· 6 min read
Learn Persian for Free: Where to Begin
By Language Lab editorial team
Learn Persian for free with Persian Language Online's free courses from beginner to intermediate, the University of Texas's Persian Online and the BBC's guide.
You can learn Persian, also known as Farsi, from beginner to intermediate level without paying. Persian Language Online describes itself as a free-to-access aid for anyone who wants to learn the language, and labels its Beginner, Elementary and Intermediate courses as free, along with courses on compound verbs, idioms and Persian tales. Its first lesson is the alphabet. The University of Texas at Austin offers Persian Online, a free web-based grammar reference with audio, vocabulary lists, short videos and quizzes. The BBC's archived Guide to Persian adds 20 audio phrases and a clear account of the 32-letter alphabet. Persian grammar is a help to beginners: nouns have no gender and there are no articles.
The free resources at a glance
| Resource | Who makes it | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Persian Language Online | A team with contributors from SOAS, University of London, the University of Cambridge and the University of St Andrews | Free Beginner, Elementary and Intermediate courses; compound verbs; idioms and expressions; Persian tales |
| Persian Online | The University of Texas at Austin | A free reference grammar in English, with audio, vocabulary lists, culture videos and multiple-choice quizzes |
| A Guide to Persian | BBC (archived) | Ten facts about the language, the alphabet with audio and 20 audio key phrases |
Persian Language Online
The site says it seeks to provide freely available, high-quality Persian language-learning resources to users of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. It grew out of the Persian Language Foundation, a charity established in 2012 by Dr Ali Sattaripour, and since 2019 it has been chaired by Narguess Farzad, Senior Fellow in Persian at SOAS, University of London, who is behind much of its material.
| Course | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| Beginner | People new to Persian; it starts with Lesson 1 and first greetings |
| Elementary | Those with a basic understanding: simple texts, dialogues and exercises |
| Intermediate | More advanced texts, videos and exercises on Persian culture and history |
| Compound Verbs | A separate free course |
| Idioms & Expressions | A separate free course |
| Persian Tales | A separate free course |
The site has a login and registration, and each course has an enrol button. It also offers resources for pre-school children.
Persian Online, from the University of Texas at Austin
The university describes Persian Online as a free, web-based supplemental resource, offered as a service to teachers and students of Persian everywhere. It is mainly a reference grammar: points are explained in English with examples in English, phonetic transcription and Persian script, and audio is embedded throughout. It also explains the differences between formal and colloquial Persian. Use it beside a course, to look things up and to review with its vocabulary lists and quizzes.
Start with the alphabet
- There are 32 letters, written from right to left, and most letters must be connected to one another.
- Short vowels are not written. The BBC's guide gives the word bad, which has three letters in English and two in Persian.
- Dots decide the letter. They can sit above, below or inside a letter, and they change both the sound and the meaning.
- Some sounds need practice. English speakers often say k for the kh sound of loch, and the gh sound is guttural.
First phrases, free from the BBC
| Persian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sâlam | Hello |
| Khodâ hâfez | Goodbye |
| Lotfan | Please |
| Mersi | Thank you |
| Baleh | Yes |
| Nakheyr | No |
| Nemifahmam | I don't understand |
These are written in English letters, as the BBC gives them. Mersi will look familiar: the guide notes that hundreds of French words are used in everyday Persian.
A free weekly plan
- Weeks one and two, daily: the alphabet, a few letters a day, written from right to left.
- Four days a week, 25 minutes: one lesson of the free Beginner course.
- Every day, 5 minutes: BBC key phrases aloud.
- Twice a week: a vocabulary list or quiz from Persian Online, to test what you covered.
- After the Beginner course: move to Elementary, and use the grammar reference when a point is unclear.
The plan relies on practice testing and distributed practice, the two techniques a 2013 review of learning research rated as high utility. Rereading and highlighting were rated low.
How far free takes you
The free courses run to intermediate level, which is further than free material goes for many languages. The full road is long: the US State Department lists Farsi in Category III, hard languages, at about 44 weeks or 1,012 class hours for English speakers. Free lessons give you reading, listening and grammar. Speaking needs a partner. Language Lab's Persian course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, which supplies spoken practice.
Frequently asked
Can I learn Persian for free?
Yes. Persian Language Online labels its Beginner, Elementary and Intermediate courses as free, and the University of Texas at Austin offers Persian Online, a free web-based grammar resource.
Are Persian and Farsi the same language?
Yes. The BBC's guide introduces the language as Persian, also known as Farsi.
How many letters does the Persian alphabet have?
32, written from right to left. Short vowels are not written.
Is Persian hard for English speakers?
The US State Department classes Farsi as a hard language, at about 44 weeks or 1,012 class hours. The BBC's guide calls it relatively simple to grasp grammatically: nouns have no gender and there are no articles.
Who is behind Persian Language Online?
It grew out of the Persian Language Foundation, a charity established in 2012, and is supported by contributors from SOAS, University of London, the University of Cambridge and the University of St Andrews.
Where is Persian spoken?
The BBC's guide says it is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Sources: Persian Language Online, home page, Courses and About Us; The University of Texas at Austin, Persian Online: Grammar & Resources; BBC Languages, A Guide to Persian: 10 facts, Key phrases and The Persian alphabet (archived pages); US Department of State, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Language Training; Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: The Shah Mosque on Naqsh-e Jahan Square at night, Isfahan, Majid eslamdoust / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
