Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| خوشحال | xošhâl | /xʷaʃ.ˈhaːl/ (Classical Persian) |
| شاد | šâd | /ˈʃaːd/ (Classical Persian) |
| خوش | xoš | /ˈxʷaʃ/ (Classical Persian) |
| خرم | xorram | /xur.ˈram/ (Classical Persian) |
The primary way to express being happy is through the adjective خوشحال, which describes a person's temporary emotional state. Other forms exist for different nuances: شاد conveys a more exuberant or poetic sense of joy, while خوش is used as a prefix or adjective meaning 'good' or 'pleasant' in specific expressions.
What does it mean word for word?
The word خوشحال is a compound consisting of خوش, meaning pleasant or good and حال, meaning state, condition or mood.
Which one should you use?
خوشحال is the most common way to describe a temporary emotional state of being happy. In contrast, شاد is often used for a more poetic or exuberant sense of joy. While خوش can mean 'happy' in certain fixed expressions, it primarily functions as a prefix or adjective meaning 'good' or 'pleasant', such as in the term for 'good-colored'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term خرم is a literary or formal way to say happy or joyful and is rarely used in everyday spoken Persian.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'I am happy' in Persian, you use the adjective with the suffix -am to form خوشحالم.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /xʷaʃ.ˈhaːl/ (xošhâl). It has two syllables, and the stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- The word خوش may be a distant relative of the English word 'sweet' through a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'taste'.
- The formal term خرم has been used in its current sense for over a thousand years, surviving from the Middle Persian period.
Examples in context
- من تو را خوشبخت می کنم.I'll make you happy.This sentence shows how to use the form خوش to express making someone happy.Tatoeba #4714898 by mahdiye, translation #237692 by CK
- داستان یک پایان خوش داشت.The story had a happy ending.This sentence uses the form خوش to describe a happy ending.Tatoeba #8133694 by cojiluc, translation #43293 by CK
- من خوشحالم که به دنیا آمدم.I'm happy that I was born.This sentence uses the form خوش to express being happy about a situation.Tatoeba #7496040 by cojiluc, translation #2721764 by Hybrid
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maryam and Mohammad are talking about a recent promotion.
- مریم Maryamمن خیلی خوشحال هستم، محمد!Man kheyli khoshhal hastam, Mohammad!I am very happy, Mohammad!
- محمد Mohammadتبریک می‌گویم! تو لیاقتش را داشتی.Tabrik miguyam! To liyaghatash ra dashti.Congratulations! You deserved it.
- مریم Maryamممنونم، واقعاً خوشحال شدم.Mamnoonam, vaghean khoshhal shodam.Thank you, I really became happy.
- محمد Mohammadمن هم برای تو خوشحالم، مریم.Man ham baraye to khoshhal am, Maryam.I am happy for you too, Maryam.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy” translations and entries خوشحال, شاد, خوش, خرم, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries خرم, خوش, خوشحال, شاد, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
