Everyday Kabul Speech: مه for I

Level 2

مه replaces من and nothing else changes: the verb keeps its ending for I, as in مه خوب استم.

How It Works

Everyday speechWritten DariMeaning
مه خوب استم.من خوب استم.I'm well.
مه نمی‌دانم.من نمی‌دانم.I don't know.
مه و تومن و توyou and I

You hear ma in Kabul homes, shops and songs. Read it as the everyday sound of من. School work, letters, news and every lesson use من, because all Dari readers know it.

If a friend writes مه, read it as ma. You can always answer with من, because every Dari speaker understands it.

Two small points. مه also spells the word for fog, and the sentence tells you which one you have. And مه is not ما: ما means we and goes with استیم.

Examples (5)

  1. مه خوب استم.

    I'm well.

    Everyday speech: مه. In writing: من.

  2. مه از هرات استم.

    I'm from Herat.

    Everyday speech: مه. In writing: من.

  3. مه امروز در خانه نیستم.

    I'm not at home today.

    Everyday speech: مه. In writing: من.

  4. مه و تو دوست استیم.

    You and I are friends.

    Everyday speech: مه و تو. In writing: من و تو.

  5. مه دو برادر دارم.

    I have two brothers.

    Everyday speech: مه. In writing: من.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the speech form in a school essay.

    مه شاگرد صنف نهم استم.
    من شاگرد صنف نهم استم.

    Essays, letters and exams use written Dari. Keep مه for chat and talk with friends.

  • Spelling the sound ma as ما.

    ما خوب استم.
    من خوب استم.

    ما means we and goes with استیم. Everyday speech spells the sound ma for I as مه, and writing uses من.

How It Connects

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

Everyday Kabul Speech: مه for ILevel 2

Learn This First

This row is for listening. The written من comes first, and مه is how people in Kabul say it.

Words in This Pattern

من