How to Say "Please" in Persian (Farsi): Lotfan

Lotfan in a sentence

Real lines from the course, said by the people you meet in it.

1. Baba Bozorg, your grandpa

   Salam! Se, lotfan.

   Hi! Three, please.

   Module 3, lesson 1

2. Sara, a family friend

   Salam! Chahar ta chai, lotfan.

   Hi! Four teas, please.

   Module 3, lesson 2

3. Bijan, the barber

   Khoobam, merci. Chai, lotfan.

   I'm good, thanks. Tea, please.

   Module 3, lesson 3

4. Darya, your cousin

   Khoobam! Chahar ta, lotfan.

   I'm good! Four, please.

   Module 3, lesson 4

5. Ameer, your friend

   Haft ta chai, lotfan!

   Seven teas, please!

   Module 3, lesson 5

When to say Lotfan

Ask for something: Chai, lotfan. When someone offers, Baleh, merci is the usual yes.

More about Lotfan

Lotfan is please. It softens a request and you can put it before or after what you ask for: Chai, lotfan or Lotfan, chai. It is taught in Module 1, lesson 5, so your first orders are polite from the start. Note what it is not: when someone offers you something, the usual yes is Baleh, merci rather than Lotfan. Use Lotfan when you are the one asking. It also appears at the end of every counted order, as in Chahar ta chai, lotfan (four teas, please), which is how you will hear it most often in the course.

Questions people ask about Lotfan