خْوَانْدَن
xwāndan
The English verb "read" is translated into Persian as خْوَانْدَن (xwāndan). Wiktionary also lists خوَانْدَن (xāndan) and خوانْدَن (xândan).
Meaning: to look at and interpret letters or other information (verb)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| خْوَانْدَن | xwāndan | |
| خوَانْدَن | xāndan | |
| خوانْدَن | xândan | |
| خونْدَن | xundan | Tehrani, colloquial |
The verb means to look at and interpret letters or other information. The related noun خواننده can mean either 'reader' or 'singer' depending on the context.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal Persian, خواندن is the most common term for "read". In informal situations, خوندن is the most commonly used term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form خوندن is the Tehrani colloquial pronunciation of the infinitive خواندن.
How does it change in a sentence?
For the first-person singular, the past tense (I read / I have read) is خواندم and the present continuous/habitual form (I read / I am reading) is می‌خوانم. The third-person singular subjunctive form (that he/she reads) is بخواند.
How do you pronounce it?
xwāndan
Did you know?
- The verb خواندن can also mean 'to call' or 'to summon' someone. For example, it is used when a doctor 'calls' a patient into the room.
- In Persian, the word خواندن is used for both reading a book and singing a song. This is why the word خواننده refers to a 'singer' more often than a 'reader' in everyday conversation.
- The root of خواندن is shared with words related to 'voice' and 'sound', reflecting an ancient linguistic link between reading and speaking aloud.
Examples in context
- متن را با دقت خواندم.I read the text carefully.
- من روزانه یک ساعت مطالعه می‌کنم.I read for an hour daily.
- مشغول خواندن کتابی درباره تاریخ هستم.I am busy reading a book about history.
- تو می‌توانی رمان را در بیست و یک روز بخوانی!You can read the novel in twenty-one days!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “read” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
