Written Dari and Everyday Kabul Speech

Foundations

Only a handful of small words change, such as من (I), چه (what) and را (the object marker).

How It Works

Dari has one written standard. It is the Dari of schools, books, news and letters. When people in Kabul talk, they say some small words in their own way. Learn the written form first, and listen for the speech form.

Everyday speechWritten DariMeaning
مه (ma)منI
ده کابل (da)در کابلin Kabul
کتاب ره (ra)کتاب راthe book (object)
میره (mēra)می‌رودgoes
میکنه (mēkuna)می‌کندdoes
چی (chī)چهwhat

Speech also drops some sounds that writing keeps: است is said as, این is said ī and آن is said ū.

Speech forms are for your ears. In a letter or an essay, write the written form. Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif each have their own way of speaking too.

Examples (5)

  1. مه ده کابل استم.

    I am in Kabul.

    Everyday speech: مه and ده. In writing: من and در.

  2. این چی است؟

    What is this?

    Everyday speech: چی. In writing: چه.

  3. مه کتاب ره دیدم.

    I saw the book.

    Everyday speech: مه and ره. In writing: من and را.

  4. او ده خانه میره.

    She goes home.

    Everyday speech: ده and میره. In writing: به and می‌رود.

  5. او چی میکنه؟

    What is he doing?

    Everyday speech: چی and میکنه. In writing: چه and می‌کند.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing a speech form in a letter or a school essay.

    مه ده کابل استم.
    من در کابل استم.

    Speech forms are for talking and listening. Written Dari uses من and در.

  • Writing Tehran speech spellings in Dari.

    من به خونه میرم.
    من به خانه می‌روم.

    Iranian speech spells these words خونه and میرم. Dari writing does not use them, so write خانه and می‌روم.

How It Connects

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

Written Dari and Everyday Kabul SpeechFoundations

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