Azizan

Position words in Persian for kids: under, on, in, behind

The Persian position words a small child uses most are zir (under), ru (on), tu (in), posht (behind), jelo (in front of) and kenâr (next to). Before a noun they almost always take a small linking sound, the ezafe: zir-e miz, under the table; posht-e dar, behind the door. Below are ten words in one table, with the written and spoken forms where they differ, a short line about a toy or a cat for each, and a few games that turn "where is it?" into a Persian habit. Azizan (azizan.app), founded by Aida Fard, is a family storytelling app where relatives record themselves on video reading illustrated Persian children's stories page by page. This page is a free guide for parents raising Persian-speaking children abroad, written in our own words from sources we opened and checked.

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 position words

The first column is the written form, the second is what people say at home. The -e or -ye at the end is the ezafe, explained in the next section. Spoken Persian often drops it after ru and tu: people write ru-ye miz and say ru miz.

Kenâr and baghal both mean beside. Kenâr is the everyday word for writing and speech; baghal is more spoken and feels closer, "right up next to". Tu also has a twin: the same letters, تو, pronounced to (like "toe"), mean "you". Children sort them out by the sound.

Up and down, bâlâ and pâyin, are on the opposites page. Before a noun they work like the words above: bâlâ-ye komod, on top of the dresser; pâyin-e pelle, at the bottom of the stairs.

The ezafe: why it is zir-e miz

In English the position word comes first and the thing comes straight after: "under the table". Persian does the same, but joins the two with a short -e sound, called the ezafe. So it is zir-e miz (under the table), posht-e dar (behind the door), kenâr-e mâmân (next to Mom).

• After a consonant the ezafe is just -e: zir-e, posht-e, kenâr-e, beyn-e, nazdik-e.
• After a vowel a y slips in so the two sounds don't bump: ru-ye, tu-ye, jelo-ye, bâlâ-ye.
• In writing the -e is a small mark under the last letter (ـِ), and many books leave it out, so a child mostly learns it by ear. After a vowel it is written with ی, as in روی and جلوی.
• Far is the odd one out: it takes az (from) instead, dur az khune, far from the house. The same letters with an ezafe, said dowr-e, are a different word, around: dowr-e miz, around the table.

The -e at the very end of an answer like zir-e mize is a different thing: it is spoken "is". Zir-e miz-e means "it's under the table", the short spoken form of zir-e miz ast. That is why children answer "where is it?" with posht-e dare, tu kifame, ru sandaliye.

Games for home

• Where is it? Hide a toy while the child closes their eyes, then ask khersi kojâst? "Where is Teddy?" When they find it, they say where it was: zir-e mize, "it's under the table". Then swap, and the child hides it. For more on kojâ and the other question words, see question words in Persian.
• Grandma says. On a video call the grandparent gives placing orders, and the child only moves when the order starts with mâmânbozorg mige, "Grandma says": mâmânbozorg mige: tup ro bezâr zir-e sandali. "Grandma says: put the ball under the chair." If an order comes without "Grandma says", the ball stays where it is. Grandpa can play it too, with bâbâbozorg mige.
• Guess what is behind me. The grandparent hides something on their side of the camera and the child guesses with a position word: zir-e bâleshe? "Is it under the pillow?" The grandparent answers na, posht-e pardast, "no, it's behind the curtain".
• Who is in the middle? Line up three toys and ask ki beyn-e khersi va tupe? "Who is between Teddy and the ball?" Move one and ask again.
• The cat report. If there is a cat in the house, it is always somewhere. Ask gorbe kojâst? a few times a day and let the child report: ru mobl, posht-e parde, tu ja'be.

These games work on a video call because the child is moving real things in their own room while hearing the words. Many families also keep a grandparent's voice close between calls with recorded stories, which is what Azizan is for. For tips on keeping a call going with a small child, see video calls with grandparents for toddlers; for the names of the toys you hide, see toys and playground words in Persian.

Related guides

• Opposites in Persian for kids
• Question words in Persian for kids
• Toys and playground words in Persian for kids
• Video calls with grandparents for toddlers
• Home page

Questions

How do you say under in Persian?

Under is zir (زیر). Before a noun it takes the ezafe: zir-e miz, under the table. To say "it's under the table", children say zir-e mize.

What is the difference between ru and ru-ye?

They are the same word, meaning on. Ru-ye (روی) is the full form with the ezafe, used in writing and careful speech; ru (رو) is the everyday spoken form: khersi ru takhte, Teddy is on the bed.

What does tu mean in Persian?

Said tu, تو means in or inside: tup tu ja'bast, the ball is in the box. The written form is tu-ye (توی), and in formal writing dar (در). The same letters pronounced to (like the English word toe) mean you, so the sound tells them apart.

Why do you say zir-e miz and not zir miz?

Persian joins a position word to the thing after it with a short -e sound, the ezafe. After a vowel it becomes -ye, as in ru-ye and jelo-ye. In spoken Persian it is often dropped after ru and tu, but kept after words like zir, posht and kenâr.

What is the difference between kenâr and baghal?

Both mean beside. Kenâr-e (کنارِ) is the usual word in speech and writing. Baghal-e (بغلِ) is more spoken and means right next to, close enough to touch.

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Updated: 2026-11-03 · By Aida Fard

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