Family, Informally
You already know پدر (father) and مادر (mother). At home, Iranians say بابا (dad) and مامان (mom) instead — the warm, everyday words.
| Formal | Informal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| پدر | بابا | father / dad |
| مادر | مامان | mother / mom |
| Dad is at home. | بابا در خانه است.bâbâ dar khâne ast. |
| Dad, where are you? | بابا، کجا هستی؟bâbâ, kojâ hasti? |
| Mom is reading a book. | مامان کتاب میخواند.mâmân ketâb mikhânad. |
| Mom is in the room. | مامان در اتاق است.mâmân dar otâq ast. |
Husband and Spouse
شوهر means husband specifically. The neutral word همسر (spouse), which you already know, covers either partner.
| Her husband is a doctor. | شوهر او دکتر است.showhar-e u doktor ast. |
| My husband is a teacher. | شوهر من معلم است.shohar-e man mo'allem ast. |
Polite Address: خانم
خانم (lady, Ms.) politely addresses or refers to a woman — on its own or before a name.
| That lady is a teacher. | آن خانم معلم است.ân khânom mo'allem ast. |
Getting Attention: ببخشید
ببخشید does double duty: it apologizes ("sorry") and politely opens a request ("excuse me").
| Excuse me, ma'am! | ببخشید، خانم!bebakhshid, khânom! |
| Excuse me, what time is it? | ببخشید، ساعت چند است؟bebakhshid, sâ'at chand ast? |
Everyday Exclamations
خدا (God) appears constantly in Persian exclamations — most famously خدای من! (my God!).
| My God! | خدای من!khodâ-ye man! |
| God is great. | خدا بزرگ است.khodâ bozorg ast. |
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