Ways to say it
| Dari | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| بله | bale | [bǽ.le] (Iran, formal, narrow) | |
| آری | ārē | /ˈaː.reː/ (Classical Persian) | |
| بَلی | balē | ||
| آه | āh | /ˈʔaːh/ (Classical Persian) | colloquial |
| آره | âre | [ʔɒː.ɹé] (Iran, formal, narrow) |
The words used to express agreement or acceptance in Dari range from highly formal or literary versions to very informal interjections.
Which one should you use?
The form بله is the standard way to say yes, whereas آری is a more literary or archaic form often seen in formal writing or classical contexts. For everyday speech, آره is a common informal or colloquial version. The form آه is a very informal, interjection-like way to express agreement, similar to saying 'uh-huh' in English.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
بله is the standard and more formal way to say yes. In contrast, آره is an informal version used in everyday speech, often among friends and peers. The form آه is highly colloquial and informal. Finally, آری is a formal, literary or archaic form.
How does it change in a sentence?
آری is a literary or archaic form of yes used in formal writing or classical contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization for بله is bale.
Did you know?
- The literary word آری may have evolved from the Old Persian phrase adi-var, which literally meant 'in truth' or 'indeed'.
- The word بله can be used as a polite filler to show you are listening, even if you are not explicitly agreeing to a proposal.
- Using the archaic آری in a modern coffee shop would make you sound more like a poet from a classical epic than a local speaker.
Examples in context
- بله، من یک ایده ی خوب دارم.Yes, I have a good idea.This sentence shows how to use بله to express agreement when sharing an idea.Tatoeba #1020241 by mahdiye, translation #433804 by CK
- بله، من هم کرد هستم.Yes, I'm also Kurdish.This sentence uses بله to confirm an identity.Tatoeba #13611722 by Adelpa, translation #10780754 by ajje
- بله، اتفاق افتاد اما نه در امسال.Yes, it did happen, but not in this year.This sentence demonstrates the use of بله when confirming an event occurred.Tatoeba #1766000 by AsliAbbasi, translation #1435883 by caspian
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Husain and Sara are talking about dinner.
- حسین Husseinسارا، آیا شما گشنه هستید؟Sara, aya shuma gushna hastid?Sara, are you hungry?
- سارا Saraبله، من خیلی گشنه هستم.Bale, man khili gushna hastam.Yes, I am very hungry.
- حسین Husseinمی‌خواهید نان بخوریم؟Mikhwahid nan bukhorim?Do you want to eat bread?
- سارا Saraبله، این خوب است.Bale, in khub ast.Yes, that is good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yes” translations and entries بله, آری, آه, آره, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries آری, آه, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
