بفرمایید و لطفاً

Polite Requests and Offers

Level 3

Both words are polite, so they go with the شما form when you talk to guests, customers and older people.

How It Works

SituationSayMeaning
Handing over teaبفرمایید، چایHere is your tea.
Opening the doorبفرماییدPlease come in.
A shopkeeper servingبفرمایید، چه می‌خواهید؟What would you like?
Asking for teaلطفاً یک پیاله چای بیاوریدPlease bring a cup of tea.
Asking for a repeatلطفاً دوباره بگوییدPlease say it again.

The host says بفرمایید and the guest answers تشکر. The guest asks with لطفاً.

لطفاً can stand at the start of the request or at the end, after a comma: بنشینید، لطفاً.

The host says بفرمایید again to offer more, and the guest says تشکر to thank them.

With a friend a plain command is fine: بیا، چای بخور. With an older person, a guest or a stranger, use بفرمایید and the شما form.

Examples (5)

  1. بفرمایید، چای بخورید.

    Please, have some tea.

    بفرمایید is the host's invitation.

  2. بفرمایید، این کتاب شما است.

    Here you are, this is your book.

    بفرمایید goes with handing something over.

  3. بفرمایید، شما چه می‌خواهید؟

    Yes, please, what would you like?

    A shopkeeper says بفرمایید to a customer.

  4. لطفاً کمی آهسته گپ بزنید.

    Please speak a little more slowly.

    لطفاً opens a polite request with the ـید form.

  5. لطفاً یک پیاله چای بیاورید.

    Please bring a cup of tea.

    لطفاً is the word the guest uses to ask.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the short command with an older person.

    لطفاً بنشین.
    لطفاً بنشینید.

    An older person, a guest or a stranger gets the ـید form.

How It Connects

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

بفرمایید و لطفاًLevel 3Polite Requests and Offers

Learn This First

Polite requests are commands said to someone you respect.

Words in This Pattern

بفرماییدلطفا