Dari and Farsi are the same language, Persian, as used in Afghanistan and Iran. Written forms are almost identical. The main differences are pronunciation (Dari keeps older vowels and says w for v), a set of common everyday words (motar vs mâshin for “car”), and some features of informal grammar.
1. Vowels: Dari keeps the old “majhul” vowels
Classical Persian had two extra long vowels, ē and ō, often called majhul (“unknown”) vowels. Iranian Persian merged them with i and u. Dari kept them apart, which is why Dari has more vowels than Iranian Persian.
| Written | Meaning | Dari | Iranian Persian |
|---|---|---|---|
| شیر | lion | sher | shir |
| شیر | milk | shir | shir |
| زور | strength | zor | zur |
| زود | quick, early | zud | zud |
| روز | day | roz | ruz |
| نوروز | Nowruz (New Year) | nawroz | nowruz |
| بخیر | well, safe (as in good morning) | bakhayr | bekheyr |
The last two rows show a related difference: Dari has the diphthongs ay and aw where Iranian Persian has ey and ow. Unstressed short vowels also differ: Iranian e often corresponds to Dari a or i (yek → yak, shesh → shash), and a word-final -e in Iran is usually -a in Dari (khâne → khâna, house).
2. Consonants: w vs v, and q vs gh
- w vs v. The letter و is w in Dari and v in Iran: میوه mewa vs mive (fruit), گاو gaw vs gâv (cow), وطن watan vs vatan (homeland).
- q vs gh. In Tehran, ق and غ are pronounced the same. In Dari they stay distinct: ق is a q made far back in the throat, and غ is a softer gh. This helps with spelling, because you can hear which letter a word uses.
3. Grammar differences in everyday speech
Written grammar is shared. The differences below are in informal, spoken language.
| Feature | Dari (Kabul speech) | Iranian Persian (Tehran speech) |
|---|---|---|
| “is” | ast, often shortened to as or -s: chand baja-s? (what time is it?) | ast, shortened to -e: sâ’at chande? |
| “I” verb ending | -om: hastom, khordom (I ate) | -am: hastam, khordam |
| Present prefix | me-: mefahmom (I understand) | mi-: mifahmam |
| Object marker (را) | -ra after a vowel, -a after a consonant: khâna-ra | -ro / -o: khune-ro |
| “I am doing” (progressive) | No dâshtan construction; the normal me- present covers it | دارم می‌خورم dâram mikhoram (I am eating) |
| Polite “you” | shomâ + plural verb, spoken -in: bebakhshin | shomâ + plural verb, spoken -in, written -id: bebakhshid |
The present continuous. Iranians make “I am eating” with the helper verb dâshtan: dâram mikhoram. Kabul Persian has no such construction; the ordinary present tense (mekhorom) is used for both “I eat” and “I am eating”. Dari can also add a helper verb after a participle to show an ongoing action (for example with raftan, “to go”), but you do not need this as a beginner.
To practise the Iranian forms of these verbs, use our Persian verb conjugator and how to conjugate Persian verbs, then apply the Dari endings above.
4. Everyday vocabulary differences
These are common words where Afghans and Iranians usually choose different words. Many of the “Dari” words are also standard written Persian (for example bisyâr, “very”), so Iranians may recognise them, but they are not what Iranians normally say.
| English | Dari | Dari pronunciation | Iranian Persian | Iranian pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| car | موتر | motar | ماشین | mâshin |
| bicycle | بایسکل | bâysikel | دوچرخه | docharkhe |
| airplane | طیاره | tayyâra | هواپیما | havâpeymâ |
| airport | میدان هوایی | maydân-e hawâyi | فرودگاه | forudgâh |
| hospital | شفاخانه | shafâkhâna | بیمارستان | bimârestân |
| university | پوهنتون | pohantun | دانشگاه | dâneshgâh |
| school | مکتب | maktab | مدرسه | madrese |
| toilet, bathroom | تشناب | tashnâb | دستشویی | dastshuyi |
| window | کلکین | kilkin | پنجره | panjere |
| chair | چوکی | chawki | صندلی | sandali |
| elevator, lift | لیفت | lift | آسانسور | âsânsor |
| money | پیسه | paysa | پول | pul |
| fuel, petrol | تیل | tel | بنزین | benzin |
| potato | کچالو | kachâlu | سیب‌زمینی | sibzamini |
| tomato | بادنجان رومی | bâdenjân-e rumi | گوجه‌فرنگی | gowje-farangi |
| cucumber | بادرنگ | bâdrang | خیار | khiyâr |
| carrot | زردک | zardak | هویج | havij |
| watermelon | تربوز | tarboz | هندوانه | hendevâne |
| pear | ناک | nâk | گلابی | golâbi |
| paternal uncle | کاکا | kâkâ | عمو | amu |
| maternal uncle | ماما | mâmâ | دایی | dâyi |
| tomorrow | صباح | sabâ | فردا | fardâ |
| very | بسیار | bisyâr | خیلی | kheyli |
| big | کلان | kalân | بزرگ | bozorg |
| small | خرد | khurd | کوچک | kuchek |
| beautiful | مقبول | maqbul | قشنگ | qashang |
| dirty | چتل | chatal | کثیف | kasif |
| tired | مانده | mânda | خسته | khaste |
| ready | تیار | tayâr | حاضر | hâzer |
| open | واز | wâz | باز | bâz |
| to talk | گپ زدن | gap zadan | حرف زدن | harf zadan |
| to look (at) | سیل کردن | sayl kardan | نگاه کردن | negâh kardan |
| to like | خوش داشتن | khosh dâshtan | دوست داشتن | dust dâshtan |
| to know how to (a language, a skill) | یاد داشتن | yâd dâshtan | بلد بودن | balad budan |
| to finish | خلاص کردن | khalâs kardan | تمام کردن | tamâm kardan |
| thank you | تشکر | tashakor | ممنون / مرسی | mamnun / mersi |
We list only pairs we could confirm in at least one published source (see Sources). Usage varies by region and family.
5. Borrowed words: French in Iran, English and Hindi-Urdu in Afghanistan
Both countries borrowed modern words, but from different places:
- Iran took many words from French in the 19th and 20th centuries: مرسی mersi (thanks), آسانسور âsânsor (elevator), مد mod (fashion). Mersi is not used in Afghanistan.
- Afghanistan took more words from English and Hindi-Urdu: lift (elevator), fashan (fashion), tikit (ticket), jâkit (jacket), niktây (necktie), brek (brake), چوکی chawki (chair), تیل tel (oil, fuel), بجه baja (o’clock), لک lak (100,000).
- Pashto, Afghanistan’s other official language, also lends words to Dari, such as پوهنتون pohantun (university).
6. Calendar month names
Both countries use the solar hijri calendar, but Afghanistan has traditionally used zodiac names for the months. The first month is فروردین Farvardin in Iran and حمل Hamal in Afghanistan; the last is اسفند Esfand in Iran and حوت Hut in Afghanistan. See our Persian calendar guide for the Iranian names.
7. The name itself: Dari or Farsi?
“Dari” became the official name for Persian in Afghanistan in 1964. Many Afghans still call their language Farsi in daily life, and some prefer that name. If you are unsure, ask the person you are talking to which word they use. For the wider picture, read Farsi vs Persian vs Dari vs Tajik.
What this means for learners
- If you learn Iranian Persian with our free lessons, you can read Dari and be understood in Afghanistan.
- To sound natural with Afghan speakers, learn the vowel and w pronunciation, the -om and me- verb forms, and the vocabulary table above.
- Start with the Dari greetings and Dari numbers pages, or go back to the Dari hub.
Recommended books
- Farsi Grammar in Use for Beginners – the written grammar shared by Dari and Iranian Persian
- 200 Absolutely Essential Persian Verbs – learn the verbs, then switch the spoken endings to Dari
- 101 Most Common Persian Words
Sources
- Wikipedia, “Dari” (accessed 30 Oct 2026). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dari
- 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
- Rawan Farhadi and John R. Perry (2009), “Kāboli” [Kabuli colloquial Persian], Encyclopaedia Iranica. https://iranicaonline.org/articles/kaboli-colloquial-persian
- Wikipedia, “Persian language” (accessed 30 Oct 2026). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_language
- 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/
- Bahram Rezaei, “Farsi and Dari: one language, different words”, Nubihar. https://nubihar.co.uk/guides/farsi-dari-differences/
- Youli A. Ioannesyan (2025), “The Progressive Tenses with the Verb ‘to have’ …”, Journal of Iranian Linguistics 2/1: 36–47. https://journals.ysu.am/index.php/JIL/article/download/13393/10490/31114
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Dari language”. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dari-language
FAQ
Can Dari and Farsi speakers understand each other?
Yes. They are two standard forms of the same language. Formal written Persian is nearly identical in both countries; in conversation, speakers adjust quickly to the different accent and a few dozen common words.
What is the biggest difference between Dari and Farsi?
Pronunciation. Dari keeps older vowel sounds (sher for lion, shir for milk), says w where Iranians say v, and keeps q and gh apart. Everyday vocabulary is the second biggest difference.
Is Dari more old-fashioned than Iranian Persian?
In pronunciation, Dari is closer to the Persian of classical poetry: it keeps vowel distinctions that Iranian Persian has lost. That does not make it old-fashioned; it has its own modern vocabulary and loanwords.
Do Afghans say merci?
No. Merci, a French loan, is common in Iran but not used in Afghanistan. Afghans say tashakor.
Should I learn Dari or Farsi first?
Learn the variety of the people you want to talk to. If you have no preference, more course materials exist for Iranian Persian, and switching to Dari later mostly means learning pronunciation and vocabulary differences.