Arabic vs Farsi: Are They Similar?

Some people tend to think these languages are somewhat similar, with speakers of one being able to understand speakers of the other. But how similar are they, really? Answer: not much.

Differences between Arabic and Persian

Arabic and Persian differ in several aspects beyond their shared script. Here, we outline the differences between these two languages across various aspects.

Historical context and language families

Arabic and Farsi (also known as Persian) come from two different language families, highlighting the difference between Arab and Persian languages. Arabic is a Semitic language related to Hebrew and Aramaic, with deep historical roots in the Arabian Peninsula, and has influenced many other languages due to the spread of Islam. On the other hand, Farsi is part of the Indo-European family, which includes languages like English, Spanish, and Hindi, making it more similar to European languages than to Arabic.

Script and writing system

Arguably the most visible similarity between Arabic and Farsi is their script. Both languages use a form of the Arabic script, but Farsi has modified it by adding four letters to accommodate sounds not present in Arabic. These additional letters are:

پ (pe) – pronounced “p” as in “paper.”
چ (che) – pronounced “ch” as in “champion.”
ژ (zhe) – pronounced “s” as in “measure.”
گ (ge) – pronounced “g” as in “go.”

This adoption of the Arabic script by Farsi dates back to the expansion of Islam into Persia, where the script was adapted to fit the Persian language.

The map above shows the extent of the Abbasid empire in the year 850 CE, incorporating vast swathes of the Middle East and North Africa, including modern day Iran. At this point in time, the heirs of the Umayyad caliphate had established their capital in Baghdad, and conquered many new territories to the East and West. As was common with empire expansion, with new rulers came a new language. In most countries ruled by the caliphate, the local languages eventually gave way to Arabic (such as Coptic, Aramaic and Syriac). However, in Persia, the local language continued to live on, adapting and incorporating new vocabulary from Arabic. In some ways, the flexibility of Farsi in incorporating new words from Arabic may have contributed in part to it remaining the main language in Persia. This contributed to the continuation of rich Persian linguistic heritage, and even now, modern day Farsi speakers can understand poems from the 9th century CE.

Diacritical marks

Arabic sometimes uses diacritical marks such as (fatha- َ ), (kasra ِ ), (dammaُ ), and (sukun ْ ) for clarifying pronunciation. These marks guide pronunciation in a language where many words share the same roots but have different meanings, making them essential for both understanding and learning the Arabic language. Typically, they’re used in some education and religious texts, which require precise pronunciation for correct interpretation, but generally omitted in most contexts.

Persian also uses diacritical marks to aid in pronunciation. In Persian, these marks are primarily found in educational or religious texts where accurate pronunciation is crucial for understanding. This limited use highlights their role as a tool mainly for learners and in contexts where clarity of speech is paramount.

Both languages utilize diacritical marks to enhance comprehension, especially in formal or learning environments where the exact pronunciation significantly impacts meaning.

Pronunciation

Letter	Pronunciation in Persian	Notes
ع		ح & ه represent two distinct sounds in Arabic but pronounced the same in Persian.
ء	–	In Persian, the hamza (ء) is often neglected or omitted from writing, and it is never pronounced.
ح		(ذ ,ز ,ض,ظ) – In Persian, these letters lose their distinctive sounds in Arabic.
ه
ذ		(ذ,ز ,ض,ظ) – In Persian, these letters lose their distinctive sounds in Arabic.
ز
ض
ظ
ص		(ث, س, and ص) – In Persian, these letters lose their distinctive sounds in Arabic.
س
ث

Consonants and vowels

Consonants:

Arabic: some consonants can be pronounced without any vowel sound, which is indicated by a special mark (sukun ْ ).
Persian: uses a similar system but adapts it according to its own language rules and word formations.

This means while both languages share a common feature, they apply it differently based on how their words are structured.

Vowels:

Arabic: Uses three vowel letters:
- Alif (ا) : Pronounced as ‘aa’ like the ‘a’ in (car)
- Waw (و) : Pronounced as ‘oo’ like the ‘oo’ in (tool)
- Ya (ي) : Pronounced as ‘ee’ like the ‘ee’ in (see)
Persian: Uses the same vowel letters, but drops the two dots from the last one.
ā (آ): Pronounced like the ‘a’ in (father)
ū (و): Pronounced like the ‘oo’ in (tool)
ī (ی): Pronounced like the ‘ee’ in (see)

Additionally, Persian includes:

Heh (ه) at the end of a word can also function to create a long ‘eh’ or ‘aah’ sound depending on the word.

Farsi vs Arabic

Arabic and Persian borrow many words from each other. Here are some Arabic words that originate from Persian:

Arabic words of Persian origin

Many Arabic words, whether in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) or in various dialects—such as Levantine, Egyptian, Gulf, and Darija—originate from Persian. These words are sometimes adapted with slight modifications, like changing one or more letters. Below is a table demonstrating some examples.

Persian	Standard	Levantine	Egyptian	Gulf	Darija	English
بازار	X	بَازار	بازار	بازار	بازار	bazaar, market
بادنجان	باذنجان	باتنجان	بتنجان	باذنجان	بودنجال	eggplant
جوراب	جورب	جراب	شراب	شراب	X	socks
دکان	دكان	دكان	X	دكان	X	shop
بوستان	بستان	بستان	X	بستان	X	garden, orchard
زنجبیل	زنجبيل	زنجبيل	زنجبيل	زنجبيل	X	ginger
گنج	كنز	كنز	كنز	كنز	كنز	treasure
زعفران	زعفران	زعفران	زعفران	زعفران	زعفران	saffron
بَخت	X	بخت	بخت	X	X	luck, fortune
دفتر	دفتر	دفتر	دفتر	دفتر	دفتر	notebook
استاد	أستاذ	أستاذ	أستاذ	أستاذ	أستاذ	teacher, professor
بُلّور	بلّور	بلّور	X	X	X	crystal, glass
بخشش	X	بخشيش بقشيش	بقشيش	X	X	tip, gratuity
چادرشب	شرشف	شرشف	X	X	X	bed sheet, cover
تنبل	X	تنبل	تنبل	X	X	lazy
تازه	طازج	طازة	طازة	طازج	X	fresh, new
کار	X	كار	كار	X	X	work, occupation
کوفته	X	كفتة	كفتة	كفتة	كفتة	meatball
بس	X	بس	بس	بس	X	enough, sufficient
پسته	فستق	فستق	فستق	X	X	pistachio

Persian words of Arabic origin

Persian	Standard	Levantine	Egyptian	Gulf	Darija	English
کتاب	كتاب	كتاب	كتاب	كتاب	كتاب	book
سلام	X	سلام	سلام	سلام	X	hello
علم	علم	علم	علم	علم	علم	knowledge, science
قلم	قلم	قلم	قلم	قلم	قلم	pen
قلب	قلب	قلب	قلب	قلب	قلب	heart
وقت	وقت	وقت	وقت	وقت	وقت	time
حقیقت	حقيقة	حقيقة	حقيقة	حقيقة	حقيقة	truth
حکمت	حكمة	حكمة	حكمة	حكمة	حكمة	wisdom
حرکت	حركة	حركة	حركة	حركة	حركة	movement
نفس	نفس	نفس	نفس	نفس	نفس	self, soul
دنیا	دنيا	دنيا	دنيا	دنيا	دنيا	world
عمل	عمل	عمل	X	عمل	عمل	action, work
ایمان	إيمان	إيمان	إيمان	إيمان	إيمان	faith
اخلاق	أخلاق	أخلاق	أخلاق	أخلاق	أخلاق	morals, ethics
انسان	إنسان	إنسان	إنسان	إنسان	إنسان	human
جهاد	جهاد	جهاد	جهاد	جهاد	جهاد	struggle, effort
عبادت	عبادة	عبادة	عبادة	عبادة	عبادة	worship

A lot of the Persian loan words to Arabic don’t follow the Arabic root pattern. This can be a trick to guessing whether a word is originally Arabic or not.

Here’s a list of classical Arabic words that have been adopted into Persian with minimal modifications:

اثر (Aasār)
- Arabic: آثَار (Aathaar), plural of أَثَر (Athar)
- Persian: اثر (Aasaar)
- English: Traces or Relics
آهَاد (Aahad)
- Arabic: آحَاد (Aahad)
- Persian: آهَاد (Aahaad)
- English: Individuals
آفَاغ (Aafagh)
- Arabic: آفاق (Aafaq)
- Persian: آفاغ (Aafaagh)
- English: Horizons
خَاتِمَهْ (Khatimah)
- Arabic: خاتمة (Khatimah)
- Persian: خاتمَه (Khatimah)
- English: Conclusion

These interchanges showcase the extent of linguistic interplay and the depth of cultural exchanges between Arabic and Persian over centuries, reflecting how certain Arabic phonetics are altered in Persian pronunciation.

Phonetics and grammar

The phonetic systems and grammatical structures of Arabic and Persian are quite different, highlighting the difference between Arabic and Persian. Arabic includes guttural sounds absent in Persian and has a complex root-based grammar. In contrast, Persian grammar is simpler and more similar to that of other Indo-European languages, making it generally easier for speakers of these languages to learn.

Let’s explore some examples that illustrate how derivation and inflection work in both Arabic and Persian, highlighting the differences and similarities between the two:

Arabic

Derivation:

Root كَتَبَ :
- كَتَبَ (katab) (Past tense verb): meaning “he wrote.”
- كَاتِب (kateb) (Active participle): A person who writes.
- مَكْتُوْب (maktoub) (Passive participle): meaning “written.”
- كِتَابَة (kitaba) (verbal noun): The process or act of writing.
Patterns and forms are used to change meanings of words and to create new words from the same three letter root.

Inflection:

Verb دَرَسَ :
- يَدْرُسُ (yadros) (Present tense): Indicates engaging in studying currently.
- درَسْتُ (darasto)(Past tense, first person singular): Indicates that I studied.
- دُرِسَ (doresa)(Passive voice): Indicates that it was studied.
Inflection involves changes in tenses, persons, and voices.

Persian

Derivation:

The Persian word for “friend” is “dust” (دُوْسْتْ) .
To express the concept of “friendship,” the suffix “-i” (ی) is added, resulting in “dusti” (دُوْسْتِی) .

This is a common practice in Persian, where suffixes are frequently used to form new vocabulary or change the meanings of words.

Inflection:

The verb “to eat” in Persian is “khordan” (خُوْرْدَنْ) .
To indicate the present tense, the prefix “mi-” (مِی) is added, forming “mi-khoram” (مِی‌ خُوْرَمْ) , which means “I eat.”
The past tense is formed by adding a different suffix, resulting in “khordam” (خوردم) , meaning “I ate.”

In Persian, changes in tense or the grammatical person are primarily achieved by adding suffixes or prefixes, making it a simpler system compared to Arabic.

Furthermore, in Arabic, the verb normally appears near the beginning of a sentence, and in Modern Standard Arabic, it often (but not always), appears before the subject. Whereas in Persian, the verb is normally found at the end of a grammatical construction.

One way to display the basic structure in English would be:

Arabic: يعيش جون في نيو يورك

Lives John in New York.

Persian: جان در نیویورک زندگی می کند

John in New York lives.

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