The most useful Dari greetings are salâm (hello), chetor hasti? (how are you?), tashakor (thank you) and khodâ hâfez (goodbye). Below are over 40 everyday phrases in Dari script with pronunciation, each next to its Iranian Persian equivalent so you can see what changes.
How to read the tables. The Dari column gives common Kabul forms. Where a form is mainly spoken, it is marked sp.; in careful writing, spoken endings such as -in in hastin are usually written -id (هستید). Pronunciation varies by region and family, so treat these as typical, not the only correct forms.
Greetings and goodbyes
| English | Dari | Dari pronunciation | Iranian Persian | Iranian pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hello | سلام | salâm | سلام | salâm |
| Hello (formal, “peace be upon you”) | السلام علیکم | as-salâm-u alaykum | سلام علیکم | salâm aleykom |
| Reply to the formal hello | وعلیکم السلام | wa alaykum as-salâm | علیکم السلام | aleykom as-salâm |
| How are you? (informal) | چطور هستی؟ | chetor hasti? | چطوری؟ | chetori? |
| How are you? (polite) | چطور هستین؟ sp. | chetor hastin? | حالتون چطوره؟ sp. | hâletun chetore? |
| Are you well? (informal) | جور استی؟ sp. | jor asti? | خوبی؟ | khubi? |
| I’m fine, thank you | خوب هستم، تشکر | khub hastom, tashakor | خوبم، ممنون | khubam, mamnun |
| How is your family? (lit. is all well at home?) | خانه خیریت است؟ | khâna khayriyat ast? | خانواده خوبن؟ sp. | khânevâde khuban? |
| Good morning | صبح بخیر | sob bakhayr | صبح بخیر | sobh bekheyr |
| Good night | شب بخیر | shab bakhayr | شب بخیر | shab bekheyr |
| Welcome | خوش آمدین sp. | khosh âmadin | خوش اومدین sp. | khosh umadin |
| May you not be tired (to someone who has worked) | مانده نباشی | mânda nabâshi | خسته نباشی | khaste nabâshi |
| … (polite) | مانده نباشین sp. | mânda nabâshin | خسته نباشید | khaste nabâshid |
| Thanks, bless you (reply, lit. “may you live”) | زنده باشین sp. | zinda bâshin | زنده باشید | zende bâshid |
| Goodbye | خدا حافظ | khodâ hâfez | خداحافظ | khodâhâfez |
| Goodbye (lit. “in God’s protection”) | به امان خدا | ba amân-e khodâ | به امان خدا | be amân-e khodâ |
Afghans usually greet with several questions in a row: about your health, your family and your work. Answer each one and ask back. Rushing past the greeting can feel cold.
Thank you, please and sorry
| English | Dari | Dari pronunciation | Iranian Persian | Iranian pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thank you | تشکر | tashakor | ممنون / مرسی | mamnun / mersi |
| Thank you very much | بسیار تشکر | bisyâr tashakor | خیلی ممنون | kheyli mamnun |
| You’re welcome (lit. “not worth thanks”) | قابل تشکر نیست | qâbel-e tashakor nest | خواهش می‌کنم | khâhesh mikonam |
| Please (go ahead / help yourself) | بفرمایین sp. | befarmâyin | بفرمایید | befarmâyid |
| Please (asking for something) | لطفاً | lotfan | لطفاً | lotfan |
| Excuse me / sorry | ببخشین sp. | bebakhshin (also heard: mebakhshin) | ببخشید | bebakhshid |
| I am sorry | معذرت می‌خواهم | ma’zerat mekhâyom | معذرت می‌خوام sp. | ma’zerat mikhâm |
| Yes | بلی | bale | بله | bale |
| No | نه | ne | نه | na |
| It’s alright / never mind | خیر است | khayr ast | اشکالی نداره sp. | eshkâli nadâre |
| Very good | بسیار خوب | bisyâr khub | خیلی خوب | kheyli khub |
Bale is written بلی in Afghanistan and بله in Iran; both are pronounced bale. Iranians also say mersi (from French). It is not used in Afghanistan, where tashakor is the normal word.
Introducing yourself
| English | Dari | Dari pronunciation | Iranian Persian | Iranian pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What is your name? (polite) | نام شما چیست؟ | nâm-e shomâ chist? | اسم شما چیه؟ sp. | esm-e shomâ chiye? |
| What’s your name? (informal) | نامت چیست؟ | nâmet chist? | اسمت چیه؟ sp. | esmet chiye? |
| My name is … | نامم … است | nâmem … ast | اسم من … است | esm-e man … ast |
| Where are you from? (polite) | از کجا هستین؟ sp. | az kojâ hastin? | اهل کجایید؟ | ahl-e kojâyid? |
| Where are you from? (informal) | از کجا هستی؟ | az kojâ hasti? | اهل کجایی؟ | ahl-e kojâyi? |
| I am from Kabul | از کابل هستم | az kâbul hastom | اهل کابل هستم | ahl-e kâbol hastam |
| Do you know English? (polite) | انگلیسی یاد دارین؟ sp. | englisi yâd dârin? | انگلیسی بلدید؟ | engilisi baladid? |
Dari usually says نام nâm for “name”, while spoken Iranian Persian prefers اسم esm. Both words are understood in both countries.
Language help
| English | Dari | Dari pronunciation | Iranian Persian | Iranian pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I know a little Dari | کمی دری یاد دارم | kami dari yâd dârom | یک کم فارسی بلدم | yek kam fârsi baladam |
| I understand | می‌فهمم | mefahmom (often mefâmom) | می‌فهمم | mifahmam |
| I don’t understand | نمی‌فهمم | namefahmom | نمی‌فهمم | nemifahmam |
| Please speak more slowly | لطفاً آهسته‌تر گپ بزنین sp. | lotfan âhesta-tar gap bezanin | لطفاً آهسته‌تر صحبت کنید | lotfan âheste-tar sohbat konid |
Two very Afghan verbs appear here: یاد داشتن yâd dâshtan (to know how to, to know a language) and گپ زدن gap zadan (to talk). In Iran you would hear بلد بودن balad budan and صحبت کردن sohbat kardan.
Everyday questions
| English | Dari | Dari pronunciation | Iranian Persian | Iranian pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where is the toilet? | تشناب کجاست؟ | tashnâb kojâst? | دستشویی کجاست؟ | dastshuyi kojâst? |
| How much is this? | این چند است؟ | in chand ast? | این چنده؟ sp. | in chande? |
| What time is it? | چند بجه است؟ | chand baja ast? (spoken: chand baja-s?) | ساعت چنده؟ sp. | sâ’at chande? |
| Have you eaten? | نان خوردی؟ | nân khordi? | غذا خوردی؟ | ghazâ khordi? |
| Where are you off to? | کجا بخیر؟ | kojâ bakhayr? | کجا می‌ری؟ sp. | kojâ miri? |
| I am tired | مانده شدم | mânda shodom | خسته شدم | khaste shodam |
| Help! | کمک! | komak! | کمک! | komak! |
| Happy Nowruz (Persian New Year) | نوروز مبارک | nawroz mobârak | نوروز مبارک | nowruz mobârak |
Baja (بجه, “o’clock”) comes from Hindi-Urdu and is the usual word for clock time in Kabul. Learn more numbers on our Dari numbers page.
Politeness: hasti or hastin?
Like Iranian Persian, Dari has an informal “you” (tu) and a polite “you” (shomâ), which takes a plural verb. In speech, the polite verb ending is -in: chetor hastin?, bebakhshin, befarmâyin. Use the polite form with anyone older than you, with strangers and with teachers. With children and close friends, use the informal form. The same idea exists in Iran; see our guide to taarof and Persian politeness.
Practise next
- Compare these with the Iranian forms in common Persian greetings and 21 essential Farsi phrases.
- See why the vowels and words change in Dari vs Farsi.
- Go back to the Dari hub.
Build your phrase bank
Our books teach Iranian Persian. They are a good base for Dari once you know the differences shown on this page.
- Easy Persian Phrasebook – essential expressions in Iranian Persian; compare them with the Dari forms above
- Learn to Speak Farsi in 30 Days – a speaking-first course
- 101 Most Common Persian Words
Sources
- Indiana University CeLCAR, Dari/Pashto Phrasebook (2021). https://celcar.indiana.edu/materials/images/PDF_Dari_Pashto_PhraseBook_Military_2021_5x7.pdf
- Persian Language Online, “Introduction to Afghan Persian (Dari) Part 2: Vocabulary and Expressions”. https://persianlanguageonline.com/introduction-to-afghan-persian-dari-part-2-vocabulary-and-expressions/
- Transparent Language Dari blog, “Dari Greetings”. https://blogs.transparent.com/dari/2011/04/03/dari-greetings/
- Rawan Farhadi and John R. Perry (2009), “Kāboli” [Kabuli colloquial Persian], Encyclopaedia Iranica. https://iranicaonline.org/articles/kaboli-colloquial-persian
- Adam Baker (2016), “Dari (Afghan Persian)”, Journal of the International Phonetic Association 46(2): 229–234. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-phonetic-association/article/dari-afghan-persian/E6FE187B387C9A3C2C2B79A3278BC697
- Wikipedia, “Persian language” (accessed 30 Oct 2026). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_language
FAQ
How do you say hello in Dari?
Say salâm (سلام). For a more formal or respectful greeting, say as-salâm-u alaykum (السلام علیکم); the reply is wa alaykum as-salâm.
How do you say thank you in Dari?
The everyday word is tashakor (تشکر). For “thank you very much” say bisyâr tashakor. Iranians more often say mamnun or mersi, but tashakor is understood everywhere.
What does mânda nabâshi mean?
It literally means “may you not be tired”. Afghans say it to someone who has been working or has just arrived. It is the Dari version of the Iranian khaste nabâshi.
Is chetor hasti informal?
Yes. Chetor hasti? is for friends, family and children. Use chetor hastin? (or shomâ chetor hastin?) with elders, strangers and in formal settings.
Will Iranians understand these Dari phrases?
Almost all of them. Words such as tashakor and khodâ hâfez are standard Persian. A few Dari-only words, such as tashnâb (toilet) or gap zadan (to talk), may sound unfamiliar to some Iranians.