Numbers and Counting in Persian

Overview

Learning numbers is one of the first practical skills in any language, and Persian numbers have some pleasant surprises. The words themselves are distinct from Arabic (despite the shared script), and the counting system is logical and regular once you learn the basics from 1 to 20.

Persian uses Eastern Arabic numerals (۰ ۱ ۲ ۳ ۴ ۵ ۶ ۷ ۸ ۹) in writing, which look different from the Western Arabic numerals (0-9) you are used to. However, Western numerals are also understood and sometimes used in Iran, especially in technical contexts. At the A1 level, learn to recognize both sets.

One very important rule: when a number precedes a noun, the noun stays singular. You say سه کتاب (se ketāb, three book) not سه کتاب‌ها (three books). This is the opposite of English and is a common source of mistakes for beginners.

How It Works

Number	Persian	Transliteration
0	صفر	sefr
1	یک	yek
2	دو	do
3	سه	se
4	چهار	chahār
5	پنج	panj
6	شش	shesh
7	هفت	haft
8	هشت	hasht
9	نه	noh
10	ده	dah

Number	Persian	Transliteration
11	یازده	yāzdah
12	دوازده	davāzdah
13	سیزده	sizdah
14	چهارده	chahārdah
15	پانزده	pānzdah
16	شانزده	shānzdah
17	هفده	hefdah
18	هجده	hejdah
19	نوزده	nuzdah
20	بیست	bist

Tens:

Number	Persian	Transliteration
30	سی	si
40	چهل	chehel
50	پنجاه	panjāh
60	شصت	shast
70	هفتاد	haftād
80	هشتاد	hashtād
90	نود	navad
100	صد	sad

Combining: tens + و (va, and) + units: بیست و پنج bist-o-panj (25), سی و هشت si-o-hasht (38).

Examples in Context

Persian	English	Note
یک دو سه	one two three	Basic counting
سه کتاب	three books	Noun stays singular
۲۵ = بیست و پنج	25	Eastern Arabic digits
چند تا سیب؟ — پنج تا.	How many apples? — Five.	Using counter تا
صد تومان	100 tomans	Currency
تلفنم: ۰۹۱۲...	My phone: 0912...	Reading digits
شماره یک	number one	Ordinal-like usage
هزار	thousand	1,000
یک میلیون	one million	Large number
دو و نیم	two and a half	Fractions with نیم

Common Mistakes

Pluralizing nouns after numbers

• Wrong: سه کتاب‌ها (three books)
• Right: سه کتاب (three book)
• Why: After a number, Persian nouns remain singular. The number itself indicates plurality.

Confusing ۴ and ۶ in Eastern Arabic numerals

• Wrong: Reading ۴ as 6 or ۶ as 4
• Right: ۴ = 4 (chahār), ۶ = 6 (shesh)
• Why: These two numerals look similar to beginners. ۴ has an open shape, ۶ looks like a small loop.

Forgetting و (and) between tens and units

• Wrong: بیست پنج (twenty five)
• Right: بیست و پنج (twenty and five)
• Why: Persian always uses و (va/o) to connect tens and units, similar to saying "twenty-and-five."

Practice Tips

1. Practice counting from 1 to 20 aloud every day until it becomes automatic. Then extend to 100 by tens, and finally fill in the gaps.
2. Read phone numbers, prices, and addresses in Persian numerals. This real-world practice makes numbers stick.
3. Quiz yourself with flashcards showing Eastern Arabic numerals (۰-۹) on one side and their Western equivalents on the other.

Related Concepts

• Time Expressions and Days — using numbers to tell time and dates
• Quantity and Partitive Expressions — expressing amounts like "some," "a little," "many"
• Classifiers and Counting Objects — using counter words like تا with numbers