Greetings and Introductions | Farsi Grammar

Persian greetings and introductions work as paired chunks. One person says سلام and receives سلام; a host says خوش آمدید and a guest thanks them; a name or origin question invites a matching short answer. Learning the pair is more useful than memorizing an isolated translation because the reply shows what social action the expression performs.

This page builds reusable frames: سلام + title/name, اسم من + name + است, اهل + place + هستم, and حال شما چطور است؟ It treats them as conventional units. Full copula grammar is taught on The Enclitic Present Copula, while longer self-presentations belong on Introducing Yourself.

The Encounter Map

Move	Polite standard	Informal Tehran	Expected response
open	سلام، وقت بخیر	سلام	return سلام
welcome	خوش آمدید	خوش اومدی	ممنون / خیلی ممنون
give name	اسم من ... است	من ...م	give the other name or acknowledge
ask origin	اهل کجا هستید؟	اهل کجایی؟	اهل ... هستم
ask well-being	حال شما چطور است؟	خوبی؟ / چطوری؟	brief answer, often reciprocal

The informal column is not a word-by-word shortened version of the polite column. It also changes pronouns, agreement, and relationship. Use the polite or neutral sequence with an unknown adult; use the familiar sequence when mutual تو is established.

سلام Opens and Acknowledges

سلام works across most face-to-face encounters, phone calls, and ordinary messages. A title or name can follow after a pause: سلام، خانم نادری. Here ezafe links خانم to نادری inside the address phrase; it does not link سلام to the title. In an especially polite service encounter, وقت بخیر “good day” can follow or occasionally replace it.

سلام، آقای نادری. برای جلسه‌ی ساعت ده آمده‌ام.

salâm, âqâ-ye Nâderi. barâ-ye jalse-ye sâ'at-e dah âmade-am.

Hello, Mr. Naderi. I’ve come for the ten o’clock meeting. (polite standard)

سلام، وقت بخیر. بخش پذیرش کدام طبقه است؟

salâm, vaqt be-kheyr. bakhsh-e pazhiresh kodâm tabaqe ast?

Hello, good day. Which floor is reception on? (polite service encounter)

The natural response normally returns سلام before business begins. This is a reciprocal acknowledgment, not empty repetition.

— سلام، خانم بهرامی. — سلام، بفرمایید؛ منتظرتان بودم.

— salâm, khânom-e Bahrâmi. — salâm, be-farmâyid; montazer-etân budam.

— Hello, Ms. Bahrami. — Hello, please come in; I was expecting you. (polite reply pair)

English hi and hello can both map to سلام. Persian does not require a different greeting just because the encounter is slightly more formal; address terms and the following verb forms do much of that work.

خوش آمدید Welcomes the Arrival

خوش آمدید literally contains “you came well,” but functions as the fixed polite/plural welcome. Singular familiar خوش آمدی and Tehran خوش اومدی suit a friend, child, or relative. The newcomer does not repeat خوش آمدید back; they thank the host.

به خانه‌ی ما خوش آمدید؛ بفرمایید داخل.

be khâne-ye mâ khosh âmadid; be-farmâyid dâkhel.

Welcome to our home; please come in. (polite standard)

خیلی ممنون؛ از دیدن همه‌تان خوشحالم.

kheyli mamnun; az didan-e hame-tân khoshhâl-am.

Thank you very much; I’m happy to see you all. (polite response to a welcome)

سارا، خوش اومدی! راهو راحت پیدا کردی؟

Sârâ, khosh umadi! râh-o râhat peydâ kardi?

Sara, welcome! Did you find the way easily? (informal, regional: Tehran)

💡

Treat خوش آمدید → ممنون as a pair. English “welcome” also answers thanks, but Persian خوش آمدید only welcomes an arrival; “you’re welcome” is خواهش می‌کنم.

Giving and Asking a Name

The standard frame اسم من + name + است makes اسم من the subject. من + name + هستم identifies the speaker directly. In everyday Tehran speech, the copula can attach to the name: من کامرانم. All three are natural in their proper register.

سلام، اسم من کیان است؛ شما خانم امینی هستید؟

salâm, esm-e man Kiyân ast; shomâ khânom-e Amini hastid?

Hello, my name is Kian; are you Ms. Amini? (polite standard)

من لیلا هستم، همکار جدید بخش فروش.

man Leylâ hastam, hamkâr-e jadid-e bakhsh-e forush.

I’m Leila, the new colleague in the sales department. (neutral introduction)

سلام، من کامرانم. تو آرش هستی؟

salâm, man Kâmrân-am. to Ârash hasti?

Hi, I’m Kamran. Are you Arash? (informal singular)

Polite اسم شما چیست؟ is clear but can sound careful. Spoken polite Tehran often has اسم شما چیه؟: the pronoun remains respectful while the copula is conversational. That is a coherent spoken-polite system, not necessarily a mistake.

ببخشید، اسم شما چیه؟ می‌خوام توی فهرست پیداتون کنم.

be-bakhshid, esm-e shomâ chi-ye? mi-khâm tu-ye fehrest peydâ-tun konam.

Excuse me, what’s your name? I want to find you on the list. (polite informal Tehran speech)

Persian places the identifying name before the copula. English “I am Mina” cannot be transferred as من هستم مینا in a neutral introduction.

اهل کجا Asks Established Origin

اهل کجا هستید؟ asks about hometown, native region, or established origin. Answer with اهل + place + هستم; there is no از after اهل. By contrast, از کجا آمدید؟ can ask where the person has just traveled from.

اهل کجا هستید؟ لهجه‌تان برایم آشناست.

ahl-e kojâ hastid? lahje-tân barâ-yam âshenâ-st.

Where are you from? Your accent sounds familiar to me. (polite standard)

من اهل بندرعباس هستم، اما چند سال است در کرمان کار می‌کنم.

man ahl-e Bandar Abbâs hastam, ammâ chand sâl ast dar Kermân kâr mi-konam.

I’m from Bandar Abbas, but I’ve worked in Kerman for several years. (neutral standard)

— از کجا آمدید؟ — از قم؛ قطارم همین الان رسید.

— az kojâ âmadid? — az Qom; qatâr-am hamin alân resid.

— Where did you come from? — From Qom; my train just arrived. (immediate travel origin, not necessarily hometown)

The distinction lets learners predict a new answer: origin uses اهل, current residence uses در... زندگی می‌کنم, and the starting point of movement uses از.

حال شما and the Reply Pair

حال شما چطور است؟ is polite standard. چطورید؟ is shorter polite speech. خوبی؟ and چطوری؟ are familiar singular. Routine answers are brief and often return the question.

حال شما چطور است؟ سفرتان راحت بود؟

hâl-e shomâ chetor ast? safar-etân râhat bud?

How are you? Was your trip comfortable? (polite standard)

ممنون، خوبم. شما چطورید؟ خانواده چطورند؟

mamnun, khub-am. shomâ chetor-id? khânevâde chetor-and?

Thank you, I’m well. How are you? How is your family? (careful polite conversation)

خوبی، نیما؟ بالاخره پروژه‌ت تموم شد؟

khubi, Nimâ? bâlâkhare porozhe-t tamum shod?

How are you, Nima? Did you finally finish your project? (informal, regional: Tehran)

خوبم is often a social acknowledgment rather than a detailed health report. A follow-up question can invite a real answer. The broader timing of greeting sequences is covered on Greeting and Leave-Taking.

Two Complete Introductions

— سلام، من مریم توکلی هستم، مسئول هماهنگی دوره. — سلام، من امید ناصری هستم. خوشوقتم. — من هم خوشوقتم؛ به دوره خوش آمدید.

— salâm, man Maryam Tavakkoli hastam, mas'ul-e hamâhangi-ye dowre. — salâm, man Omid Nâseri hastam. khosh-vaqtam. — man ham khosh-vaqtam; be dowre khosh âmadid.

— Hello, I’m Maryam Tavakkoli, the course coordinator. — Hello, I’m Omid Naseri. Nice to meet you. — Nice to meet you too; welcome to the course. (polite standard first meeting)

— سلام، من نازنینم. تو همسایه‌ی جدیدی؟ — آره، من پویام. اهل رشت هستم. — خوش اومدی به ساختمون!

— salâm, man Nâzanin-am. to hamsâye-ye jadidi? — âre, man Puyâ-m. ahl-e Rasht hastam. — khosh umadi be sâkhtemun!

— Hi, I’m Nazanin. Are you the new neighbor? — Yes, I’m Pouya. I’m from Rasht. — Welcome to the building! (informal Tehran conversation)

Common Mistakes

1. Replying to خوش آمدید with the same words

⚠️ — خوش آمدید. — شما هم خوش آمدید.

— khosh âmadid. — shomâ ham khosh âmadid.

— Welcome. — Welcome to you too. The reply is grammatical only if both people are independently welcoming each other; an arriving guest normally thanks the host.

✅ — به نمایشگاه خوش آمدید. — خیلی ممنون، خوشحالم که اینجا هستم.

— be namâyeshgâh khosh âmadid. — kheyli mamnun, khoshhâl-am ke injâ hastam.

— Welcome to the exhibition. — Thank you very much; I’m happy to be here. (natural welcome-response pair)

2. Copying English copula order

❌ من هستم مهسا از شیراز.

Incorrect as a neutral introduction — the identifying name belongs before the first-person copula.

✅ من مهسا هستم و اهل شیرازم.

man Mahsâ hastam va ahl-e Shirâz-am.

I’m Mahsa, and I’m from Shiraz. (neutral standard)

3. Adding از after اهل

❌ شما اهل از اهواز هستید؟

Incorrect — اهل links directly to the place through ezafe; do not add از.

✅ شما اهل اهواز هستید یا فقط آنجا کار می‌کنید؟

shomâ ahl-e Ahvâz hastid yâ faqat ânjâ kâr mi-konid?

Are you from Ahvaz, or do you only work there? (polite standard)

4. Mixing a respectful title with intimate agreement

⚠️ خانم مدیر، خوبی؟ اسمت چیه؟

khânom-e modir, khubi? esm-et chi-ye?

Ms. Director, how are you? What’s your name? The Persian is grammatical, but the respectful title conflicts with intimate singular forms in an ordinary professional first meeting.

✅ خانم مدیر، حال شما چطور است؟ اجازه می‌دهید نامتان را یادداشت کنم؟

khânom-e modir, hâl-e shomâ chetor ast? ejâze mi-dahid nâm-etân râ yâddâsht konam?

Ms. Director, how are you? May I write down your name? (respectful professional register)

Key Takeaways

Learn greetings as reply pairs: سلام → سلام, خوش آمدید → ممنون, and a well-being question → brief answer plus return question.
Use اسم من... است, من... هستم, or informal من...م as complete name frames.
اهل کجا؟ asks established origin; از کجا آمدید؟ can ask the starting point of the current journey.
Match شما with polite/plural agreement and تو with familiar singular agreement.
Choose a complete standard or Tehran interactional frame rather than shortening isolated words.

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