Practice ordering food in spoken Persian with a restaurant dialogue, polite waiter phrases, a role-play idea and a short quiz.
Ordering food in Persian at a restaurant
Study notes for this lesson. Amir and Shirin have dinner at a restaurant. They ask for the menu, order, and pay. The waiter uses polite spoken forms, which is typical in Iranian restaurants. Read the dialogue aloud with a partner, taking turns as each speaker.
Dialogue: Amir, Shirin and the waiter
| Speaker | Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waiter | خوش اومدین. بفرمایید، اینم منو. | /khosh umadin. befarmâyid, inam meno./ | Welcome. Here you are, here's the menu. |
| Amir | مرسی. شما چی پیشنهاد می‌کنین؟ | /mersi. shomâ chi pishnahâd mikonin?/ | Thanks. What do you recommend? |
| Waiter | چلوکباب امروز خیلی خوبه. | /chelo kabâb emruz kheyli khube./ | The chelo kebab is very good today. |
| Amir | باشه، من یه چلوکباب می‌خوام. | /bâshe, man ye chelo kabâb mikhâm./ | OK, I'll have a chelo kebab. |
| Shirin | من گوشت نمی‌خورم. یه جوجه‌کباب با سالاد، لطفاً. | /man gusht nemikhoram. ye juje-kabâb bâ sâlâd, lotfan./ | I don't eat red meat. A chicken kebab with salad, please. |
| Waiter | نوشیدنی چی میل دارین؟ | /nushidani chi meyl dârin?/ | What would you like to drink? |
| Amir | دو تا دوغ، لطفاً. یه بطری آب هم بیارین. | /do tâ dugh, lotfan. ye botri âb ham biyârin./ | Two doughs, please. And bring a bottle of water too. |
| Waiter | چشم، الان میارم. | /cheshm, alân miyâram./ | Certainly, I'll bring it right away. |
| Shirin | به به، چه غذای خوشمزه‌ای. | /bah bah, che ghazâ-ye khoshmaze-i./ | Mmm, what tasty food. |
| Amir | ببخشید آقا، صورت‌حساب لطفاً. | /bebakhshid âghâ, surat-hesâb lotfan./ | Excuse me, sir, the bill please. |
| Waiter | قابل نداره. بفرمایید. | /ghâbel nadâre. befarmâyid./ | It's nothing. Here you are. |
Notes on the dialogue
- جوجه‌کباب (juje-kabâb) is kebab made from pieces of chicken. Shirin says she does not eat گوشت (gusht), which in everyday use usually means red meat.
- دوغ (dugh) is a savory yogurt drink that is often served with kebab.
- چشم (cheshm), literally "eye", is a very polite way to say "certainly" or "right away" when someone asks you to do something.
- قابل نداره (ghâbel nadâre), "it's not worthy of you", is a polite phrase of تعارف (ta'ârof), Iranian ritual courtesy. The customer still pays; a friendly reply is مرسی، لطف دارین (mersi, lotf dârin), "thanks, you're kind".
- میل دارین (meyl dârin), "would you like", is a polite verb waiters use for food and drink.
Useful phrases
| Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| منو لطفاً. | /meno lotfan./ | The menu, please. |
| چی پیشنهاد می‌کنین؟ | /chi pishnahâd mikonin?/ | What do you recommend? |
| من … می‌خوام. | /man … mikhâm./ | I'll have … / I want … |
| … لطفاً. | /… lotfan./ | …, please. |
| من گوشت نمی‌خورم. | /man gusht nemikhoram./ | I don't eat meat. |
| یه بطری آب هم بیارین. | /ye botri âb ham biyârin./ | Bring a bottle of water too. |
| خیلی خوشمزه بود. | /kheyli khoshmaze bud./ | It was very tasty. |
| صورت‌حساب لطفاً. | /surat-hesâb lotfan./ | The bill, please. |
Role-play
- One person is the waiter, the others are customers. Write a short menu of five dishes and two drinks in Persian.
- The waiter greets the customers with خوش اومدین and gives them the menu.
- Each customer orders with من … می‌خوام and one says what they do not eat.
- Order drinks, then say something about the food.
- Ask for the bill. The waiter answers with قابل نداره and the customer thanks them.
Other parts of Lesson 9
Practice
-
What does the waiter recommend?
Show answer
The chelo kebab. چلوکباب
-
Why doesn't Shirin order chelo kebab?
Show answer
She doesn't eat (red) meat, so she orders chicken kebab. من گوشت نمی‌خورم.
-
What do they order to drink?
Show answer
Two doughs and a bottle of water. دو تا دوغ و یه بطری آب
-
What does cheshm mean when a waiter says it? چشم
Show answer
Certainly, right away.
-
Ask for the bill politely in spoken Persian.
Show answer
bebakhshid, surat-hesâb lotfan. ببخشید، صورت‌حساب لطفاً.
Previous lesson: Lesson 8: Reading. Next lesson: Lesson 10: New Words.
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