Suggesting Something Together

Level 3

With a close friend, say بیا. With شما or a group, say بیایید.

How It Works

Dari has two easy ways to say let's. Both use the we-form of the subjunctive, which ends in ـیم.

WayDariMeaning
To شما or a groupبیایید چای بخوریم.Let's have tea.
To توبیا چای بخوریم.Let's have tea.
The we-form aloneچای بخوریم؟Shall we have tea?

بیا and بیایید are the commands for come, so they work like come on. The verb after them is the we-form, and never the plain present with می‌.

The we-form alone sounds light and friendly, and it works as a question: امشب یک فلم ببینیم؟ (Shall we watch a film tonight?)

For let's not, put نـ on the we-verb: بیایید دیر نکنیم (Let's not be late). Compound verbs with کردن usually skip the بـ: بیایید شروع کنیم (Let's start).

Examples (5)

  1. بیایید چای بخوریم.

    Let's have tea.

    بیایید opens the suggestion, and بخوریم is the we-form.

  2. بیا به میله برویم، فرید جان.

    Let's go on a picnic, Farid.

    To a friend, بیا takes the place of بیایید, and برویم is still the we-form.

  3. امشب یک فلم ببینیم؟

    Shall we watch a film tonight?

    Without بیایید, the we-form ببینیم and ؟ make a friendly offer.

  4. بیایید با هم قابلی پلو بپزیم.

    Let's cook Kabuli palaw together.

    با هم means together, and بپزیم is the we-form of پختن.

  5. بیایید دیر نکنیم، مهمانان می‌آیند.

    Let's not be late. The guests are coming.

    نکنیم puts نـ on the we-form for let's not.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the present with می‌ after بیایید.

    بیایید چای می‌خوریم.
    بیایید چای بخوریم.

    After بیایید, the verb is the subjunctive with بـ. می‌خوریم states a fact: we drink tea.

  • Using the Iranian spoken we-form بریم.

    بیایید بریم.
    بیایید برویم.

    بریم copies the way people say it. Write the full form برویم.

How It Connects

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

Suggesting Something TogetherLevel 3

Learn This First

A suggestion like بیایید برویم uses the subjunctive.

Words in This Pattern

آمدنبیا