Farsi is what many Persian-speakers call Persian. It’s the official language of Iran and of that nation’s ancient rulers, spoken today by more than 130 million people worldwide, according to the latest estimates.
A great many of those speakers are in Iran – where around 40 million speak Farsi as their mother tongue – and there are also Persian speakers in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Russia, among others.
Make no mistake – Farsi is an ancient language, with a recorded history stretching back over 2500 years, and roots that trace even further.
In that time, it has influenced languages across three continents. One of those it has shaped most unexpectedly is English.
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Origins of the Persian language
The earliest known Old Persian inscriptions date from around 500 BCE, during the reign of Darius the Great.
That gives the language a long timeline for development. Scholars usually break the history of Persian into four main stages:
1) Old Persian
Old Persian was the language of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BCE). It was used in royal inscriptions such as those found at Persepolis and was written in a unique cuneiform script.
The name Parsa – the original name for the Persian people – became Farsa or Farsi in Arabic due to the absence of the “p” sound in that language.
2) Middle Persian
Spoken during the Sassanid Empire (224–651 CE), Middle Persian – or Pahlavi – is seen in many religious texts from the Zoroastrian and Manichaean traditions. This was the direct ancestor of today’s Persian.
3) Classical Persian
After the Islamic conquest of Persia, Classical Persian emerged as a prestigious literary language by the 9th century. It absorbed many Arabic loanwords but retained its Indo-Iranian core.
Despite foreign invasions, Classical Persian remained relatively stable for centuries and was the literary lingua franca of much of the Islamic world.
4) Modern Persian
Modern Persian emerged around the 19th century and continues today. It has incorporated even more Arabic, French, English, and other foreign terms – especially for technological and modern concepts.
Iran’s Academy of Persian Language and Literature frequently suggests replacements – for example, khodro for “car” – but these don’t always stick. Attempts to replace the French merci with the Arabic-derived tashakor haven’t fully succeeded. Merci is still widely spoken, even if tashakor is preferred in writing.
Words like salaam (hello/peace) – from Arabic – are now so embedded in daily speech that their foreign origin is barely noticed.
So is it Farsi or Persian?
Both are correct. Farsi is what native speakers call their language. This is known as an endonym.
Persian, on the other hand, is the exonym – what outsiders typically call it. In formal and international contexts, Persian is often preferred for clarity.
But this is complicated by the fact that there isn’t just one form of Persian.
Varieties of Persian
Persian is a pluricentric language – meaning it has several standardised forms spoken in different countries:
Iranian Persian – also called Western Persian or Farsi, is the most widely spoken variety and is the official language of Iran.
Dari Persian – also known as Eastern Persian or Afghan Persian, is one of Afghanistan’s two official languages. Since 1958, it has officially been known as Dari, although many locals still call it Farsi.
Tajiki Persian – spoken primarily in Tajikistan and parts of Uzbekistan, it has been written in the Cyrillic alphabet since Soviet times. Though mutually intelligible with Farsi and Dari, it’s referred to locally as Tajik.
Each of these standard forms also includes multiple regional dialects. Languages like Luri, Tat, and Gilaki are closely related and sometimes viewed as dialects of Persian.
Which countries speak Farsi?
The two dialects most often referred to as “Farsi” are:
Iranian Persian – spoken in Iran and minority communities in Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, and the UAE, as well as large diaspora groups in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Dari – spoken in Afghanistan. Some Afghan speakers use “Farsi” instead of “Dari”, viewing the latter as a label imposed by the dominant Pashtun ethnic group.
Tajik Persian – although related – is not typically called “Farsi”, especially in official contexts. Following independence, Tajikistan re-emphasised “Tajik” as the name of the language and dropped “Farsi” from legal use in 1999.
Mutual intelligibility
Despite regional differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and even script, speakers of the major Persian varieties can usually understand each other.
But for professional or business communication, choosing the right dialect for your audience remains important. Even subtle distinctions can make a big impact.
English words of Persian origin
Persian has contributed a surprising number of words to English – some directly, some via Arabic, Turkish, Hindi-Urdu, or other intermediaries.
Here are a few well-known ones:
| English | Persian |
|---|---|
| Mother | Mādar |
| Father | Pedar |
| Brother | Barādar |
| Daughter | Dokhtar |
| Name | Nām |
| Assassin | Hashāshīn (from the Nizari Ismailis) |
| Candy | Qand (sugar) |
| Caravan | Kāravān |
| Orange | Nārange |
Other familiar words include bazaar, checkmate, jasmine, kiosk, pajamas, shawl, and even spinach.
Farsi – the official language of Iran
Farsi – or Western Persian – is spoken by around 40 million native speakers in Iran. But it isn’t the only language in the country.
Roughly:
18% speak Azerbaijani or other Turkic dialects
10% speak Kurdish
Other minorities speak Gilaki, Mazanderani, Lurish, Balochi, and Arabic
Despite this diversity, Farsi holds a privileged place in Iran’s history and identity. Its ancient legacy and literary prestige continue to shape the region and fascinate learners worldwide.
Do you have your own interesting fact about Farsi? Or are you planning on doing business in a Persian-speaking region?
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