عالی
'âli/ʔaː.ˈliː/
The English phrase "great" can be translated into Persian as عالی ('âli).
عالی is used to describe something that is excellent or magnificent. It can also function as an interjection to express enthusiastic agreement or to react to good news, much like saying "Great!" or "Excellent!" in English.
Meaning: very good (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, عالی is invariant, which means it does not change its form to agree with the gender or number of the noun it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ʔaː.ˈliː/ ('âli). It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Persian calligraphy, the letters in عالی are often stylized to emphasize the verticality of the 'alif', visually reinforcing the meaning of 'highness'.
- The word عالی was originally a title used for high-ranking officials and royalty in the Ottoman and Persian courts to denote 'high' or 'sublime' status.
- In certain Iranian contexts, saying عالی with a specific falling intonation can actually signal sarcasm, much like saying 'Great' in English when something goes wrong.
Examples in context
- اخیراً یک فیلم عالی دیدم.I watched a great movie recently.This sentence shows how to use عالی to describe a movie.Tatoeba #650217 by pliiganto, translation #1539591 by madhatter5
- عالی! خیلی خوب!Great!This example demonstrates using عالی as an enthusiastic interjection.Tatoeba #4878120 by abolfazl, translation #395934 by aeriph
- پس از نتایج عالی در امتحان، ماری در یک حالت وجد بود.Mary was in an exultant mood after her great exam results.This example shows عالی used to describe exam results.Tatoeba #12506612 by cojiluc, translation #4032614 by Dani6187
- این فیلم عالی بود.This movie was great.
- او یک رهبر بزرگ است.He is a great leader.
- ما واقعاً یک شب عالی داشتیم.We had a really great night.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ali and Niloufar are discussing a meal Niloufar cooked.
- علی Aliاین غذا واقعاً عالی است!in ghazā vaqe'an āli ast!This food is truly great!
- نیلوفر Niloufarخیلی خوشحالم که خوشت آمد.kheyli khoshhālam ke khoshet āmad.I'm very glad you liked it.
- علی Aliدست‌پخت تو عالی است.dast-pokhte to āli ast.Your cooking is great.
- نیلوفر Niloufarممنون عزیزم، لطف داری.mamnun azizam, lotfe dāri.Thank you dear, you are kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “great” translations and entries عالی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
