Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns: من/تو/او/ما/شما/آنها + formal شما
I can use Persian pronouns correctly.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
من دانشجو هستم.
I am a student.
او دکتر است.
He/she is a doctor.
شما از کجا هستید?
Where are you from? (formal)
ما ایرانی هستیم.
We are Iranian.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Personal Pronouns
| Persian | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| من | man | I |
| تو | to | you (informal) |
| او | u | he / she / it |
| ما | mâ | we |
| شما | shomâ | you (formal/plural) |
| آنها | ânhâ | they |
Key Points
- او = he, she, AND it — Persian has NO grammatical gender!
- شما is both formal singular (like French 'vous') and plural 'you'
- In conversation, pronouns are often dropped — the verb ending tells you who
Using او only for 'he' (it covers she/it too). Using تو in formal situations (use شما). Not dropping pronouns when obvious from verb.
Common Error Patterns
Thinking او = only 'he'
او covers he, she, AND it. No gender in Persian!
Using تو in formal contexts
Use شما for strangers, elders, and formal contexts.
من دانشجو هستم.
I am a student.
من (man) = I. هستم (hastam) = I am. Persian: Subject + Noun + Verb.
او دکتر است.
He/she is a doctor.
او (u) = he/she/it — NO gender distinction! Like Finnish 'hän' or Thai 'เขา'.
شما از کجا هستید?
Where are you from? (formal)
شما (shomâ) = formal/polite 'you'. Always use with strangers and elders!
ما ایرانی هستیم.
We are Iranian.
ما (mâ) = we. هستیم (hastim) = we are. Verb agrees with subject.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises