Everyday Kabul Speech: How است Sounds

Level 2

The spelling does not change, so this entry is for your ears.

How It Works

Everyday speechWritten DariMeaning
hawā khūb asهوا خوب است.The weather is good.
chāy garm asچای گرم است.The tea is hot.
āb sard asآب سرد است.The water is cold.
qīmat kam asقیمت کم است.The price is low.

Listen to the end of the sentence. The last sound of است falls away, and you hear as instead. When you hear as, you know the sentence ends with is.

Only the sound changes. The spelling stays است, so a friend's message and a school book both write the full word.

Reading aloud from a book, say the full است. Talking with friends in Kabul, say as. Both are right for their place.

This entry covers the plain است. The sounds of این and آن are in their own entry.

Examples (5)

  1. هوا خوب است.

    The weather is good.

    Everyday speech: است sounds like as, so you hear (hawā khūb as). In writing: است.

  2. چای گرم است.

    The tea is hot.

    Everyday speech: you hear (chāy garm as). In writing: است.

  3. آب سرد است.

    The water is cold.

    Everyday speech: you hear (āb sard as). In writing: است.

  4. قیمت کم است.

    The price is low.

    Everyday speech: you hear (qīmat kam as). In writing: است.

  5. گل مقبول است.

    The flower is pretty.

    Everyday speech: you hear (gul maqbūl as). In writing: است.

Common Mistakes

  • Spelling the sound you hear.

    هوا خوب اس.
    هوا خوب است.

    Everyday speech says as, and the page always writes است.

How It Connects

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

Everyday Kabul Speech: How است SoundsLevel 2

Learn This First

This row is for listening. The written است comes first, and people in Kabul say it as *as*.

Words in This Pattern

بودن