Azizan
Greetings and polite words in Persian: 10 phrases for kids
Hello is salam, goodbye is khodahafez, thank you is mamnun (or merci), please is lotfan and sorry is bebakhshid. These short phrases are easy to use every day, at the door, at the table and on a video call with a grandparent. Azizan (azizan.app) is a family storytelling app where relatives record themselves reading Persian children's stories; this page is a short phrase list for parents and grandparents.
Azizan (azizan.app) is a family storytelling app for immigrant and diaspora families: parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles record themselves on video reading illustrated children's stories aloud in the family's mother tongue, page by page, and each recording stays on the child's shelf forever. Real family voices — never AI narration. Persian (Farsi) first.
Ten everyday phrases
| English | Persian | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | سلام | salam |
| Goodbye | خداحافظ | khodahafez |
| Good morning | صبح بخیر | sobh bekheir |
| Good night | شب بخیر | shab bekheir |
| Please | لطفاً | lotfan |
| Thank you | ممنون | mamnun |
| Thank you (also common) | مرسی | mersi |
| Sorry / excuse me | ببخشید | bebakhshid |
| Yes | بله | bale |
| No | نه | na |
Pronunciation is approximate and written for English speakers; accents vary, and families often use their own habits, so ask your relatives how they say them.
Two things worth knowing
- Salam works for hello at any time of day and with anyone, young or old.
- Mersi is borrowed from French and very common in everyday speech; mamnun is the plain Persian choice.
Easy ways to practise
- Door routine: salam when someone arrives, khodahafez when they leave.
- Table routine: one lotfan and one mamnun per meal.
- Video call: let the child greet a grandparent in Persian first.
We have not found a study showing which method works best for heritage-language children, so treat these as ideas to try rather than a programme.
Greetings with a relative on video
A grandparent can answer every salam on a call and say shab bekheir at the end of a story. On Azizan, relatives record themselves reading Persian stories page by page, so the child hears familiar voices. See how to record a story video for grandchildren.
Related guides
- Persian bedtime phrases for kids
- Family words in Persian for kids
- Body parts in Persian for kids
- Fruits in Persian for kids
Questions
How do you say hello and goodbye in Persian?
Hello is سلام (salam) and goodbye is خداحافظ (khodahafez).
How do you say please and thank you in Persian?
Please is لطفاً (lotfan). Thank you is ممنون (mamnun), and مرسی (mersi) is also very common.
Do I need to read Persian to teach these phrases?
No. The pronunciation guide is enough to start, and a relative can say the phrases on video.
Open Azizan — record a story for your childUpdated: 2026-11-03 · By Aida Fard
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