کمی
kami/ka.ˈmeː/
The Persian phrase for "a little" is کمی (kami). Wiktionary also lists یک کم (yek kam) and یک کمی (yek kami).
Meaning: to a small extent or degree (adv)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| کمی | kami | /ka.ˈmeː/ (Classical Persian) | |
| یک کم | yek kam | /ˈjak ˈkam/ (Classical Persian, word by word) | |
| یک کمی | yek kami | /ˈjak ka.ˈmiː/ (Classical Persian, word by word) | |
| یه کمی | ye kami | /ˈja ka.ˈmiː/ (Classical Persian, word by word) | colloquial |
The phrase is used as an adverb to indicate a small extent or degree.
What does it mean word for word?
کمی is composed of کم (kam), meaning "little" or "less" and the suffix ی (-i), which turns the adjective into an adverb or a noun meaning "a little" or "a small amount".
Which one should you use?
While کمی is a standard adverb, یک کم is often used more frequently in casual, everyday speech to mean "a bit". The form یه کمی is the spoken, colloquial version of the more formal یک کمی.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
کمی is a formal way to say "a little". The form یه کمی is specifically colloquial, while یک کمی is more formal than its colloquial counterpart.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ka.ˈmeː/ (kami). It has two syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In Persian, the concept of 'a little' can be used as a social lubricant to soften a request or a refusal to avoid being too blunt.
- The word یک in یک کم shares a common prehistoric ancestor with the English word 'one' and the Latin 'unus'.
Examples in context
- کمی شیر اضافه کن.Add a little milk.This example shows how to use کمی when adding a small amount of something.Tatoeba #823718 by mahdiye, translation #19454 by CK
- سامی کمی استراحت کرد.Sami took a little break.This example uses کمی to describe taking a small amount of rest.Tatoeba #10250203 by Amirreza_Farid, translation #7199205 by OsoHombre
- او کمی کند است، وگرنه شاگرد خوبی است.He is a little slow, but otherwise he is a good student.This example uses کمی to describe a person's degree of slowness.Tatoeba #654672 by mahdiye, translation #45542 by voxbubnya
- من می‌توانم تا حدّی فارسی صحبت کنم.I can speak a little Persian.
- میشه موسیقی رو یه کم کمتر کنی، لطفا؟Could you turn down the music a little, please?
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mohammad and Maryam are discussing the taste of a soup.
- محمد Mohammadاین سوپ چطور است، مریم؟In sup chetor ast, Maryam?How is this soup, Maryam?
- مریم Maryamخوب است، اما کمی نمک می‌خواهد.Khub ast, ama kami namak mikhahad.It is good, but it needs a little salt.
- محمد Mohammadباشه، الان کمی نمک می‌ریزم.Bashe, alan kami namak mirizam.Okay, I will pour a little salt now.
- مریم Maryamممنون، حالا عالی شد.Mamnun, hala ali shod.Thanks, now it's great.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “a little” translations and entries کمی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (یک, کم, کمی, یه) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries کم, کمی, یک, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
