خوب
xūb/ˈxuːb/
The English word "good" is translated into Persian as خوب (xūb).
The adjective خوب is used to describe something that is pleasant or enjoyable. It can function as an attributive adjective, such as in "a good man" or as a predicate, such as in "He is good".
Meaning: pleasant, enjoyable (adj)
Which one should you use?
While خوب means "good" in terms of quality or pleasantness, it is distinct from عالی (āli), which means "excellent" or "great".
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective خوب is invariant. It does not change its form to agree with the gender or number of the noun it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is xūb and the IPA is /ˈxuːb/.
Did you know?
- The word خوب is an ancient relative of the English word 'good', both tracing back to the same Proto-Indo-European roots for 'good' and 'work'.
- In Iranian social etiquette, the word خوب is often used in a ritualized exchange called تعارف, where a person may repeatedly deny a compliment or gift to be polite.
- Depending on the intonation, saying خوب with a rising tone can turn the statement into a question meaning 'really?' or 'is that so?'
Examples in context
- تام آدم خوبی بود.Tom was a good person.This sentence is useful for describing a person using the form خوب.Tatoeba #6171342 by Blug, translation #9190623 by CK
- شما آشپز خوبی هستید.You are a good cook.Tatoeba #7963245 by cojiluc, translation #325767 by CK
- روز خوبی داشته باشید.Have a good day.This sentence is useful for wishing someone a pleasant day using the form خوب.Tatoeba #6941897 by cojiluc, translation #3326719 by CK
- حالت خوبه؟Are you feeling good?
- پروژه‌ی تو خیلی خوب بود.Your project was very good.
- فیلم خیلی خوبی بود!The movie was really good!
- عمل شما خیلی خوب بود.Your performance was excellent.
- 85 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Niloofar and Mohammad are discussing a movie they just watched.
- نیلوفر Niloufarفیلم خیلی خوب بود.film kheyli khoub bud.The movie was very good.
- محمد Mohammadبله، داستانش خوب بود.bale, dastanash khoub bud.Yes, the story was good.
- نیلوفر Niloufarبازیگرها هم خوب بودند.bazigharha ham khoub budand.The actors were good too.
- محمد Mohammadواقعاً یک فیلم خوب بود.vaqe'an yek film khoub bud.It really was a good movie.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry خوب, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries خوب, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
