: هم … هم, نه … نه, چه … چه

Persian builds “both … and,” “neither … nor” and “whether … or” by repeating one short word before each part.

• این رستوران هم ارزان است، هم خوشمزه. (in restorân ham arzân ast, ham khoshmaze.) This restaurant is both cheap and tasty. Spoken: این رستوران هم ارزونه، هم خوشمزه. (in restorân ham arzune, ham khoshmaze).
• نه چای می‌خورم، نه قهوه. (na chây mikhoram, na ghahve.) I drink neither tea nor coffee.
• چه بخواهی، چه نخواهی (che bekhâhi, che nakhâhi) whether you like it or not Spoken: چه بخوای، چه نخوای (che bekhây, che nakhây).

Notice the verb in the نه … نه sentence: می‌خورم (mikhoram) is positive, because the two نه words already carry the “not.” This is the usual pattern, and English speakers often make the verb negative by mistake.

Because: چون, زیرا, برای اینکه, به خاطر اینکه

چون (chon): the everyday “because”

چون Listen is the word to learn first. It works in speech and writing, can start the sentence, and can stand alone as the answer to “why?” In casual Tehran speech it often sounds like chun.

• امروز سر کار نرفتم، چون مریض بودم. (emruz sar-e kâr naraftam, chon mariz budam.) I did not go to work today because I was sick.
• چون باران می‌آمد، در خانه ماندیم. (chon bârân miâmad, dar khâne mândim.) Because it was raining, we stayed home. Spoken: چون بارون میومد، خونه موندیم. (chun bârun miumad, khune mundim).
• چرا نیامدی؟ چون خسته بودم. (cherâ nayâmadi? chon khaste budam.) Why didn’t you come? Because I was tired. Spoken: چرا نیومدی؟ چون خسته بودم. (cherâ nayumadi? chun khaste budam).

زیرا (zirâ): formal “because”

زیرا Listen belongs to written and formal Persian: news reports, essays, speeches. It normally comes in the middle, after the main clause, not at the start of a sentence, and it is not used as a one-word answer to “why?” In conversation, use چون instead.

• جلسه لغو شد، زیرا مدیر بیمار بود. (jalase laghv shod, zirâ modir bimâr bud.) The meeting was canceled because the manager was ill.

برای اینکه and به خاطر اینکه

برای اینکه (barâye inke, spoken barâ inke) and به خاطر اینکه (be khâter-e inke) both mean “because” and are common in conversation, especially when you explain at some length.

• دیر رسیدم، برای اینکه ترافیک سنگین بود. (dir residam, barâye inke terâfik sangin bud.) I arrived late because the traffic was heavy.

Careful: برای اینکه has a second meaning. With an ordinary (indicative) verb it means “because”; with a subjunctive verb it means “so that, in order to.” Compare:

• فارسی می‌خوانم، برای اینکه همسرم ایرانی است. (fârsi mikhânam, barâye inke hamsaram irâni ast.) I study Persian because my spouse is Iranian.
• فارسی می‌خوانم برای اینکه با خانواده‌اش حرف بزنم. (fârsi mikhânam barâye inke bâ khânevâde-ash harf bezanam.) I study Persian so that I can talk with their family.

Because of + noun

چون and زیرا introduce a whole clause with a verb. Before a simple noun, use به خاطر (be khâter-e) or, in formal writing, به دلیل (be dalil-e): به خاطر باران (be khâter-e bârân, because of the rain). You may also hear از بس که (az bas ke), “because … so much”: از بس که خسته بودم، زود خوابیدم (az bas ke khaste budam, zud khâbidam), “I was so tired that I went to bed early.”

So and therefore: پس, برای همین, بنابراین

• باران می‌آید، پس چتر ببر. (bârân miâyad, pas chatr bebar.) It is raining, so take an umbrella. Spoken: بارون میاد، پس چتر ببر. (bârun miyâd, pas chatr bebar).
• خسته بودم، برای همین زود خوابیدم. (khaste budam, barâye hamin zud khâbidam.) I was tired, so I went to bed early.

برای همین Listen is the best everyday choice when you explain a result, much like English “that’s why.”

If and unless: اگر, مگر اینکه, حتی اگر

اگر Listen (agar) means “if”; in speech it is almost always اگه (age). See also the word page for agar. For a real or likely condition about the future, the verb after اگر is usually in the subjunctive, and the result clause uses the present tense.

• اگر وقت داشته باشم، می‌آیم. (agar vaght dâshte bâsham, miâyam.) If I have time, I will come. Spoken: اگه وقت داشته باشم، میام. (age vaght dâshte bâsham, miyâm).
• فردا به کوه می‌رویم، مگر اینکه باران بیاید. (fardâ be kuh miravim, magar inke bârân biâyad.) Tomorrow we are going to the mountains, unless it rains.
• حتی اگر دیر شود، صبر می‌کنم. (hattâ agar dir shavad, sabr mikonam.) Even if it gets late, I will wait.

مگر اینکه Listen (magar inke, “unless”) always takes the subjunctive.

Time conjunctions: when, before, after, until

وقتی (vaghti): when

Here is a pattern that surprises learners: when the “when” clause is about a future moment that will be finished, Persian uses the simple past. Literally, “When I arrived home, I call you.”

• وقتی به خانه رسیدم، به تو زنگ می‌زنم. (vaghti be khâne residam, be to zang mizanam.) When I get home, I will call you. Spoken: وقتی رسیدم خونه، بهت زنگ می‌زنم. (vaghti residam khune, behet zang mizanam).
• هر وقت خواستی، بیا. (har vaght khâsti, biyâ.) Come whenever you want.

قبل از اینکه and بعد از اینکه: before and after

قبل از اینکه Listen (ghabl az inke, before) is always followed by the subjunctive, even when you talk about the past. بعد از اینکه (ba’d az inke, after) takes a normal past or present verb.

• قبل از اینکه بخوابی، مسواک بزن. (ghabl az inke bekhâbi, mesvâk bezan.) Brush your teeth before you go to sleep.
• قبل از اینکه به ایران بروم، فارسی یاد گرفتم. (ghabl az inke be Irân beravam, fârsi yâd gereftam.) Before I went to Iran, I learned Persian.
• بعد از اینکه شام خوردیم، به پارک رفتیم. (ba’d az inke shâm khordim, be pârk raftim.) After we had dinner, we went to the park.

With a noun, drop اینکه: قبل از شام (ghabl az shâm, before dinner), بعد از کلاس (ba’d az kelâs, after class).

تا (tâ): until, so that, as soon as

تا Listen is one of the busiest little words in Persian. As a conjunction it has three meanings, and the verb tells you which one is meant. Our lesson on tâ as a conjunction has more practice.

• صبر کن تا بیایم. (sabr kon tâ biyâyam.) Wait until I come. (until, subjunctive)
• آمدم تا با تو حرف بزنم. (âmadam tâ bâ to harf bezanam.) I came so that I could talk to you. (purpose, subjunctive)
• تا من را دید، خندید. (tâ man râ did, khandid.) As soon as he saw me, he laughed. (as soon as, past) Spoken: تا منو دید، خندید. (tâ mano did, khandid).

در حالی که (dar hâli ke): while, whereas

• علی درس می‌خواند، در حالی که موسیقی گوش می‌داد. (Ali dars mikhând, dar hâli ke musighi gush midâd.) Ali was studying while he listened to music.
• برادرم قدبلند است، در حالی که من کوتاه هستم. (barâdaram ghadboland ast, dar hâli ke man kutâh hastam.) My brother is tall, whereas I am short.

Although: با اینکه, اگرچه, هرچند

با اینکه Listen (bâ inke) is the everyday “although, even though.” اگرچه (agarche) and با وجود اینکه (bâ vojud-e inke, “despite the fact that”) are more formal. هرچند (harchand) often follows the main clause, like English “though.”

• با اینکه خسته بود، تا آخر شب کار کرد. (bâ inke khaste bud, tâ âkhar-e shab kâr kard.) Although he was tired, he worked until late at night.
• اگرچه هوا سرد بود، به کوه رفتیم. (agarche havâ sard bud, be kuh raftim.) Although it was cold, we went to the mountains.
• این هتل خوب است، هرچند کمی گران است. (in hotel khub ast, harchand kami gerân ast.) This hotel is good, though it is a bit expensive.

In conversation you will often hear ولی or اما at the start of the second clause too (با اینکه … ولی …). Careful writers leave it out, so in writing use only one of the two.

For “nevertheless” at the start of a new sentence, use با این حال (bâ in hâl) or با این همه (bâ in hame).

که (ke): that, when, who

که Listen is the most frequent subordinating word in Persian. As a conjunction it means “that” after verbs of saying, knowing and thinking. In speech it is very often dropped, just like English “that.”

• می‌دانم که خسته‌ای. (midânam ke khaste-i.) I know (that) you are tired. Spoken: می‌دونم خسته‌ای. (midunam khaste-i).
• گفت که فردا می‌آید. (goft ke fardâ miâyad.) He said (that) he would come tomorrow.

In stories, که also means “when” after a background action in the past progressive:

• داشتم غذا می‌خوردم که تلفن زنگ زد. (dâshtam ghazâ mikhordam ke telefon zang zad.) I was eating when the phone rang.

که also introduces relative clauses (“the book that I bought”). Our lesson on ke as a conjunction covers all its uses with exercises.

Which conjunctions take the subjunctive?

The subjunctive is the verb form with بـ (be-) and no می‌ (mi-): بروم (beravam, that I go), بخورم (bekhoram, that I eat). It appears after conjunctions that point to something not yet real: a goal, a condition, a time that has not come. If the form is new to you, start with our lesson on the present subjunctive.

Spoken vs written conjunctions

Everyday Persian uses shorter or simpler conjunctions than the written language. Use the left column in conversation and the right one in essays, emails to officials and formal speeches. Our article on spoken vs written Persian explains the wider pattern.

Common mistakes with Persian conjunctions

• Using a normal verb after قبل از اینکه. Say قبل از اینکه بروم (ghabl az inke beravam), not قبل از اینکه می‌روم.
• Using چون before a noun. “Because of the traffic” is به خاطر ترافیک (be khâter-e terâfik), not چون plus a noun.
• Making the verb negative after نه … نه. نه چای می‌خورم، نه قهوه, not a negative verb.
• Using the future after وقتی. Persian says وقتی رسیدم (vaghti residam, when I arrive), not a future form.
• Sounding stiff. زیرا, بنابراین and اگرچه in a chat with friends sound like a news broadcast. Use چون, برای همین and با اینکه.

Want more practice? Try the Persian grammar quiz, and see how conjunctions differ from words like به and از in our guide to Persian prepositions. For a structured path through all of this, Farsi Grammar in Use: For Beginners covers conjunctions alongside the subjunctive and sentence structure with exercises.

Common questions

What are conjunctions called in Persian?

A conjunction is حرف ربط (harf-e rabt), literally “linking word”; the plural is حروف ربط (horuf-e rabt). The most common ones are و, ولی, یا, چون, اگر and که.

How do you say “because” in Persian?

Use چون (chon, often chun in speech) in everyday Persian: چون خسته بودم (chon khaste budam), “because I was tired.” برای اینکه (barâye inke) and به خاطر اینکه (be khâter-e inke) are also common. زیرا (zirâ) is formal and mostly written.

What is the difference between ammâ and vali?

Both mean “but.” ولی (vali) is the usual spoken word; اما (ammâ) is slightly more formal and common in writing, and it can also follow the first word of its clause, like “however.” In most sentences either one is correct.

Is “and” in Persian pronounced va or o?

Both. Between words and short phrases Iranians say o (من و تو, man o to). The full va is used at the start of a sentence, between long clauses, in formal speech, or for emphasis.

How do you say “although” in Persian?

The everyday word is با اینکه (bâ inke): با اینکه خسته بود، کار کرد (bâ inke khaste bud, kâr kard), “although he was tired, he worked.” اگرچه (agarche) and با وجود اینکه (bâ vojud-e inke) are more formal, and هرچند (harchand) works like “though” after the main clause.

Which Persian conjunctions need the subjunctive?

قبل از اینکه (before), مگر اینکه (unless), بدون اینکه (without), and تا or برای اینکه when they mean “so that.” اگر (if) usually takes it when the condition is about the future.

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