Martial Arts

1. آیا می‌توانم فقط برای یک جلسه تمرین کنم؟

   Āyā mitavānam faqat barāye yek jalase tamrin konam?

   Can I train for just a single session?

   Usage

   Iranian martial-arts clubs (bāšgāh) normally run on monthly dues, so a single visit is usually handled as a "mehmān" (guest) session. Ask this at the desk first. Wrestling (košti) clubs and mixed gyms in Tehran are generally welcoming to foreign visitors, but walking in unannounced can be refused — calling ahead or messaging on Instagram is the safer route

   Grammar Note

   After "tavānestan" (to be able) the second verb takes the subjunctive, giving "mi-tavānam tamrin konam". "Āyā" at the head of a sentence marks a yes/no question; in speech it is often dropped and only the rising intonation remains

2. می‌توانم اول تمرین را تماشا کنم؟

   Mitavānam avval tamrin rā tamāshā konam?

   May I watch the training first?

   Usage

   Use this when you want to gauge the atmosphere and the coaching before committing. Iranian clubs often serve a visitor tea (čāy), which can make it feel awkward to leave — remember you are under no obligation to sign up on the spot. Always ask separately before photographing: "aks begiram?"

   Grammar Note

   The particle "rā" marks a definite direct object and is omitted for indefinite ones. "Tamāšā kardan" is a compound verb of the "noun + kardan" type; only "kardan" conjugates

3. کدام زورخانه را برای دیدن ورزش باستانی پیشنهاد می‌کنید؟

   Kodām zurkhāne rā barāye didan-e varzesh-e bāstāni pishnahād mikonid?

   Which zurkhaneh would you recommend for watching varzesh-e bastani?

   Usage

   One of Iran's most rewarding things to see. A zurkhaneh ("house of strength") is a traditional hall built around a sunken octagonal pit called the "gowd", and the practice performed inside it is varzesh-e bastani, inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2010. Working zurkhanehs survive in Tehran, Yazd, Isfahan and elsewhere, and most welcome visiting spectators. Sessions usually run in the evening and last around an hour

   Grammar Note

   Persian compounds nouns directly: "zur" (strength) + "xāne" (house) = zurkhaneh. Modification uses the ezāfe linker -e between noun and adjective, as in "varzeš-e bāstāni"; it is normally left unwritten in the Persian script

4. آیا می‌توانم میل را بلند کنم و امتحان کنم؟

   Āyā mitavānam mil rā boland konam va emtehān konam?

   May I lift one of the meels and give it a try?

   Usage

   The most emblematic implement in the zurkhaneh is the "mil", a heavy wooden club swung in pairs — 10 to 20 kg each, and over 40 kg in the largest sets. Visitors are often invited to try one at the end of a session, and asking yourself is perfectly acceptable. The other implements are the "sang" (weighted boards), the "kabbāde" (iron bow) and the "taxte-šenā" (push-up board)

   Grammar Note

   When "va" links two verb phrases, both stay in the same subjunctive form ending in -am. "Boland kardan" (to lift) and "emtehān kardan" (to try) are both "kardan"-type compound verbs

5. من تازه‌کار هستم و تا حالا کشتی نگرفته‌ام.

   Man tāzekār hastam va tā hālā koshti nagerefte-am.

   I am a beginner and have never wrestled before.

   Usage

   Say this before anything else. Iran is a wrestling powerhouse and even a neighbourhood club trains hard; stay quiet and you may be paired as if you were experienced. Note the fixed expression "košti gereftan" — literally "to take wrestling" — which is how Persian says "to wrestle"

   Grammar Note

   "Tā hālā" (until now) plus the present perfect expresses "have never done". The negative prefix "na-" attaches to the participle: "gerefte-am" becomes "nagerefte-am"

6. لطفاً کمی آرام‌تر تمرین کنیم.

   Lotfan kami ārāmtar tamrin konim.

   Please let's go a bit easier.

   Usage

   Use this to dial down the intensity in grappling or drilling. Phrasing it in the first-person plural — "let us go slower" rather than "you are too rough" — keeps it graceful. To ask for the opposite, say "sari'tar" (faster) or "sangintar" (heavier)

   Grammar Note

   Adding the suffix "-tar" forms the comparative ("ārām" → "ārāmtar"). The first-person plural subjunctive "tamrin konim" doubles as a suggestion: "let's train"

7. زانویم آسیب دیده است، لطفاً حرکات زانو را انجام ندهیم.

   Zānu-yam āsib dide ast, lotfan harekāt-e zānu rā anjām nadahim.

   My knee is injured, so let's skip the knee techniques.

   Usage

   Say this before training begins. Iranian clubs use no intake form, so speaking up is the only way to flag an injury. Swap "zānu" (knee) for "šāne" (shoulder), "kamar" (lower back) or "moč-e pā" (ankle). Zurkhaneh floors are hard and wrestling mats are often thin, so declare old injuries early

   Grammar Note

   Possession can be shown with the suffixes -am / -at / -aš attached to the noun ("zānu" → "zānu-yam", my knee). "Harekāt" is an Arabic broken plural; Persian also allows the native plural "harekāt-hā"

8. شهریه‌ی ماهانه و هزینه‌ی هر جلسه چقدر است؟

   Shahriye-ye māhāne va hazine-ye har jalase cheqadr ast?

   How much is the monthly fee, and how much per session?

   Usage

   Iranian clubs are built around the "šahriye", a monthly fee covering a course of two or three sessions a week. International cards do not work in Iran, so expect to pay cash in rials — but note that prices are quoted in "tomān", which is ten rials. Watching at a zurkhaneh is usually free or by voluntary donation

   Grammar Note

   When the first word ends in a vowel the ezāfe is written with a "ye" and pronounced -ye, as in "šahriye-ye māhāne". "Čeqadr" means "how much" and covers both price and quantity

9. آیا کلاس مخصوص بانوان دارید؟

   Āyā kelās-e makhsus-e bānovān dārid?

   Do you have a women-only class?

   Usage

   Sports facilities in Iran are generally run separately for men and women, and martial-arts clubs likewise have women's classes or women's hours, taught by female instructors — karate, taekwondo and judo clubs for women exist in every city. Varzesh-e bastani in the zurkhaneh, by contrast, is traditionally a men's practice, with women attending as spectators. Asking in advance saves confusion

   Grammar Note

   "Bānovān" is the polite plural of "bānu" (lady) and is preferred over "zanān" on public signage. Ezāfe links can be chained: kelās-e maxsus-e bānovān

10. برنامه‌ی کلاس‌ها را از کجا ببینم؟

    Barnāme-ye kelās-hā rā az kojā bebinam?

    Where can I see the class schedule?

    Usage

    Most clubs do not post a paper timetable and announce sessions on Instagram or a Telegram channel instead. Friday is the Iranian weekend and classes are usually off; hours shift substantially or pause during Ramadan and Muharram (around Ashura). Many clubs also close for about two weeks around Nowruz, the new year in late March

    Grammar Note

    The default plural suffix is "-hā" ("kelās" → "kelās-hā"). The question word "kojā" combines with prepositions: "az kojā" (from where), "be kojā" (to where), "dar kojā" (at where)

11. می‌شود این فن را دوباره و آهسته نشان بدهید؟

    Mishavad in fann rā dobāre va āheste neshān bedahid?

    Could you show me this technique once more, slowly?

    Usage

    The single most useful line when you do not share a language. A wrestling technique is a "fann", and coaches say things like "fann-ro bebin" (watch the technique). Iranian coaches teach by demonstration far more than by explanation, so asking to see it again works better than asking for words

    Grammar Note

    "Mi-šavad" plus a subjunctive verb is the standard polite request pattern and is courteous enough without adding "lotfan". "Nešān dādan" (to show) is a compound verb; its subjunctive is "nešān bedahid", colloquially "nešun bedid"

12. از کِی می‌توانم کشتی بگیرم؟

    Az key mitavānam koshti begiram?

    From when will I be allowed to wrestle for real?

    Usage

    Live wrestling carries injury risk, so Iranian clubs gate it behind the coach's approval; the usual answer is after a few sessions spent on breakfalls and stance. Note that varzesh-e bastani in the zurkhaneh contains no grappling itself — the wrestling counterpart is the closely linked košti-e pahlavāni, "Pahlavani wrestling"

    Grammar Note

    "Košti gereftan" literally means "to take wrestling"; only "gereftan" conjugates ("mi-giram" = I wrestle, "begiram" = that I wrestle). The optional diacritic on "key" distinguishes it from "ki" (who)

13. اینجا رختکن و دوش دارد؟

    Injā rakhtkan va dush dārad?

    Is there a changing room and a shower here?

    Usage

    Large city clubs have changing rooms and showers, but an old-town zurkhaneh or a small club may offer only somewhere to change. Men are commonly expected to keep shorts at or below the knee, and women must keep their hair covered unless the space is women-only. Packing longer training clothes avoids awkwardness

    Grammar Note

    "Raxt" (clothes) plus "-kan" (the stem of "kandan", to take off) gives "changing room". "Place + dārad" expresses "there is X at this place"; in speech it contracts to "injā raxtkan dāre?"

14. آیا لباس مخصوص لازم است یا کرایه می‌دهید؟

    Āyā lebās-e makhsus lāzem ast yā kerāye midahid?

    Do I need special training gear, or do you rent it out?

    Usage

    For a wrestling club a T-shirt and shorts are enough — singlets are for competition. Judo and karate clubs will usually lend a gi for a first visit. In the zurkhaneh practitioners wear a decorated wrap called a "long", but that is for the athletes, not spectators. Remember that international cards do not work in Iran, so bring cash if you need to buy anything

    Grammar Note

    "Kerāye dādan" is to rent out (the club's side) while "kerāye kardan / gereftan" is to rent from (your side); since you are asking the club, use "kerāye mi-dahid?". "Yā" links the two alternatives

15. دست‌هایت را بالا بگیر و به چشم حریف نگاه کن.

    Dast-hāyat rā bālā begir va be cheshm-e harif negāh kon.

    Keep your hands up and look your opponent in the eye.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Instructions come as bare second-person-singular commands with none of the usual politeness — this is not rudeness but a sign you have been accepted into the group. "Harif" (opponent) is the general word, used in wrestling and boxing alike

    Grammar Note

    The singular imperative is "be-" plus the present stem ("gereftan" → "begir"). For "kardan" compounds the noun stays and only "kardan" changes: "negāh kon". The polite form adds "-id": "begirid", "negāh konid"

16. با تمام قدرت بزن، خودت را نگه ندار.

    Bā tamām-e qodrat bezan, khodat rā negāh nadār.

    Hit with everything you have, do not hold back.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. The standard call when they want full commitment on the pads or in drilling, and equally a signal that you are permitted to go hard. In Iranian wrestling practice the prevailing view is that holding back is what gets people hurt

    Grammar Note

    A negative imperative takes the prefix "na-": "negāh dār" → "negāh nadār". The imperative of "zadan" is "bezan", used not only for striking but also for executing a technique

17. پنج دقیقه استراحت کن و آب بخور.

    Panj daqiqe esterāhat kon va āb bokhor.

    Take a five-minute break and drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Most Iranian clubs have a chilled water fountain ("ābsardkan") and that is where you refill. Summer in Tehran or Yazd approaches 40 degrees and halls are often unairconditioned, so frequent water breaks matter. During Ramadan no one drinks in daylight hours, so training itself moves to after sunset

    Grammar Note

    Persian uses "xordan" (to eat) for drinks as well, so "to drink water" is "āb xordan". Nouns stay singular after a numeral: "panj daqiqe", never "panj daqiqe-hā"

18. برای امروز کافی است. آفرین، خسته نباشی!

    Barāye emruz kāfi ast. Āfarin, khaste nabāshi!

    That's enough for today. Well done, good work!

    Usage

    Said by the coach. "Xaste nabāši" — literally "may you not be tired" — is the all-purpose Iranian acknowledgement of someone's effort, heard many times a day and invariably at the end of training. Answer with "salāmat bāši" (may you be well) or "šomā ham hamin-towr" (you too). In the zurkhaneh a session closes with a collective prayer

    Grammar Note

    "Xaste nabāši" is an optative built from "xaste" (tired) plus the negative subjunctive of "budan". Use the "-id" form, "xaste nabāšid", for elders or a group. "Āfarin" is an interjection and takes no verb

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