Learning Persian Alphabet (13)

Learning Farsi alfabet 13 - Learning Persian Alphabet (13)

Welcome to the last episode of the Persian Learning Alphabet Series. In this video, you will learn how to write the fourth “z,” the third “s” a new “h,” and a diacritical mark called “Tašdid” (Shaddah) in Persian.

you can finally read and write everything in Persian at the end of this video. There is a complementary video with some writing tips, but this thirteen-episode series covers all thirty-two letters of the Persian alphabet.

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The Fourth “ž” in Farsi

You have already learned three letters representing the “z” sound. In this lesson, you will learn the last one. This new “z” is like “ط” with a dot on top.

z with handle and dot - Learning Persian Alphabet (13)

It can connect both sides, and its shape does not change at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. The “ظ” is a significant letter to write time-related words. Here are some examples:

حافِظ  نَظم نَظَر لَحظه بَعدازظُهر ظُهر
Hâfez nazm nazar lahze(h) ba’d az zohr zohr
an Iranian Poet discipline Idea moment afternoon noon

The Third “s” in Farsi

Three different letters in the Persian alphabet represent the “s” sound. You have already learned the first two, and here is the third one:

s with three dots - Learning Persian Alphabet (13)

Old Persian used to have the “θ” sound shown by “ث” in the Persian and Arabic Alphabet. We can find this letter in Iranian names such as “تهمورث” or “کیومرث.” This letter is mostly used in borrowed Arabic words in modern Persian and is pronounced the same as “س” and “ص.” Thanks to a few frequent words, we do not forget that this rare “s” exists in the Persian alphabet.

باعِث کَثیف ثانیه مَثَلاً مِثل مٍثال
bâ’es kasif sâniye(h) masalan mesl mesâl
caused dirty second for example like/similar example

Tashdid (Sahddah) in Persian Writing

“Tashdid” is a diacritic, a sign written above or below a letter to indicate a different pronunciation. Short vowels in the Persian or Arabic scripts are examples of diacritics.

shaddah - Learning Persian Alphabet (13)

“Tashdid” is similar to a small “w” written above a consonant to make it double. For instance, to write “mo’allem” we write one “L” and put ّ on top of it. Here are some examples of “Tashdid.”

مُحَمَّد تَوَلُّد نَقّاش عَکّاس اَمّا مُعَلِّم
mohammad tavallod naqqâš ‘akkâs ammâ mo’allem
Muhammad birth/ birthday painter photographer but teacher

A new “h” in Farsi

The last letter to learn in Farsi is a new “h.” Do you remember how to write “x,” “j,” and “č.” If yes, you will not have any problem writing this new “h.” It has the same shape, without dots.

second h in Persian - Learning Persian Alphabet (13)

Unlike other letters in the last episode, this new “h” is frequently used in Persian script. But we postponed teaching it since we write goodbye, “xodâhâfez” with this letter in Persian. So until FarsiMonde’s new series of teaching Persian,

goodbye in Farsi 1 - Learning Persian Alphabet (13)

Congratulations on finishing the alphabet course! The FarsiMonde team is honored to have accompanied you in learning the Persian alphabet. Our main goal is to make learning Persian easy and enjoyable, so we welcome your comments and feedback. We will use your opinions to improve the Persian teaching method and sources. Do not hesitate to contact FarsiMonde for more help or Persian online courses.

Good luck with learning Persian!