It’s very likely that once in Iran, you will indulge in some shopping, and this is why it won’t harm to know how to bargain in Farsi and also learn some Persian numbers, how they are written and pronounced.
READ MORE: Are you travelling to Iran? Check out our tips for planning a perfect Iran trip.
Chak wa chane zadan, or the art of bargaining in Iran
They say some people may be kam ensaf, meaning they lack in fairness, and that is why you need to be able to bargain for a fairer price. Not as much as other countries such as India or China, but you will still need to sport your haggling skills, especially in the touristy areas of popular destinations where you need to bargain at the bazaars and even with taxi drivers.
Obviously, there are some things you don’t bargain over, such as bus, plane and metro tickets, or even restaurant bills. I personally learned the art of bargaining in India already from the first days, where if I was told to pay 10 USD, I knew it wasn’t more than 3 dollars. Last time we were in Afghanistan when I was trying to rent a hotel room in Kabul, my wife was surprised to see me bargaining over the price, but haggling was much needed there, too.
Without further ado, in this post I’m going to write some Farsi expressions you should know in order to deal with money-related stuff and at the end I will include the Persian numbers, essential to understand the prices.
You can also carry with you some dictionary/phrasebook or even a small course. Check the web to see the current price of the handy Farsi (Persian) Phrasebook & Dictionary the English-Persian Dictionary or a Farsi (Persian) for Beginners course to familiarize yourself a little with the language.
READ MORE: If you are in less touristy areas, you might need even more words and expressions. Check out our tips on how to ask for directions in Persian and how to order food in Farsi at a restaurant.
Some generic Persian phrases you can use to bargain in Farsi
YOU: The first step to learn is how to ask the price.
Qaimat een Chand ast?
قیمت این چند است؟
SELLER: The price is 20000 tomans.
Qaimat een bist hezar toman ast.
قیمت این بیست هزار تومان است.
YOU: It is too expensive, give me a discount.
Kheily giran ast, be man takhfif bedhid?
خیلی گران است, به من تخفیف بدهید.
SELLER: Okay for you it is 19000 tomans.
Bashe, barai shoma noozdah hezar toman.
باشه, برای شما نوزده هزار تومان.
YOU: It’s still too much, is it possible for 10000 toman?
Na kheily giran ast, Dah hezar toman chetor ast?
نه خیلی گران است, ده هزار تومان چطور است؟
Some more Farsi phrases that will come in handy:
Is that your last price?
Qaimat akharesh hamin ast?
قیمت آخرش همین است؟
Can you lower the price?
Kamtar rah darad?
کمتر راه دارد؟
Is there any discount?
Takhfif darad?
تخفیف دارد؟
Obviously, apart from talking, you can go on with other strategies such as walking away to see if they call you. Usually, they do and they will give you the last price because they know if the next shop is cheaper you will buy it there.
Here is how to say and write the Farsi numbers:
1 – Yek – ۱ 6 – Shish – ۶
2 – Dow – ۲ 7 – Haft – ۷
3 – Seh – ۳ 8 – Hasht – ۸
4 – Chahar – ۴ 9 – Noh – ۹
5 – Panj – ۵ 10 – Dah – ۱۰
11 – Yazdah – ۱۱ 16 – Shanzdah – ۱۶
12 – Davazdah – ۱۲ 17 – Hifda – ۱۷
13 – Sizdah – ۱۳ 18 – Hizhdah – ۱۸
14 – Chaharda – ۱۴ 19 – Noozdah – ۱۹
15 – Ponzdah – ۱۵ 20 – Bist – ۲۰
Now that you know from one to twenty, the rest of Persian numbers are relatively easier to learn.
30 – Si – ۳۰ 70 – Haftad – ۷۰
40 – Chehel – ۴۰ 80 – Hashtad – ۸۰
50 – Panjah – ۵۰ 90 – Nawad – ۹۰
60 – Shast – ۶۰ 100 – Sad – ۱۰۰
Now you know the Farsi numbers from one to one hundred, to connect the numbers you use the word O. For example, to say 75, you say “Haftad O Panj”, 44 is “Chehel O Chahar”, 89 is “Hashtad O Noh”, and so on.
In the Farsi language, one thousand is “hezar”. Here are a few examples:
Yek Hezar = One thousand (۱۰۰۰)
Dow Hezar = Two thousand (۲۰۰۰)
Dah Hezar = Ten thousand (۱۰۰۰۰)
Beest Hezar = Twenty thousand (۲۰۰۰۰)
Seeh Hezar = Thirty thousand (۳۰۰۰۰)
Now let’s use O to connect the numbers
Seeh O Yek Hezar = Thirty-one thousand (۳۱۰۰۰)
Seeh O Panj Hezar = Thirty-five thousand (۳۵۰۰۰)
Let’s move to one hundred thousand and above. It is very simple, just like how you say it in English.
Yek Sad Hezar = One hundred thousand (۱۰۰۰۰۰)
Dow Sad Hezar = Two hundred thousand (۲۰۰۰۰۰)
Dow Sad O See Hezar = Two hundred thirty thousand (۲۳۰۰۰۰)
In order to bargain in Farsi in Iran, you need to learn also the Persian numbers from a million up. You might be modest and feel it won’t be necessary, but don’t be fooled by the flattering figures, as in Iran one million rials are just around 30 USD.
Yek Million=One million (۱۰۰۰۰۰۰)
Dow Million=Two million (۲۰۰۰۰۰۰)
Seh Million=Three million (۳۰۰۰۰۰۰)
Now you are ready to bargain in Farsi, and while you might not be qualified enough to respond to some taarof, by knowing the numbers in Persian, you will still be able to understand and set your own prices.
READ MORE: Check out how to apply for Iran visa hassle-free.
