What does it mean word for word?
The word می‌خواهم is composed of the prefix می (mi-) which indicates the continuous aspect, the stem خواه (khāh) meaning "to want/wish" and the suffix ـم (-am) meaning "I".
Which one should you use?
While می‌خواهم is the standard form, you will often encounter میخوام or میخوام in speech and messaging. میخوام is a shortened version where the final vowel is shortened, and میخوام is an informal variation used frequently in spoken language and text messages.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
می‌خواهم is the standard and most common form. In everyday conversations and spoken Persian, the colloquial form میخوام is typically used. The variation میخوام is also considered informal.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to express that you want someone else to do something, می‌خواهم is often followed by the conjunction که (ke) before the subordinate clause.
How do you pronounce it?
mik͟hāham
Did you know?
- In polite Persian social etiquette called ta'arof, people often say they do not want something even when they do, and may refuse an offer several times before accepting.
- In Persian, the verb خواستن can also mean 'to demand' or 'to insist', which can make a simple 'I want' sound much more aggressive than in English.
- If you want to sound incredibly polite or poetic, you can replace 'I want' with the phrase آرزو دارم ('I have a wish'), which shifts the tone from a demand to a dream.
Examples in context
- می‌خواهم او را ببینی.I want you to see her.This is useful for seeing how to express a desire for someone else to perform an action using می‌خواهم.Tatoeba #9955917 by Fateme, translation #257087 by CK
- من می‌خواهم نقدی بپدازم.I want to pay in cash.This shows how to express a desire to pay with a specific method using می‌خواهم.Tatoeba #11129806 by sinakd, translation #6272577 by CK
- می‌خواهم فارسی یاد بگیرم.I want to learn Persian.This demonstrates how to express a desire to learn a language using می‌خواهم.Tatoeba #3808557 by kuarash, translation #3808556 by senryakun
- می‌خواهم یک فنجان چای بخورم.I want to drink a cup of tea.
- من می‌خواهم کتابی بخرم.I want to buy a book.
- میخوام بریم سینما.I want to go to the cinema.
- میخام یک بستنی بخورم.I want to eat an ice cream.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maryam and Reza are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- مریم Maryamمن می‌خواهم پیتزا بخورم.Man mikhāham piza bokhoram.I want to eat pizza.
- رضا Rezaمن هم همین را می‌خواهم.Man ham hamin rā mikhāham.I want the same thing.
- مریم Maryamمی‌خواهم یک نوشابه هم سفارش دهم.Mikhāham yek nushābe ham sefāresh daham.I want to order a soda too.
- رضا Rezaبسیار خب، پس سفارش می‌دهم.Besyār khob, pas sefāresh midaham.Alright, then I will order.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
