Learn Farsi: امروز شنبه است.

In Farsi, the verb almost always comes at the very end. While English says "Today is Saturday," the literal Farsi word order is "Today Saturday is." This rule applies to the verb است (is) just like any other verb.

Does the word for today, امروز (emrooz), have a literal meaning?

Yes! It is a combination of two words: ام (em) meaning "this" and روز (rooz) meaning "day." So it literally translates to "this day."

Why is the word for Saturday, شنبه (shanbeh), so important for learning the other days of the week?

The Iranian week starts on Saturday, making شنبه the base for the following days. You just add numbers to the beginning! For example, Sunday is یکشنبه (yek-shanbeh, meaning "one-Saturday") and Monday is دوشنبه (do-shanbeh, meaning "two-Saturday").

Will I hear native speakers say the word است (ast) exactly like this in real life?

In formal settings or writing, yes. But in casual, everyday spoken Farsi, the verb است is almost always shortened and attached to the previous word. Instead of saying "emrooz shanbeh ast," a native speaker will usually say "emrooz shanbeh-st."