What Are the Differences Between Formal and Informal Persian?

Persian language, one of the rich and oldest languages ​​of the world, is divided into two main categories due to the cultural and social complications in its use: formal Persian and informal Persian.

These two forms of the language, although they have a common structure and rules, have significant differences in the type of usage, tone, vocabulary, and sometimes even in grammar. Understanding these differences is essential for effective communication in a variety of settings, including office, social, and friendly settings. In this article, we will examine the details of these two types of languages ​​and analyze their differences from various aspects.

Formal and Informal Persian?

profarsi: Formal Persian is a language that is used in official and administrative environments, in documents, administrative letters, scientific books and public media. This type of Persian usually has a precise grammatical structure, literary vocabulary and a serious tone. The purpose of using this type of language is to create clear, standard and unambiguous communication.

Informal Persian refers to a language that is used in friendly, family and informal situations. This type of language is usually simpler, more intimate and accompanied by slang or colloquial vocabulary. Sometimes even the grammar rules are not fully followed.

Differences in tone and sentence structure

The tone in formal Farsi is usually neutral, respectful and serious. This tone is designed to show the speaker's emotions less and focus more on information transfer. Also, in this type of language, the use of polite and respectful expressions is very common.

The tone in informal Farsi is usually sincere, comfortable and friendly. In this type of language, the speaker may use humor, sarcastic expressions, and even personal feelings.

Read more: Differences between General English and Business English

Vocabulary differences

Formal and informal Persian words also have significant differences.

In formal Persian, literary, scientific and sometimes Arabic words are used more. These types of vocabulary are usually more complex and require more knowledge to understand them.

• Use "Sincerely" instead of "Hello"
• Use "provide" instead of "give"
• Use "subsequently" instead of "later"

In informal Persian, words are simpler, shorter and sometimes more slang. The use of everyday idioms, jokes and local dialects is also very common in this type of language.

• Use "hello" or "how are you" instead of "regards"
• Use "later" instead of "subsequently"

Differences in grammar and grammatical structure

Formal and informal Persian also have differences in terms of grammatical structure:

• In formal Persian, grammatical rules are strictly followed. Verbs are used in their entirety and longer and more complex sentences are used.
• In informal Persian, many grammatical rules are not observed. Verbs are shortened and sentences are simpler and shorter.

Where we use Formal and Informal Persian?

Formal Persian is used in environments that require precision, transparency and respect. These environments include:

• Administrative correspondence
• Official documents
• Public media
• Official speeches
• Informal Persian is used in environments where intimate and friendly communication is desired. These environments include:
• Everyday conversations
• Friendly messages
• Social networks

Iranian culture has had a great influence on the formation of these two types of languages. Respect for elders, people's social status and the type of relationships in society are the main factors that determine the type of language use.

Which type should we learn?

To learn Persian perfectly you need to understand both formal and informal Persian because in different situations as we mentioned before, you may need to use one of them.

Generally, informal Persian is more common and in lots of situations people speak Persian informally. However, formal Persian is necessary for lots of situations such as workplaces.

If you are learning Persian, try to learn both versions together that will help you communicate better.

Is Persian difficult?

Before examining the details, we should know that any language may be easy or difficult for a person according to his linguistic and cultural background. For example, if you know languages ​​like Arabic or Urdu, it will be easier for you to learn Persian. But if your mother tongue is English or French, you might have some challenges in learning Farsi.

The Persian alphabet consists of 32 letters and is similar to the Arabic alphabet. For those who are not familiar with this type of alphabet, reading and writing may seem difficult at first. Also, some letters which are pronounced the same but are written differently, may be challenging for non-native learners.

One of the charms of the Persian language is the relative simplicity of its grammar. Unlike languages ​​such as German or Russian, which have a complex grammatical structure, Persian grammar is relatively simple and regular. For example, Persian verbs are conjugated regularly and unlike some languages, verb conjugations do not have many exceptions.

Pronunciation in Persian can be challenging for some language learners. Some Persian sounds do not exist in western languages ​​and may be a little difficult at first. But with constant practice and listening to Persian conversations and audio sources, you can gradually get used to correct pronunciation.

Where to learn Persian quickly and effectively?

Best way to learn Persian is to take courses and learn Persian with a guidance of an experienced, native teacher.

For this matter, Profarsi website holds best courses of Persian language with best native teachers online and in person.

These courses teach you both formal and informal Persian through practical and effective methods that you can use Persian in real-life situations.