Study notes for Lesson 16: a short beginner Persian text about Arash's day, with clock times from waking up to a late movie, key words and a quiz.
Reading: Arash's day
This text goes with the Lesson 16 reading video. It is an original beginner text that uses clock times and the daily routine words of this lesson. Most sentences are in the present tense, because they describe what Arash does every day. The end of the text tells the same story as the speaking dialogue.
The text
| Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| آرش هر روز ساعت شش و نیم بیدار می‌شود. | /ârash har ruz sâ'at-e shesh-o nim bidâr mishavad./ | Arash wakes up at six thirty every day. |
| ساعت هفت صبحانه می‌خورد. | /sâ'at-e haft sobhâne mikhorad./ | At seven he has breakfast. |
| او ساعت هفت و ربع با اتوبوس سر کار می‌رود. | /u sâ'at-e haft-o rob' bâ otobus sar-e kâr miravad./ | At a quarter past seven he goes to work by bus. |
| کارش ساعت هشت شروع می‌شود. | /kârash sâ'at-e hasht shoru' mishavad./ | His work starts at eight. |
| ساعت دوازده و نیم ناهار می‌خورد. | /sâ'at-e davâzdah-o nim nâhâr mikhorad./ | At twelve thirty he has lunch. |
| کارش ساعت چهار تمام می‌شود. | /kârash sâ'at-e chahâr tamâm mishavad./ | His work finishes at four. |
| امروز عصر آرش با دوستش شیرین قرار دارد. | /emruz asr ârash bâ dustash shirin gharâr dârad./ | This evening Arash is meeting his friend Shirin. |
| فیلم ساعت یک ربع به هشت شروع می‌شود. | /film sâ'at-e yek rob' be hasht shoru' mishavad./ | The movie starts at a quarter to eight. |
| اما ساعت مچی آرش ده دقیقه عقب است. | /ammâ sâ'at-e mochi-ye ârash dah daghighe aghab ast./ | But Arash's watch is ten minutes slow. |
| او فکر می‌کند ساعت هفت و نیم است، اما ساعت هفت و چهل دقیقه است. | /u fekr mikonad sâ'at haft-o nim ast, ammâ sâ'at haft-o chehel daghighe ast./ | He thinks it is seven thirty, but it is seven forty. |
| آرش می‌دود و درست سر وقت به سینما می‌رسد. | /ârash midavad va dorost sar-e vaght be sinemâ miresad./ | Arash runs and gets to the cinema just in time. |
Grammar in the text
Notice the habit verbs with می: بیدار می‌شود, می‌خورد, می‌رود. All the clock times follow the pattern from the grammar page: شش و نیم (6:30), هفت و ربع (7:15), یک ربع به هشت (7:45) and هفت و چهل دقیقه (7:40). None of them needs a word for "at".
After reading
- Read the text aloud and say each time in English as you go.
- Write five sentences about your own day with times, for example من ساعت هفت بیدار می‌شوم (man sâ'at-e haft bidâr mishavam).
- Retell the last four sentences in the past tense, as if it happened yesterday: فیلم یک ربع به هشت شروع شد.
Key words
- هر روز (har ruz): every day
- سر کار رفتن (sar-e kâr raftan): to go to work
- قرار داشتن (gharâr dâshtan): to have a date or appointment
- فکر کردن (fekr kardan): to think
- دویدن (davidan): to run; می‌دود (midavad): he runs
- درست سر وقت (dorost sar-e vaght): just in time, right on time
- سینما (sinemâ): cinema
More from Lesson 16
- Lesson 16: New Words (clock and time)
- Lesson 16: More New Words (daily routine)
- Lesson 16: Grammar (telling time)
- Lesson 16: Speaking (what time is it?)
Practice
-
What time does Arash wake up?
Show answer
At six thirty. ساعت شش و نیم
-
How does he go to work?
Show answer
By bus. با اتوبوس
-
What time does his work finish?
Show answer
At four. ساعت چهار
-
Who is Arash meeting this evening?
Show answer
His friend Shirin. دوستش شیرین
-
Is Arash late for the movie?
Show answer
No. His watch is slow, but he runs and arrives just in time. نه، سر وقت می‌رسد.
This page is part of the free course Learn to Speak Persian Fast. Next lesson: Lesson 17: New Words (repair).
Take this lesson further
Study with the book
Learn to Speak Persian Fast: For Beginners
This free lesson is part of Learn to Speak Persian Fast. The book puts the whole series in one printable PDF you can study offline.
Serious about Persian? Get all 30 of our Persian learning books for $199.99 (55% less than buying them one by one).
Free Persian Starter Kit (PDF)
The Persian alphabet chart and the 101 most common Persian words with pronunciation, in one printable PDF. You also get a one-time 10% code for any of our books.
We will email you new lessons and book news from Learn Persian Online. Unsubscribe any time.