Introduction
If you are planning to visit Iran, knowing Persian numbers and some essential Farsi phrases can be useful. You can often see Persian digits on street signs, prices, bus numbers, receipts, calendars, and government documents.
Learning these numbers is actually pretty simple.
| Number | Persian Digit | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | ۰ | sefr |
| 1 | ۱ | yek |
| 2 | ۲ | do |
| 3 | ۳ | se |
| 4 | ۴ | chahâr |
| 5 | ۵ | panj |
| 6 | ۶ | shesh |
| 7 | ۷ | haft |
| 8 | ۸ | hasht |
| 9 | ۹ | noh |
| 10 | ۱۰ | dah |
| Number | Persian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | ۲۰ | bist |
| 30 | ۳۰ | si |
| 40 | ۴۰ | chehel |
| 50 | ۵۰ | panjâh |
| 60 | ۶۰ | shast |
| 70 | ۷۰ | haftâd |
| 80 | ۸۰ | hashtâd |
| 90 | ۹۰ | navad |
| 100 | ۱۰۰ | sad |
| Number | Persian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | ۲۰۰ | Devist |
| 300 | ۳۰۰ | Si sad |
| 400 | ۴۰۰ | chahâr Sad |
| 500 | ۵۰۰ | Pân Sad |
| 600 | ۶۰۰ | Shesh Sad |
| 700 | ۷۰۰ | Haft Sad |
| 800 | ۸۰۰ | Hasht Sad |
| 900 | ۹۰۰ | Noh Sad |
| 1000 | ۱۰۰۰ | Hezar |
| 10000 | ۱۰۰۰۰ | Dah Hezar |
| 100000 | ۱۰۰۰۰۰ | Sad Hezar |
How to Read Larger Numbers?
Pronouncing Persian numbers is almost similar to English. All you need to do is connect the two numbers by “o,” meaning “and.”
- 23 → bist-o-se
- 31 → si-o-yek
- 45 → chehel-o-panj
- 74 → haftâd-o- chahâr
- 98 → navad-o-hasht
Dates
Iran uses the Solar Hijri calendar. You will probably see it while visiting Iran. It is abbreviated as SH, HS, AP, or, sometimes, AHSh.
For example:
۱۴۰۵/۰۲/۱۴
If you see these abbreviations and want to know when a historical event happened in the Gregorian calendar, all you need to do is to add 621 or 622 to that number.
Example:
۶۲۳/۰۸/۲۵
Or
25/08/623 SH (HS, AP, AHSh) + 621 or 622 = 11/15/1244 AD
Prices
Prices in Iran can be confusing sometimes. Iran has an official currency called Rial and another one used by locals called Toman. You can see Toman vs. Rial explained to help yourself while paying for something.
Phone Numbers
Iran’s country code is +98. Landlines start with the area code, and mobile numbers start with 09.
Example:
0937 123 4567
International format:
+98 937 123 4567
Tips for Travelers
- Learn to recognize Persian digits before traveling to Iran.
- Taxi drivers usually quote fares verbally.
- Prices in markets are often spoken in Toman, not Rial.
- ATMs, receipts, and many government forms commonly display Persian numerals.
- It’s better to keep a cheat sheet of Persian numerals with you while visiting Iran just in case.
Conclusion
The Persian numbers are originally from ancient India. These numbers were introduced to the west during the Islamic golden age and are known as Arabic numerals as well. with a little bit of practice you can easily master these numbers and use them while you are traveling in Iran.
