Feelings

1. خوشحالم

   Khoshhālam

   I'm happy

   Usage

   Literally "my state is good", the basic Persian way to express joy. The form is the same for men and women, and it is safe with anyone

2. خیلی هیجان‌زده‌ام

   Kheyli hayajānzade-am

   I'm excited

   Usage

   Literally "struck by excitement" — for anticipation. A good line before setting off on a trip or a desert tour

3. افتخار می‌کنم

   Eftekhār mikonam

   I'm proud

   Usage

   Literally "I do pride". To praise someone, "be to eftekhār mīkonam" — I'm proud of you

4. خیالم راحت شد

   Khiyālam rāhat shod

   I'm relieved

   Usage

   Literally "my mind became at ease" — for when a worry lifts, such as a lost item turning up

5. قدردانم

   Qadrdānam

   I'm grateful

   Usage

   Literally "I know the worth of it" — heavier than "mamnūn", and worth saying on parting to someone who really helped

6. خیلی خوشم آمد

   Kheyli khosham āmad

   I really liked it

   Usage

   Literally "goodness came to me" — the most natural compliment for food, a view or a purchase. Aimed at a person it takes on a romantic edge, so keep it for things

7. دلم برایت تنگ شده

   Delam barāyat tang shode

   I miss you

   Usage

   Literally "my heart has grown tight for you" — a characteristically Persian image, for family and close friends. The polite form is "delam barāyetān tang shode". Not for a stranger or a superior

8. ناراحتم

   Nārāhatam

   I'm upset

   Usage

   Literally "not at ease" — the counterpart of "khoshhāl", covering sadness, discomfort and being put out. The commonest word of its kind in daily use

9. غمگینم

   Ghamginam

   I'm sad

   Usage

   From "gham", sorrow — heavier than "nārāhat" and used for real grief. "Gham" is one of the central subjects of Persian poetry

10. حیف شد

    Heyf shod

    What a shame

    Usage

    The set response to a cancelled plan or bad news; "heyf" alone works too. Safe with anyone

11. ناامید شدم

    Nāomid shodam

    I'm disappointed

    Usage

    Literally "I became without hope" — a measured way to say a tour or a hotel fell short

12. احساس تنهایی می‌کنم

    Ehsās-e tanhāyi mikonam

    I feel lonely

    Usage

    Literally "I make the feeling of aloneness" — an opening when you are travelling solo. Iranians will readily invite a lone traveller to eat, so this word can lead somewhere unexpected

13. دلم گرفته

    Delam gerefte

    I feel low / heavy-hearted

    Usage

    Literally "my heart has become closed up" — the particularly Persian way of naming a melancholy you cannot quite account for, and a staple of songs and poems. It lands deeply with someone close to you

14. دلتنگ خانه‌ام

    Deltang-e khāne-am

    I'm homesick

    Usage

    "Deltang" — heart made tight — is the adjective for longing. Said midway through a long trip it draws real sympathy

15. عصبانی‌ام

    Asabāni-am

    I'm angry

    Usage

    Strong anger. Raising your voice in public is badly received in Iran — opening a complaint calmly with "yek moshkelī hast", there is a problem, gets you much further

16. کلافه‌ام

    Kalāfe-am

    I'm frustrated

    Usage

    From the word for a tangled skein of thread — the irritation of being stuck. Aim it at circumstances such as a long wait or a tangle of paperwork, not at a person

17. می‌ترسم

    Mitarsam

    I'm scared

    Usage

    A workable reason to decline heights, fast driving or an activity. "Az ertefāʿ mītarsam" means "I'm afraid of heights"

18. تعجب کردم

    Ta'ajjob kardam

    I'm surprised

    Usage

    For being taken aback, whether the surprise was good or bad

19. نگرانم

    Negarānam

    I'm worried

    Usage

    For anxiety about luggage, health or a connection. "Negarān nabāsh", don't worry, is the reply you will often get

20. استرس دارم

    Estres dāram

    I'm stressed

    Usage

    Literally "I have stress" — an English loanword understood by every generation, and a natural reason for asking to rest

21. خجالت کشیدم

    Khejālat keshidam

    I'm embarrassed

    Usage

    Literally "I drew embarrassment", used both after an awkward slip and when someone's kindness overwhelms you. It is bound up with "taʿārof", Iran's ritual of polite deferral, and saying it when you are hosted is well received

22. خجالتی‌ام

    Khejālati-am

    I'm shy

    Usage

    Shyness as a trait — also a usable reason to decline singing or dancing in front of people

23. حوصله‌ام سر رفته

    Howsele-am sar rafte

    I'm bored

    Usage

    Literally "my patience has gone over the top". Showing it to a host who is guiding you would be rude — keep it for your travel companions

24. خسته‌ام

    Khaste-am

    I'm tired

    Usage

    Useful for cutting sightseeing short. "Khaste nabāshīd" — may you not be tired — is the set Iranian greeting to anyone at work, and visitors who use it are always well received

25. خوابم می‌آید

    Khābam miāyad

    I'm sleepy

    Usage

    Literally "my sleep is coming". Also a polite lead-in to reclining your seat on a night bus or train

26. حالم خوب است

    Hālam khub ast

    I'm fine

    Usage

    The standard answer to "hāl-e shomā chetor ast?"; in speech it shortens to "hālam khūbe". It also serves as "I'm all right now" to someone who was worried

27. حالم خوب نیست

    Hālam khub nist

    I don't feel well

    Usage

    The all-purpose way to say you are unwell. Show it, then point to the spot on a body card

Browse all TravelPhrases languages