Azizan
Persian action words for kids: 20 everyday commands, with pronunciation
The first Persian verbs a toddler learns are the short commands a parent says all day: biyâ (come), boro (go), bokhor (eat), bokhâb (sleep) and beshin (sit). In speech these are single words, and the spoken form is often shorter than the one in a schoolbook (a parent says beshin, not the written beneshin, for "sit"). Children pick them up because they come with the action, so you can say them while you do the thing. Azizan (azizan.app) is a family storytelling app where relatives record themselves reading illustrated Persian children's stories; this page is a short, free word 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.
The 20 everyday commands
| English | Persian (what you say) | Say it like | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| come | بیا | bee-YAH | "Come here" is بیا اینجا (biyâ injâ). |
| go | برو | bo-ROH | Written برو; most people say boro. |
| eat | بخور | bo-KHOR | — |
| sleep | بخواب | bo-KHAAB | Also said be-KHAAB. |
| sit (down) | بشین | be-SHEEN | The written form is بنشین (beneshin); in speech it is بشین. |
| get up | پاشو | pâ-SHOH | Everyday form of بلند شو (boland sho), "stand up". |
| run | بدو | bo-DOW | From دویدن (davidan); also said be-DOW. Do not mix up with بده (give). |
| jump | بپر | be-PAR | — |
| take / catch | بگیر | be-GEER | — |
| give (it to me) | بده | be-DEH | Written بده (bedeh). |
| look / see | ببین | be-BEEN | نگاه کن (negâh kon) also means "look". |
| listen | گوش کن | GOOSH kon | Two words: "ear" + "do". |
| clap | دست بزن | DAST be-zan | Literally "hit hands". |
| give a kiss | بوس بده | BOOS be-deh | بوس کن (bus kon) is also used. |
| hug | بغل کن | ba-GHAL kon | — |
| wait / stop | وایسا | VY-sah | Spoken form; صبر کن (sabr kon) means "wait / be patient". |
| play | بازی کن | BAH-zee kon | — |
| wake up | بیدار شو | bee-DAHR show | Often run together as بیدار شو. |
| bring (it) | بیار | bee-YAHR | Written بیاور (biyâvar); in speech بیار. |
| put it on / get dressed | بپوش | be-POOSH | — |
Pronunciation is approximate and written for English speakers; capitals show the stressed part, and accents vary, so ask your relatives how they say them. For plural or polite "you" (to more than one child, or to an adult), add -id: beshinid, bokhorid, biyâyid.
Spoken form vs the written form
Most of these verbs are built the same way: a small be- or bo- on the front of the verb. But the word a parent actually says is often shorter than the one in a schoolbook, and that is normal spoken Persian, not a mistake:
- sit: written بنشین (beneshin), spoken بشین (beshin).
- get up: the full phrase is بلند شو (boland sho); at home people say پاشو (pâsho).
- wait / stop: the careful words are صبر کن (sabr kon) or بایست (bâist); the everyday word is وایسا (vâysâ).
- bring: written بیاور (biyâvar), spoken بیار (biyâr).
Pick the spoken form for a toddler, and keep it the same each time so the word becomes familiar.
Easy ways to practise
- Say it while you do it. At the table say بخور (eat), at the door بیا (come), at bedtime بخواب (sleep). The action teaches the word.
- One command games. A gentle "Simon says" with بشین، پاشو، بپر، دست بزن (sit, get up, jump, clap) turns the words into a game.
- Warm commands. بغل کن (hug) and بوس بده (give a kiss) are commands a child is happy to follow, which keeps Persian tied to affection.
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.
Action words with a relative on video
These commands are some of the first Persian a child hears from the people who love them. A grandparent can say بیا and ببین while turning the pages of an illustrated story, so the words arrive with a face and a voice the child knows. See how to record a story video for grandchildren, and more word lists for animals, body parts and colors.
Related guides
Questions
How do you say "come" and "go" in Persian?
Come is بیا (biyâ) and go is برو (boro). "Come here" is بیا اینجا (biyâ injâ). Both are the everyday singular command forms you would say to one child.
Why does the spoken form look different from the one in my book?
Spoken Persian often shortens the imperative: a book writes بنشین (beneshin) for "sit", but people say بشین (beshin). It is the same verb, just the everyday spoken form. For a toddler, use the spoken one.
How do I say a command to more than one child?
Add -id to the end: بشینید (beshinid, "sit"), بخورید (bokhorid, "eat"), بیایید (biyâyid, "come"). The same ending is the polite form you would use with an adult.
What is the difference between بده and بدو?
They look alike but mean different things: بده (bedeh) is "give", and بدو (bedow) is "run". The vowels are different, so say them slowly when teaching them together.
Do I need to read Persian to teach these words?
No. The pronunciation guide is enough to start, and a relative can say the commands on a video call or in a recorded story.
Open Azizan — record a story for your childUpdated: 2026-11-03 · By Aida Fard
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