At the hardware shop in Persian
A shopper looks for a shelf to replace an old one and explains to the seller which one he needs in Persian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «دنبال یک قفسه میگردم، صاف، نه زبر.» — I am looking for a shelf, smooth, not rough; «شکلش چطور باشد، مربع یا دراز؟» — What shape should it be, square or long?
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: a shopper looks for a shelf to replace an old one and explains to the seller which one he needs. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- دنبال یک قفسه میگردم، صاف، نه زبر.dânbâl yek gâfse mi-gerdam, sââf, ne zaber.I am looking for a shelf, smooth, not rough.
- شکلش چطور باشد، مربع یا دراز؟sheklesh châtâr bâshad, mârabbe yâ dârâz؟What shape should it be, square or long?
- دراز، دو متر طول داشته باشد.dârâz, dâ metr tyul dâshte bâshad.Long, two meters long.
- این از چوب است، پوششش مات است، نه براق.in az chub ast, pusheshesh mât ast, ne bârâg.Here is this wooden one; its coating is matte, not shiny.
- قدیمی رنگ‌پریده بود و آخرش کج هم شده بود.gadimi râng-paride bud â âkharesh kadzh ham shâde bud.The old one faded and by the end got crooked too.
- این لایه‌اش محکم است، زود فرسوده نمی‌شود.in lâyeshash mâhkam ast, zud farsude namishavad.Its layer is dense; it will not wear out quickly.
- چقدر سنگینی را جا دارد؟chekadr sangini râ dzhâ dârad؟What heaviness will it hold?
- تا سی کیلو، کمی هم بیش از نیاز.tâ si kilu, kami ham bish az nizâ.Up to thirty kilos, with a margin a little more.
Lines one by one
| Persian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| دنبال یک قفسه میگردم، صاف، نه زبر. | dânbâl yek gâfse mi-gerdam, sââf, ne zaber. | I am looking for a shelf, smooth, not rough. |
| شکلش چطور باشد، مربع یا دراز؟ | sheklesh châtâr bâshad, mârabbe yâ dârâz؟ | What shape should it be, square or long? |
| دراز، دو متر طول داشته باشد. | dârâz, dâ metr tyul dâshte bâshad. | Long, two meters long. |
| این از چوب است، پوششش مات است، نه براق. | in az chub ast, pusheshesh mât ast, ne bârâg. | Here is this wooden one; its coating is matte, not shiny. |
| قدیمی رنگ‌پریده بود و آخرش کج هم شده بود. | gadimi râng-paride bud â âkharesh kadzh ham shâde bud. | The old one faded and by the end got crooked too. |
| این لایه‌اش محکم است، زود فرسوده نمی‌شود. | in lâyeshash mâhkam ast, zud farsude namishavad. | Its layer is dense; it will not wear out quickly. |
| چقدر سنگینی را جا دارد؟ | chekadr sangini râ dzhâ dârad؟ | What heaviness will it hold? |
| تا سی کیلو، کمی هم بیش از نیاز. | tâ si kilu, kami ham bish az nizâ. | Up to thirty kilos, with a margin a little more. |
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?
“دنبال یک قفسه میگردم، صاف، نه زبر.” (dânbâl yek gâfse mi-gerdam, sââf, ne zaber.) — I am looking for a shelf, smooth, not rough. 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.