The phone at the workshop in Persian
The intake desk of a workshop on the outskirts of Tehran in Persian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «گوشیام شارژ نمیشود و خیلی داغ میشود.» — The phone does not charge and gets very hot; «سیم‌ها و پریز دیگر را چک کردید؟» — Did you check the wires and another socket?
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: the intake desk of a workshop on the outskirts of Tehran. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- گوشیام شارژ نمیشود و خیلی داغ میشود.gushiam shârâdzh nemi-she va kheyli dâg mi-she.The phone does not charge and gets very hot.
- سیم‌ها و پریز دیگر را چک کردید؟sim-hâ va pârize digar râ chek kârid؟Did you check the wires and another socket?
- چک کردم. صفحه‌اش هم هنگ می‌کند.chek kârdam. safheâsh ham hâng mi-kâned.I did. The screen also freezes.
- اول عیب‌یابی می‌کنیم.âvval âyub-yobi mi-kânim.First we will do the diagnostics.
- هزینه تعمیر چقدر است؟harinee tamir chegâdr ast؟How much is the repair?
- بعد از عیب‌یابی می‌گویم.bâd az âyub-yobi mi-gâm.After the diagnostics I will say.
- و اگر تعمیرش نمی‌ارزد؟va agar tamiresh nemi-ârzad؟And if it is not worth repairing?
- فقط هزینه عیب‌یابی. درخواست را اینجا ثبت کنید.fâgat harinee âyub-yobi. dârkhâst râ indzhâ sabât kânid.Only the cost of the diagnostics. File the request here.
Lines one by one
| Persian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| گوشیام شارژ نمیشود و خیلی داغ میشود. | gushiam shârâdzh nemi-she va kheyli dâg mi-she. | The phone does not charge and gets very hot. |
| سیم‌ها و پریز دیگر را چک کردید؟ | sim-hâ va pârize digar râ chek kârid؟ | Did you check the wires and another socket? |
| چک کردم. صفحه‌اش هم هنگ می‌کند. | chek kârdam. safheâsh ham hâng mi-kâned. | I did. The screen also freezes. |
| اول عیب‌یابی می‌کنیم. | âvval âyub-yobi mi-kânim. | First we will do the diagnostics. |
| هزینه تعمیر چقدر است؟ | harinee tamir chegâdr ast؟ | How much is the repair? |
| بعد از عیب‌یابی می‌گویم. | bâd az âyub-yobi mi-gâm. | After the diagnostics I will say. |
| و اگر تعمیرش نمی‌ارزد؟ | va agar tamiresh nemi-ârzad؟ | And if it is not worth repairing? |
| فقط هزینه عیب‌یابی. درخواست را اینجا ثبت کنید. | fâgat harinee âyub-yobi. dârkhâst râ indzhâ sabât kânid. | Only the cost of the diagnostics. File the request here. |
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?
“گوشیام شارژ نمیشود و خیلی داغ میشود.” (gushiam shârâdzh nemi-she va kheyli dâg mi-she.) — The phone does not charge and gets very hot. 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.