Welcome to Lesson 34 of Persian for English Speakers. In this lesson, we will explore the Persian verb گرفتن (gereftan), which corresponds to the English verb "to get." This is one of the most versatile and frequently used verbs in Persian, with multiple meanings depending on context.
Definition: گرفتن (gereftan) primarily means "to take" or "to get," but it can also mean "to catch," "to hold," "to receive," "to buy," or "to obtain," among other meanings.
FAQ Schema Q: What does گرفتن mean in Persian? A: گرفتن (gereftan) means "to get," "to take," "to receive," or "to obtain" in Persian. It is a highly versatile verb with multiple meanings depending on the context.
In this lesson, we will explore how گرفتن is used in various contexts through 15 natural examples. You'll see how this verb changes form based on tense and person, and how it combines with other words to create different meanings.
Educational Schema -
Course: Persian for English Speakers -
Level: Beginner to Intermediate -
Lesson Type: Vocabulary and Grammar -
Focus Word: گرفتن (gereftan) - "to get" -
Skills: Reading, Grammar, Cultural Understanding
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گرفتن is one of the most common and versatile verbs in Persian -
It conjugates regularly in all tenses -
The verb can take on different meanings based on context and accompanying words -
Understanding this verb is essential for everyday Persian communication -
The past stem is گرفت (gereft) and the present stem is گیر (gir)
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34.1 I من (man) got گرفتم (gereftam) a یک (yek) new جدید (jadid) book کتاب (ketāb) from از (az) the - library کتابخانه (ketābkhāne)
34.2 She او (u) will - get میگیرد (migirad) her - diploma دیپلم (diplom) next - month ماه (māh) آینده (āyande)
34.3 Can آیا (āyā) you تو (to) get میتوانی (mitavāni) بگیری (begiri) me برای (barāye) من (man) some کمی (kami) water آب (āb)?
34.4 They آنها (ānhā) got گرفتند (gereftand) married ازدواج (ezdevāj) کردند (kardand) last - year سال (sāl) گذشته (gozashte)
34.5 My - brother برادرم (barādaram) gets میگیرد (migirad) tired خسته (khaste) میشود (mishavad) quickly زود (zud)
34.6 We ما (mā) need باید (bāyad) to - get بگیریم (begirim) tickets بلیط (belit) for برای (barāye) the - concert کنسرت (konsert)
34.7 The - children بچهها (bache-hā) got گرفتند (gereftand) lost گم (gom) شدند (shodand) in در (dar) the - park پارک (pārk)
34.8 He او (u) always همیشه (hamishe) gets میگیرد (migirad) good خوب (khub) grades نمره (nomre) in در (dar) school مدرسه (madrese)
34.9 Did آیا (āyā) you شما (shomā) get گرفتید (gereftid) my - message پیامم (payāmam) را (rā) yesterday دیروز (diruz)?
34.10 I من (man) will - get خواهم (khāham) گرفت (gereft) a یک (yek) taxi تاکسی (tāksi) to به (be) the - airport فرودگاه (forudgāh)
34.11 She او (u) got گرفت (gereft) angry عصبانی (asabāni) شد (shod) when وقتی (vaqti) که (ke) she او (u) heard شنید (shenid) the - news خبر (khabar) را (rā)
34.12 Let's بیا (biyā) get بگیریم (begirim) together با (bā) هم (ham) ملاقات (molāqāt) کنیم (konim) tomorrow فردا (fardā)
34.13 The - weather هوا (havā) is - getting دارد (dārad) میشود (mishavad) cold سرد (sard)
34.14 They آنها (ānhā) couldn't نتوانستند (natavānestānd) get بگیرند (begirand) permission اجازه (ejāze) to برای (barāye) enter ورود (vorud)
34.15 I من (man) hope امیدوارم (omidvāram) to - get بگیرم (begiram) better بهتر (behtar) at در (dar) Persian فارسی (fārsi) soon بهزودی (bezudi)
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34.1 من یک کتاب جدید از کتابخانه گرفتم. I got a new book from the library.
34.2 او ماه آینده دیپلمش را میگیرد. She will get her diploma next month.
34.3 آیا میتوانی برای من کمی آب بگیری؟ Can you get me some water?
34.4 آنها سال گذشته ازدواج کردند. They got married last year.
34.5 برادرم زود خسته میشود. My brother gets tired quickly.
34.6 ما باید برای کنسرت بلیط بگیریم. We need to get tickets for the concert.
34.7 بچهها در پارک گم شدند. The children got lost in the park.
34.8 او همیشه در مدرسه نمره خوب میگیرد. He always gets good grades in school.
34.9 آیا دیروز پیامم را گرفتید؟ Did you get my message yesterday?
34.10 من برای رفتن به فرودگاه تاکسی خواهم گرفت. I will get a taxi to the airport.
34.11 او وقتی که خبر را شنید عصبانی شد. She got angry when she heard the news.
34.12 بیا فردا با هم ملاقات کنیم. Let's get together tomorrow.
34.13 هوا دارد سرد میشود. The weather is getting cold.
34.14 آنها نتوانستند اجازه ورود بگیرند. They couldn't get permission to enter.
34.15 امیدوارم بهزودی در فارسی بهتر شوم. I hope to get better at Persian soon.
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34.1 من یک کتاب جدید از کتابخانه گرفتم.
34.2 او ماه آینده دیپلمش را میگیرد.
34.3 آیا میتوانی برای من کمی آب بگیری؟
34.4 آنها سال گذشته ازدواج کردند.
34.5 برادرم زود خسته میشود.
34.6 ما باید برای کنسرت بلیط بگیریم.
34.7 بچهها در پارک گم شدند.
34.8 او همیشه در مدرسه نمره خوب میگیرد.
34.9 آیا دیروز پیامم را گرفتید؟
34.10 من برای رفتن به فرودگاه تاکسی خواهم گرفت.
34.11 او وقتی که خبر را شنید عصبانی شد.
34.12 بیا فردا با هم ملاقات کنیم.
34.13 هوا دارد سرد میشود.
34.14 آنها نتوانستند اجازه ورود بگیرند.
34.15 امیدوارم بهزودی در فارسی بهتر شوم.
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The verb گرفتن is a regular compound verb in Persian with the following stems: -
Past stem: گرفت (gereft) -
Present stem: گیر (gir)
Present Tense (using می + present stem + personal endings): -
من میگیرم (man migiram) - I get/take -
تو میگیری (to migiri) - You get/take (informal) -
او میگیرد (u migirad) - He/She gets/takes -
ما میگیریم (mā migirim) - We get/take -
شما میگیرید (shomā migirid) - You get/take (formal/plural) -
آنها میگیرند (ānhā migirand) - They get/take
Past Tense (using past stem + personal endings): -
من گرفتم (man gereftam) - I got/took -
تو گرفتی (to gerefti) - You got/took (informal) -
او گرفت (u gereft) - He/She got/took -
ما گرفتیم (mā gereftim) - We got/took -
شما گرفتید (shomā gereftid) - You got/took (formal/plural) -
آنها گرفتند (ānhā gereftand) - They got/took
Future Tense (using خواهم + past stem): -
من خواهم گرفت (man khāham gereft) - I will get/take -
تو خواهی گرفت (to khāhi gereft) - You will get/take
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Forgetting the می prefix in present tense: English speakers often forget to add می before the present stem. Remember: گیرم is incorrect; it should be میگیرم. -
Confusing past and present stems: The past stem گرفت and present stem گیر are quite different. Don't use گرفت when forming present tense. -
Word order with compound meanings: When گرفتن combines with other words (like ازدواج کردن - to get married), the word order matters. The noun usually comes before گرفتن. -
Using wrong prepositions: Persian prepositions don't always match English. For example, "get angry" uses شدن (to become) not گرفتن in Persian: عصبانی شدن.
Unlike English "get," which is highly irregular (get, got, gotten), Persian گرفتن follows regular conjugation patterns. However, Persian uses different verbs for some meanings where English uses "get": -
Get tired = خسته شدن (khaste shodan) - literally "become tired" -
Get angry = عصبانی شدن (asabāni shodan) - literally "become angry" -
Get lost = گم شدن (gom shodan) - literally "become lost"
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Identify the tense you need (present, past, or future) -
Choose the appropriate stem (گیر for present, گرفت for past) -
Add the necessary prefix (می for present, nothing for past, خواهم etc. for future) -
Add the personal ending that matches the subject -
Place any objects before the verb in the sentence
گرفتن is a transitive verb that can take direct objects. It uses the particle را (rā) to mark definite direct objects. The verb can combine with many nouns to create compound verbs with specialized meanings: -
تصمیم گرفتن (tasmim gereftan) - to make a decision -
عکس گرفتن (aks gereftan) - to take a photo -
یاد گرفتن (yād gereftan) - to learn -
تماس گرفتن (tamās gereftan) - to contact/call
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The verb گرفتن plays a significant role in Persian daily communication and reflects important cultural concepts. In Persian culture, many expressions using گرفتن relate to social interactions and relationships.
Social Etiquette: When Persians say تماس بگیرید (tamās begirid - "get in touch/call"), it's not just a suggestion but often a warm invitation to maintain social connections. Persian culture highly values keeping in touch with family and friends.
Educational Context: The phrase نمره گرفتن (nomre gereftan - "to get grades") is central to educational discussions. Persian families place great emphasis on academic achievement, and getting good grades is a frequent topic of conversation.
Hospitality: The expression اجازه گرفتن (ejāze gereftan - "to get permission") reflects the Persian cultural value of respect and proper etiquette. It's considered polite to ask permission before entering someone's home or personal space, even among close friends.
Marriage Customs: The phrase ازدواج کردن (ezdevāj kardan - "to get married") is significant in Persian culture. Note that while English uses "get married," Persian uses کردن (to do/make) rather than گرفتن, showing how languages conceptualize marriage differently.
Time and Patience: Persians often use expressions like صبر کن تا بگیرم (sabr kon tā begiram - "wait until I get it"), reflecting a cultural attitude of patience and taking time to do things properly rather than rushing.
Understanding these cultural nuances helps English speakers use گرفتن more naturally and appropriately in Persian conversations, avoiding literal translations that might sound awkward or culturally inappropriate.
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I من (man) wanted میخواستم (mikhāstam) to که (ke) get بگیرم (begiram) hold - of - something چیزی (chizi) را (rā), anything هر (har) چیزی (chizi), that که (ke) would - connect وصل (vasl) کند (konad) me مرا (marā) to به (be) life زندگی (zendegi) and و (va) to به (be) other دیگر (digar) human - beings آدمها (ādam-hā).
من میخواستم چیزی را بگیرم، هر چیزی، که مرا به زندگی و به دیگر آدمها وصل کند.
I wanted to get hold of something, anything, that would connect me to life and to other human beings.
من میخواستم چیزی را بگیرم، هر چیزی، که مرا به زندگی و به دیگر آدمها وصل کند.
This passage from Hedayat's masterpiece demonstrates the existential use of گرفتن in Persian literature. Here, the verb conveys not just physical grasping but a desperate psychological need for connection. The construction میخواستم... بگیرم (I wanted to get) uses the past continuous of خواستن with the subjunctive of گرفتن, showing desire and uncertainty.
The phrase چیزی را بگیرم uses the direct object marker را, essential when the object (چیزی) is specified. The repetition of چیزی (something) and هر چیزی (anything) emphasizes the speaker's desperation.
For English speakers, note how Persian uses که (that/which) to introduce relative clauses differently than English. The verb وصل کند (would connect) is in the subjunctive mood, indicating a hypothetical or desired outcome.
This literary use of گرفتن shows its metaphorical depth beyond its literal meaning of "to take" or "to get," illustrating how basic verbs in Persian can express profound philosophical concepts.
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34.16 The - shopkeeper مغازهدار (maghāze-dār) said گفت (goft) I من (man) could میتوانم (mitavānam) get بگیرم (begiram) a یک (yek) discount تخفیف (takhfif) if اگر (agar) I - bought بخرم (bekharam) two دو (do) items قلم (ghalam) جنس (jens)
34.17 She او (u) gets میگیرد (migirad) her - groceries خواربارش (khwārbarash) را (rā) from از (az) the - local محلی (mahalli) market بازار (bāzār) every هر (har) week هفته (hafte)
34.18 Can آیا (āyā) I من (man) get میتوانم (mitavānam) بگیرم (begiram) a یک (yek) receipt رسید (resid) for برای (barāye) this این (in) purchase خرید (kharid)?
34.19 They آنها (ānhā) got گرفتند (gereftand) the - best بهترین (behtarin) price قیمت (gheymat) را (rā) after بعد (ba'd) از (az) bargaining چانهزدن (chāne-zadan)
34.20 We ما (mā) need باید (bāyad) to - get بگیریم (begirim) fresh تازه (tāze) bread نان (nān) before قبل (ghabl) از (az) the - bakery نانوایی (nānvāyi) closes بسته (baste) شود (shavad)
34.21 The - customer مشتری (moshtari) got گرفت (gereft) upset ناراحت (nārāhat) شد (shod) when وقتی (vaghti) که (ke) the - price قیمت (gheymat) increased افزایش (afzāyesh) یافت (yāft)
34.22 You شما (shomā) can میتوانید (mitavānid) get بگیرید (begirid) this این (in) shirt پیراهن (pirāhan) in در (dar) three سه (se) different مختلف (mokhtalef) colors رنگ (rang)
34.23 He او (u) always همیشه (hamishe) gets میگیرد (migirad) his - coffee قهوهاش (ghahve-ash) را (rā) from از (az) the - same همان (hamān) shop مغازه (maghāze)
34.24 Did آیا (āyā) you تو (to) get گرفتی (gerefti) the - change باقی (bāghi) پولت (pulat) را (rā) from از (az) the - cashier صندوقدار (sandugh-dār)?
34.25 I من (man) got گرفتم (gereftam) these این (in) shoes کفشها (kafsh-hā) را (rā) on در (dar) sale حراج (harāj) last - month ماه (māh) پیش (pish)
34.26 She او (u) wants میخواهد (mikhāhad) to که (ke) get بگیرد (begirad) a یک (yek) new جدید (jadid) dress لباس (lebās) for برای (barāye) the - wedding عروسی (arusi)
34.27 They آنها (ānhā) got گرفتند (gereftand) excellent عالی (āli) service خدمات (khadamāt) at در (dar) the - restaurant رستوران (restorān)
34.28 Where کجا (kojā) can میتوانم (mitavānam) I من (man) get بگیرم (begiram) authentic اصل (asl) Persian ایرانی (irāni) spices ادویه (adviye)?
34.29 The - vendor فروشنده (forushande) got گرفت (gereft) paid پولش (pulash) را (rā) in به (be) cash نقد (naghd) for برای (barāye) all همه (hame) the - fruits میوهها (mive-hā)
34.30 We ما (mā) finally بالاخره (belākhare) got گرفتیم (gereftim) what چیزی (chizi) که (ke) we ما (mā) were - looking دنبالش (donbālash) for میگشتیم (migashtim) at در (dar) the - bazaar بازار (bāzār)
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34.16 مغازهدار گفت اگر دو قلم جنس بخرم میتوانم تخفیف بگیرم. The shopkeeper said I could get a discount if I bought two items.
34.17 او هر هفته خواربارش را از بازار محلی میگیرد. She gets her groceries from the local market every week.
34.18 آیا میتوانم برای این خرید رسید بگیرم؟ Can I get a receipt for this purchase?
34.19 آنها بعد از چانهزدن بهترین قیمت را گرفتند. They got the best price after bargaining.
34.20 ما باید قبل از اینکه نانوایی بسته شود نان تازه بگیریم. We need to get fresh bread before the bakery closes.
34.21 مشتری وقتی که قیمت افزایش یافت ناراحت شد. The customer got upset when the price increased.
34.22 شما میتوانید این پیراهن را در سه رنگ مختلف بگیرید. You can get this shirt in three different colors.
34.23 او همیشه قهوهاش را از همان مغازه میگیرد. He always gets his coffee from the same shop.
34.24 آیا باقی پولت را از صندوقدار گرفتی؟ Did you get your change from the cashier?
34.25 من این کفشها را ماه پیش در حراج گرفتم. I got these shoes on sale last month.
34.26 او میخواهد برای عروسی یک لباس جدید بگیرد. She wants to get a new dress for the wedding.
34.27 آنها در رستوران خدمات عالی گرفتند. They got excellent service at the restaurant.
34.28 کجا میتوانم ادویه ایرانی اصل بگیرم؟ Where can I get authentic Persian spices?
34.29 فروشنده برای همه میوهها پولش را نقد گرفت. The vendor got paid in cash for all the fruits.
34.30 ما بالاخره چیزی که دنبالش میگشتیم را در بازار گرفتیم. We finally got what we were looking for at the bazaar.
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34.16 مغازهدار گفت اگر دو قلم جنس بخرم میتوانم تخفیف بگیرم.
34.17 او هر هفته خواربارش را از بازار محلی میگیرد.
34.18 آیا میتوانم برای این خرید رسید بگیرم؟
34.19 آنها بعد از چانهزدن بهترین قیمت را گرفتند.
34.20 ما باید قبل از اینکه نانوایی بسته شود نان تازه بگیریم.
34.21 مشتری وقتی که قیمت افزایش یافت ناراحت شد.
34.22 شما میتوانید این پیراهن را در سه رنگ مختلف بگیرید.
34.23 او همیشه قهوهاش را از همان مغازه میگیرد.
34.24 آیا باقی پولت را از صندوقدار گرفتی؟
34.25 من این کفشها را ماه پیش در حراج گرفتم.
34.26 او میخواهد برای عروسی یک لباس جدید بگیرد.
34.27 آنها در رستوران خدمات عالی گرفتند.
34.28 کجا میتوانم ادویه ایرانی اصل بگیرم؟
34.29 فروشنده برای همه میوهها پولش را نقد گرفت.
34.30 ما بالاخره چیزی که دنبالش میگشتیم را در بازار گرفتیم.
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In shopping and commerce situations, گرفتن takes on specific meanings that English speakers should understand:
Commercial Compounds: -
تخفیف گرفتن (takhfif gereftan) - to get a discount -
رسید گرفتن (resid gereftan) - to get a receipt -
خدمات گرفتن (khadamāt gereftan) - to get/receive service -
قیمت گرفتن (gheymat gereftan) - to get a price/quote
Word Order in Questions: When asking "Can I get...?" in shopping contexts, Persian uses: -
آیا میتوانم... بگیرم؟ (āyā mitavānam... begiram?) Note that the object comes between the auxiliary and main verb.
Bargaining Language: In Persian bazaars, گرفتن appears in bargaining expressions: -
بهترین قیمت را گرفتن (behtarin gheymat rā gereftan) - to get the best price -
قیمت خوب گرفتن (gheymat-e khub gereftan) - to get a good price
Payment Expressions: When discussing payment, گرفتن means "to receive": -
پول گرفتن (pul gereftan) - to get/receive money -
باقی پول گرفتن (bāghi-ye pul gereftan) - to get change
Common Shopping Mistakes for English Speakers: -
Using گرفتن instead of خریدن (kharidan - to buy). While English uses "get" casually for purchasing, Persian distinguishes between getting/receiving (گرفتن) and buying (خریدن). -
Forgetting the را particle with definite objects in shopping contexts. -
Misplacing time expressions. Persian typically places time expressions before the verb phrase.
Cultural Shopping Notes: -
Persian uses more formal language in shops than casual English -
The phrase میتوانم بگیرم؟ is more polite than just بگیرم؟ -
Bargaining uses specific forms of گرفتن combined with price-related nouns
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This lesson is part of the comprehensive language learning series created by the Latinum Institute. The course employs the construed text method, which has been proven effective for autodidact learners since 2006.
Course Methodology: The lessons utilize interlinear translation techniques drawn from the classical tradition of language pedagogy, as detailed at latinum.substack.com and latinum.org.uk. This method allows learners to see the direct correspondence between Persian and English, facilitating rapid vocabulary acquisition and grammatical understanding.
About the Curator: Evan der Millner BA MA (Cantab. NZ, London) has been pioneering online language learning materials since 2006. His work with the Latinum Institute has helped thousands of autodidact learners master new languages through self-study.
Why These Lessons Work: -
Granular word-by-word analysis in Section A helps beginners understand structure -
Complete sentences in Sections B and C provide natural language models -
Detailed grammar explanations in Section D clarify rules and patterns -
Cultural context in Section E prevents communication misunderstandings -
Literary citations in Section F expose learners to authentic texts -
Genre sections provide practical vocabulary for real-world situations
Student Reviews: The Latinum Institute's materials have received positive feedback from learners worldwide. See reviews at: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
Additional Resources: For more lessons and a complete course index, visit: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
The construed text method used in these lessons allows students to progress from word-by-word understanding to fluid comprehension, making it ideal for independent learners who want to master Persian at their own pace.
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