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Linguistics · Culture · May 18, 2026

How to say thank you in Persian

Persian has a short, friendly thank-you and several warmer ones, and choosing the right one is part of sounding natural.

The quickest thank-you is merci مرسی, borrowed from French and used constantly in everyday Iranian speech. It is casual, friendly, and completely normal.

Mamnoon and moteshakkeram

Mamnoon ممنون and mamnoonam ممنونم both mean thank you. For more weight, say kheyli mamnoon خیلی ممنون, thanks a lot. The most formal option is moteshakkeram متشکرم.

Thanking someone for effort

When someone cooks, helps, or goes out of their way, dastet dard nakone دستت درد نکنه (may your hand not hurt) is warmer than a plain thank-you. Lotf kardi لطف کردی means "you were kind."

How to say you are welcome

The standard reply is khahesh mikonam خواهش می‌کنم. You will also hear kari nakardam (I didn't do anything) as a modest, tarof-flavoured response.

For most situations, merci or mamnoon is enough. Save dastet dard nakone for real effort, and you will sound like you understand the difference.

Category: LinguisticsCategory: CultureTags: thank you, merci, politeness, spoken Persian

Common questions

01How do you say thank you in Persian?
The most common word is merci (مرسی). Mamnoon and moteshakkeram also mean thank you, with moteshakkeram being the most formal.
02How do you say thank you for food or effort in Persian?
Dastet dard nakone (دستت درد نکنه), may your hand not hurt, is a warm thank-you for someone's effort, especially cooking or help.
03How do you say you are welcome in Persian?
Khahesh mikonam (خواهش می‌کنم) is the standard reply to thank you.