دانه و نفر

Counting with دانه and نفر

Level 2

For drinks and food you can also use a unit word such as پیاله (cup), گیلاس (glass) or کیلو (kilo): دو پیاله چای.

How It Works

Choose the counting word by what you count. It comes right after the number and before the noun.

Counting wordCountsExample
دانهsingle thingsسه دانه تخم
نفرpeopleپنج نفر مهمان
پیالهcupsدو پیاله چای
گیلاسglassesیک گیلاس آب
کیلوkilosیک کیلو انگور

When the noun is clear, you can drop it: سه دانه می‌خواهم (I would like three). With people, the noun can follow or be left out: پنج نفر آمدند (five people came).

When you use a counting word for people, it is نفر, never دانه. Many nouns can also be counted with no counting word: سه کتاب, دو برادر.

Ask how many with چند, and the answer repeats the counting word: چند دانه نان؟ پنج دانه. Time and money need no counting word: پنج روز, بیست افغانی.

یک دانه means one piece and یک نفر means one person.

Examples (5)

  1. سه دانه تخم می‌خواهم.

    I would like three eggs.

    دانه sits between the number سه and the noun تخم.

  2. پنج نفر در خانهٔ ما استند.

    Five people are in our house.

    نفر counts people.

  3. او دو دانه نان خرید.

    He bought two loaves of bread.

    دانه counts the loaves, and نان stays singular.

  4. چهار نفر مهمان آمدند.

    Four guests came.

    نفر comes before مهمان.

  5. ما سه پیاله چای نوشیدیم.

    We drank three cups of tea.

    پیاله is a unit word for tea.

Common Mistakes

  • Counting people with دانه.

    پنج دانه شاگرد در صنف استند.
    پنج نفر شاگرد در صنف استند.

    دانه is for things. Count people with نفر.

  • Adding ـها to the noun after the counting word.

    سه دانه تخم‌ها می‌خواهم.
    سه دانه تخم می‌خواهم.

    The noun stays singular after the counting word.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

دانه و نفرLevel 2Counting with دانه and نفر

Learn This First

دانه and نفر go between the number and the noun.

Words in This Pattern

دانهنفر