Let us check the numbers in Persian
Two employees decide whether the figures in the report can be trusted in Persian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «این عدد به نظر مشکوک میآید، نسبت را ببین.» — This figure seems dubious; look at the ratio; «واقعاً. این اطلاعات از کجا آمده؟» — Indeed. Where is this information from?
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: two employees decide whether the figures in the report can be trusted. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- این عدد به نظر مشکوک میآید، نسبت را ببین.in adad be nazare mâshkuk mi-âyad, nesbat râ bebin.This figure seems dubious; look at the ratio.
- واقعاً. این اطلاعات از کجا آمده؟vâge'an. in elâlât az kâdzhâ âmâde؟Indeed. Where is this information from?
- از شنیده‌ها. مدرک معتبری ندارم.az shenidehâ. mâddake mâteberi endâram.By hearsay. I have no reliable proof.
- پس باید دوباره چکش کنیم یا ردش کنیم.pâs bâyad dâbâre chekesh kânim yâ redesh kânim.Then it must be double-checked or refuted.
- یک اندازه‌گیری جدید نشان می‌دهد تصور اشتباه بود یا نه.yek ândâze-giriye dzhadid neshân mi-dehad tasavvâr eshtebâh bud yâ ne.A new measurement will show whether it was a misconception.
- روش را با همه جزئیات بگو، نه فقط خلاصه.ravesh râ ba hamme dzhuziyot begu, ne fagat mâkhtasar.Describe the method thoroughly, not only briefly.
- بر اساس این مشاهده‌ها تصمیم را دلیل می‌آوریم.bar âsâse in mâshâhedehâ tasmim râ dalil miyâvarim.On the basis of these observations we will substantiate the decision.
- اگر روشن شود اشتباه از ما بود، همان لحظه درستش می‌کنیم.agar râshân shavad eshtebâh az mâ bud, hamân lahza dârastesh mi-kânim.If it comes to light that the mistake is ours, we will correct it at once.
Lines one by one
| Persian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| این عدد به نظر مشکوک میآید، نسبت را ببین. | in adad be nazare mâshkuk mi-âyad, nesbat râ bebin. | This figure seems dubious; look at the ratio. |
| واقعاً. این اطلاعات از کجا آمده؟ | vâge'an. in elâlât az kâdzhâ âmâde؟ | Indeed. Where is this information from? |
| از شنیده‌ها. مدرک معتبری ندارم. | az shenidehâ. mâddake mâteberi endâram. | By hearsay. I have no reliable proof. |
| پس باید دوباره چکش کنیم یا ردش کنیم. | pâs bâyad dâbâre chekesh kânim yâ redesh kânim. | Then it must be double-checked or refuted. |
| یک اندازه‌گیری جدید نشان می‌دهد تصور اشتباه بود یا نه. | yek ândâze-giriye dzhadid neshân mi-dehad tasavvâr eshtebâh bud yâ ne. | A new measurement will show whether it was a misconception. |
| روش را با همه جزئیات بگو، نه فقط خلاصه. | ravesh râ ba hamme dzhuziyot begu, ne fagat mâkhtasar. | Describe the method thoroughly, not only briefly. |
| بر اساس این مشاهده‌ها تصمیم را دلیل می‌آوریم. | bar âsâse in mâshâhedehâ tasmim râ dalil miyâvarim. | On the basis of these observations we will substantiate the decision. |
| اگر روشن شود اشتباه از ما بود، همان لحظه درستش می‌کنیم. | agar râshân shavad eshtebâh az mâ bud, hamân lahza dârastesh mi-kânim. | If it comes to light that the mistake is ours, we will correct it at once. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and noticeably so. The link turns up study after study, and together those studies cover almost twenty thousand people.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Persian in this situation?
“این عدد به نظر مشکوک میآید، نسبت را ببین.” (in adad be nazare mâshkuk mi-âyad, nesbat râ bebin.) — This figure seems dubious; look at the ratio. The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.