Expressing Percentages
To express percentages in Farsi, place the word درصد (percent) immediately after the number.
To talk about a percentage of something, place the percentage directly before the noun, connecting them with a spoken ezafe. You can also use percentages to describe the size of a change, such as an increase or decrease.
| The chart shows that forty percent of the people are happy. | نمودار نشان میدهد که چهل درصد مردم خوشحال هستند.nemudâr neshân midahad ke chehel darsad mardom khoshhâl hastand. |
| In this chart, the average salary of the workers increased by eighty percent. | در این نمودار، میانگین حقوق کارگران هشتاد درصد افزایش پیدا کرد.dar in nemudâr, miyângin-e hoquq-e kârgarân hashtâd darsad afzâyesh peydâ kard. |
Verb Agreement with Percentages
When a percentage is the subject of a sentence, verb agreement depends on the logical subject—the actual noun the percentage describes. If the percentage measures a plural noun, particularly groups of people, use a plural verb.
| Sixty percent of the respondents did not read the questionnaire. | شصت درصد پاسخدهندگان پرسشنامه را نخواندند.shast darsad pâsokh-dahandegân porseshnâme râ nakhândand. |
| It is possible that twenty percent of the respondents arrive late. | ممکن است بیست درصد پاسخدهندگان دیر برسند.momken ast bist darsad pâsokh-dahandegân dir beresand. |
Reporting Statistics and Rates
Percentages are essential for discussing demographics, censuses, and polling data. When reporting these statistics, the percentage often acts as the predicate of the sentence (e.g., "The rate is X percent").
| The participation rate in the elections is sixty percent. | نرخ مشارکت در انتخابات شصت درصد است.nerkh-e moshârekat dar entekhâbât shast darsad ast. |
| The inflation rate reached fifteen percent this year. | نرخ تورم در این سال به پانزده درصد رسید.nerkh-e tavarrom dar in sâl be pânzdah darsad resid. |
| The census result showed that fifty percent of the families are homeowners. | نتیجهی سرشماری نشان داد که پنجاه درصد خانوادهها صاحبخانه هستند.natije-ye sarshomâri neshân dâd ke panjâh darsad khânevâde-hâ sâheb-khâne hastand. |
Proportions and Ratios
You can also discuss data using the word نسبت (proportion or ratio). To express a mathematical ratio such as "sixty to forty," link the two numbers with the preposition به (to).
| The proportion of men to women in this company is sixty to forty. | نسبت مردان به زنان در این شرکت شصت به چهل است.nesbat-e mardân be zanân dar in sherkat shast be chehel ast. |
| The proportion of women in this company is thirty percent. | نسبت زنان در این شرکت سی درصد است.nesbat-e zanân dar in sherkat si darsad ast. |