نوشتن neveshtan “write” is a transitive simple verb with sharply different stems: past نوشتـ nevesht- and present نویسـ nevis-. Present مینویسم and command بنویس therefore cannot be predicted by merely removing ـن from the infinitive.
The verb can take the text, its content, or the physical words as object. Persian also uses it in conventional expressions such as نامه نوشتن “write a letter,” نسخه نوشتن “write a prescription,” and به نام کسی نوشتن “register/write something in someone’s name.” English write still creates traps: Iranian Persian normally says امتحان دادن, not “write an exam.”
Principal parts
| Item | Persian | Reading | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | نوشتن | neveshtan | to write |
| past stem | نوشتـ | nevesht- | نوشتم، مینوشتم |
| present stem | نویسـ | nevis- | مینویسم، بنویسم |
| past participle | نوشته | neveshte | perfect, passive, adjective |
| imperative | بنویس؛ بنویسید | be-nevis; be-nevisid | write |
| negative imperative | ننویس؛ ننویسید | na-nevis; na-nevisid | do not write |
High-value paradigm
| Person | Present indicative | Simple past | Present perfect | Present subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | مینویسم | نوشتم | نوشتهام | بنویسم |
| you (sg.) | مینویسی | نوشتی | نوشتهای | بنویسی |
| he/she/it | مینویسد | نوشت | نوشته است | بنویسد |
| we | مینویسیم | نوشتیم | نوشتهایم | بنویسیم |
| you (pl./polite) | مینویسید | نوشتید | نوشتهاید | بنویسید |
| they | مینویسند | نوشتند | نوشتهاند | بنویسند |
Negation keeps the same stem split: نمینویسم، ننوشتم، ننوشتهام، ننویسم. The negative command ننویس contains two adjacent written ن letters—negative prefix نـ plus stem نویسـ—and is not shortened to نویس.
هر شب پیش از خواب چند خط دربارهی روزم مینویسم.
har shab pish az khâb chand khat darbâre-ye ruz-am mi-nevisam.
Every night before bed, I write a few lines about my day. (neutral standard; present stem نویس)
نشانی جدید را پشت پاکت نوشتم.
neshâni-ye jadid râ posht-e pâkat neveshtam.
I wrote the new address on the back of the envelope. (neutral standard; simple past)
هنوز پاسخ رسمی شرکت را ننوشتهایم.
hanuz pâsokh-e rasmi-ye sherkat râ na-neveshte-im.
We have not written the company’s official response yet. (neutral standard; negative perfect)
Objects, content, recipients, and instruments
A definite or otherwise specific text normally takes را: نامه را نوشتم “I wrote the letter.” An indefinite activity can be bare: نامه مینویسم “I am writing a letter/letters.” The recipient or beneficiary commonly appears with برای, while به can introduce the addressee in formal correspondence or a medium/location: به مدیر نوشتم که... “I wrote to the manager that...” is possible (formal), but everyday Persian often makes the message explicit.
برای صاحبخانه پیامی نوشتم و زمان تعمیر را پرسیدم.
barâ-ye sâheb-khâne payâmi neveshtam-o zamân-e ta'mir râ porsidam.
I wrote the landlord a message and asked when the repair would happen. (neutral standard; beneficiary with برای)
نام و شمارهی تماس خود را بالای فرم بنویسید.
nâm-o shomâre-ye tamâs-e khod râ bâlâ-ye form be-nevisid.
Write your name and contact number at the top of the form. (polite/plural imperative)
An instrument takes با: با مداد نوشتن “write in pencil.” A topic normally takes دربارهی or در مورد. English often leaves these relations implicit, whereas Persian states them before the object or verb.
Participle, passive, and written results
The participle نوشته has three important jobs. It builds the perfect (نوشتهام “I have written”), combines with شدن in the canonical passive (نوشته شد “was written”), and modifies nouns (متن نوشتهشده “the written text”). Do not use the bare past stem نوشت before شدن.
این راهنما برای دانشجویان سال اول نوشته شده است.
in râhnamâ barâ-ye dâneshju-yân-e sâl-e avval neveshte shode ast.
This guide has been written for first-year students. (formal-neutral; present perfect passive)
گزارش نهایی دیروز از سوی گروه پژوهش نوشته شد.
gozâresh-e nahâyi diruz az su-ye goruh-e pazhuhesh neveshte shod.
The final report was written yesterday by the research group. (formal; explicit passive agent)
Persian often prefers an active third-plural clause when the agent is unimportant, especially in conversation. The dedicated contrast is explained on Passive with Participle plus شدن.
Conventional combinations and meaning extensions
نسخه نوشتن means that a medical professional writes/prescribes a prescription. یادداشت نوشتن is transparent “write a note,” while یادداشت کردن means “note down” and often sounds more compact. به نام کسی نوشتن can describe registering property or a document in someone’s name. These are current uses, not license to translate every English compound with نوشتن.
پزشک سه روز استراحت و یک داروی ساده برایم نوشت.
pezeshk se ruz esterâhat-o yek dâru-ye sâde barâ-yam nevesht.
The doctor prescribed me three days of rest and a simple medicine. (neutral standard; medical نوشتن)
Tehran speech
The present stem stays nevis- in Tehran speech, but endings reduce: مینویسه، مینویسین، مینویسن (informal, regional: Tehran). Past نوشتند becomes نوشتن in ordinary pronunciation. Colloquial object رو and reduced pronouns can occur in the same clause; standard prose restores را and full endings.
آدرسو برام بنویس که اشتباه نرم.
âdres-o barâm be-nevis ke eshtebâh na-ram.
Write the address down for me so I don’t go the wrong way. (informal, regional: Tehran)
Common Mistakes
1. Reusing the past stem for a current habit
❌ من هر روز برنامهام را مینوشتم.
Incorrect for the intended current habit — مینوشتم means ‘I used to write/was writing’; present uses نویس.
✅ من هر روز برنامهی فردا را در دفترم مینویسم.
man har ruz barnâme-ye fardâ râ dar daftar-am mi-nevisam.
Every day I write tomorrow’s schedule in my notebook.
2. Omitting ـه from a passive participle
❌ متن اطلاعیه دیروز نوشت شد.
Incorrect — passive نوشتن requires participle نوشته before شدن.
✅ متن کامل اطلاعیه دیروز نوشته شد.
matn-e kâmel-e ettelâ'iye diruz neveshte shod.
The full text of the notice was written yesterday.
3. Translating “write an exam” literally
❌ دانشجوها فردا امتحان پایانترم را مینویسند.
Incorrect in Iranian Persian for ‘sit/take the final exam’ — use امتحان دادن.
✅ دانشجوها فردا صبح امتحان پایانترم میدهند.
dâneshju-hâ fardâ sobh emtehân-e pâyân-term mi-dahand.
The students are taking their final exam tomorrow morning.
4. Writing می as a separate word
❌ نویسنده هر صبح دو ساعت می نویسد.
Incorrect standard orthography — می attaches with a ZWNJ.
✅ نویسنده هر صبح دو ساعت در اتاق کارش مینویسد.
nevisande har sobh do sâ'at dar otâq-e kâr-ash mi-nevisad.
The writer writes in her study for two hours every morning.
Key Takeaways
- Memorize نوشتن — نوشت — نویس — نوشته, plus بنویس and ننویس.
- Specific written material normally takes را; a recipient commonly takes برای.
- Passive forms require نوشته + شدن, not bare نوشت + شدن.
- Learn conventional uses such as نسخه نوشتن and avoid English-driven combinations such as “write an exam.”
- Tehran مینویسه/مینویسن belongs to colloquial syntax; standard writing keeps مینویسد/مینویسند.
Now practice Farsi
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Farsi →Related Topics
- High-Frequency Irregular Present StemsA1 — Master the present stems رو، آی، گو، خواه، ده, and شو and build their standard and colloquial forms accurately.
- Simple Past FormationA1 — Build the Persian simple past from the past stem and personal endings, including the zero third-person singular and completed-event reading.
- Present Perfect FormationA2 — Form the Persian present perfect with a past participle and present copula, including six standard spellings, negation, compound verbs, and Tehran reductions.
- Affirmative Imperative with بA2 — Build familiar singular commands from the Persian present stem, including simple, prefixed, and compound verbs.
- Passive with شدن: First PatternA2 — Build the basic Persian passive with a past participle or compound-predicate base plus شدن, promoting the patient and placing tense on the auxiliary.