Learn Farsi: گفته می‌شود که اولین دیدار خیلی مهم است. - It is said that the first visit is very important.

It is a manifestation noun created by taking the past stem of the verb دیدن (to see), which is دید, and adding the suffix -âr. This suffix turns a verb stem into a noun representing the occurrence or result of the action, giving us دیدار (a meeting or visit).

Why do we use the passive گفته می‌شود instead of just saying می‌گویند (they say)?

گفته می‌شود is the formal passive voice constructed with the past participle گفته and the present tense of شدن (می‌شود). While می‌گویند is very common in everyday speech to mean "people say", this passive construction is preferred in formal writing or when stating an objective general truth like a proverb.

Why is there no ezafe between اولین and دیدار?

Ordinal numbers that end in the suffix -in, such as اولین (first) or دومین (second), are placed immediately before the noun and do not use the ezafe linking vowel. If you used the alternative ordinal form, the noun would come first with an ezafe, like دیدارِ اول.

How does دیدار differ from other words for visiting?

Because it derives from the verb "to see", دیدار specifically emphasizes the encounter or the act of seeing someone. It feels slightly formal or literary, often used for important meetings, dates, or official visits. For a casual drop-in visit to a friend, native speakers typically use the compound verb .