11 Ways to Say Thank You in Persian

Updated: 1 February 2022

When you think about it, English has plenty of ways to say ‘thank you’: cheers, you’re too kind, and I owe you one, are just a few that come to mind. And Persian is no different. Given our culture of taarof it makes sense that there would be a myriad of ways to give thanks. But what are the degrees of formality? And is there a certain one you use in a specific situation? Let’s break down 11 different ways to say thank you in Persian.

مرسی

Merci

First up, we have merci, a French loan word. It probably leans more to the informal side, but it’s the most common and universally used of all. 

ممنون

Mamnoon

Mamnoon would probably be the next most common and slightly more formal than merci. There is also mamnoonam (I’m grateful/thankful).

متشکرم

Moteshakeram

Moteshakeram is the most formal of the three, so it wouldn’t really be used among friends. In spoken Persian, it comes out sounding like mochakeram. 

سپاسگزارم

Sepâsgozâram

Sepâsgozâram is a less commonly used ‘thank you’, though many prefer this one because it is pure Persian- no Arabic roots like mamnoon and moteshakeram. In fact, this one is popular among those who prefer using more authentic Persian words. You’ll often hear sepâs or bâ sepâs.

تشکر میکنم

Tashakor mikonam

Then we have the compound verb tashakor mikonam (I thank you). This is another formal ‘thank you’ with Arabic roots. It’s the one you use when you want to use ‘thank you’ as a verb: Az moalemam tashakor kardam (I thanked my teacher.) You may even recognize the similarity with the Turkish teşekkür ederim.

دست شما درد نکند

Daste shomâ dard nakone

Another ‘thank you’ you’ll hear on a daily basis is daste shomâ dard nakone (literally: May your hand not hurt). Frequently used in situations related to food, you can say daste shoma dard nakone when you want to thank someone for a meal. It’s also appropriate to use if someone gives you a gift or does you a favor. Although common in these two situations, it’s not exclusive to them. You can use it in most contexts.

Daste shomâ dard nakone can be formal or informal (although among close friends and family, you would use the informal ‘you’ and say dastet dard nakone). It expresses more gratitude and appreciation than a simple merci or mamnoon because you are recognizing a person’s efforts.

You might hear the reply sare shomâ dard nakone (may your head not hurt), but a simple khâhesh mikonam (you’re welcome) is more common.

In this clip from the comedy Shahgoosh, the officer thanks the shopkeeper for the glass of water to which he replies govârâye vojud, similar to a nooshe jân (may your soul be nourished), or bon appetit.

دست گلت درد نکند

Daste golet dard nakone

Kind of piggy-backing off the previous one, there is also daste golet dard nakone (literally: May your flower hand not hurt). A popular way to compliment in Iran is to call someone a flower, as in Kheyli goli! (You’re awesome!, but literally: You’re such a flower!- more on this soon). In this case, your hand is so awesome, it’s a flower. I hear this expression a lot at work. When I hand in some sort of paperwork, the secretary tells me daste golet dard nakone! Or just this past weekend, I was at my aunt’s house, and after lunch, I washed the dishes. She thanked me with a daste golet dard nakone! It’s like dastet dard nakone but with a bit more affection.

قربون دست شما

Ghorbun daste shomâ

In keeping with the theme of the hands, there is also ghorbun daste shomâ or ghorbun dastetun! (or with the informal ‘you’ it’s ghorbun dastet), literally, “I’ll sacrifice myself for your hand”. This expression is an example of one of our lovely taarofs. When someone comes to your house bearing flowers or a box of pastries, you can say ghorbun dastetun! Essentially, anytime anyone gives you something, you can use this.

قربان شما

Ghorbâne shomâ

Similar to this is ghorbâne shomâ (or ghorbunet with the informal ‘you’) which literally means “your sacrifice.” Because this is another form of taarof, it’s a common formal phrase to use when someone compliments you. Instead of saying ‘thank you’, you say that you are that person’s sacrifice, thereby exemplifying your humility. Imagine someone tells you that you look beautiful today. You can respond ghorbâne shomâ [merci]. Even if someone asks how you are, you may hear ghorbane shoma, khubam, (I’ll sacrifice myself for you, I’m fine). Sounds incredibly silly and completely melodramatic in English, but it’s perfectly normal, acceptable, and common in Persian.

لطف دارید

Lotf dârid

Lotf dârid is like saying, ‘that’s very kind of you.’ If someone compliments you or offers to do you a favor, you can use this expression. It’s formal and polite. I have family friends here who always tell me to call them if I need anything, and I tell them lotf dârid.

شرمنده کردید

Sharmande kardin

On its own, sharmande means ‘ashamed’ or ‘embarrassed’. But depending on the situation, it can take on different meanings, and one of them is a very formal ‘thank you.’ It expresses a mixed feeling of shame/embarrassment and gratitude/appreciation. Sharmande kardin is literally saying that someone has shamed/embarrassed you because they’ve done something so nice that you don’t know where to begin to express just how thankful you are. Like if Oprah gives you a car, or Ellen cuts you a check for $10,000, then you can say sharmande kardin, Oprah jân ([Thank you] I’m so embarrassed/grateful.) Of course, you’ll hear this expression for a lot less than these examples, but in that case, it’s just taarof. 

When to use kheyli (very)

Kheyli (very) collocates with mamnoon, moteshakeram, lotf dârid, sharmande kardin, tashakor mikonam, or sepâs gozâram. For example, kheyli mamnoon or kheyli lotf dârid. However, it’s not so common with the others. I’ve heard kheyli merci on occasion, but it’s quite informal. 

Mix and match Thank yous

You’ll often hear Persian speakers say these thank yous in combination. For example, [kheyli] mamnoon, [kheyli] lotf darid or dastet dard nakone, merci. When someone asks, Hâle shomâ chetore? (How are you?) you can respond khubam, merci, kheyli mamnoon (I’m fine, thank you). Many people don’t even say khubam (I’m fine). They give a simple merci or another ‘thank you’. I’ve noticed my students transfer this to English. When I ask “How are you?”, they respond “Thank you.” It’s one of those things that I keep meaning to correct, but at the same time, I’m so used to it that I hardly notice it anymore. But it’s a little strange, right? 

Final thoughts

I’ll leave you with one last clip from Shahgoosh. I know I use this series a lot, but it’s hilarious and an absolute gold mine linguistically. Here, you’ll notice the character giving up his personal belongings before entering the police station. When the officer hands his binder back, he says (more like mumbles) sepâsgozâram, kheyli mamnoon. Then he turns around and takes a piece of candy from the soldier and says daste shomâ dard nakone. It’s the perfect example of how interchangeably Iranians use all these thank yous.

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