Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation
Education & Explainer
About
Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation teaches you conversational Persian in a fun and casual manner in weekly lessons of about 15-20 minutes each. Check out our website chaiandconversation.com for more information.
Episodes
- Growing Up Irooni: Hamid Rahmanian on Building Persian Culture, One Story at a Time
Hamid Rahmanian discusses his childhood in Tehran, his artistic journey including work with the Shahnameh, and his views on the importance of cultural participation.
- Growing Up Irooni: Danesh Nosirvan on Speaking Up When Our Parents Couldn't
Danesh Nosirvan shares his experience immigrating to the U.S. after the Iranian revolution, growing up as an Iranian child in California, and observing his immigrant parents face mistreatment. This fuels his current work holding perpetrato…
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, The Story of Zahhak, Part 4
In the fourth installment of the Tale of Zahhak, Leyla and Dr. Sahba Shayani introduce Fereydoon. The episode covers Fereydoon's eventual defeat of Zahhak and his subsequent rule over Iran, noting Zahhak's failed attempts to prevent his ow…
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, The Story of Zahhak, Part 3
This lesson covers King Zahhak's evil reign and the beginning of his downfall, as discussed by Leyla and Dr. Sahba Shayani in the context of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh.
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, The Story of Zahhak, Part 2
This episode continues the discussion of the Tale of Zahhak from Ferdowsi
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, The Story of Zahhak, Part 1
This episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation begins the discussion of the Tale of Zahhak from Ferdowsi
- Poetry | Hafez's yoosofé gom gashté, Part 6
This episode concludes the discussion of Hafez's poem yoosofé gom gashté, covering the last four lines, vocabulary, and Hafez's message of encouragement.
- Poetry | Hafez's yoosofé gom gashté, Part 5
This episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation covers vocabulary and phrases from Part 5 of Hafez's poem, yoosofé gom gashté. Hafez offers the reader encouragement and inspiration for overcoming difficulties.
- Poetry | Hafez's yoosofé gom gashté, Part 4
This episode covers words and phrases from lines 5-8 of Hafez's poem yoosofé gom gashté. The speaker discusses Hafez's message of reassurance regarding uncontrollable forces.
- Poetry | Hafez's yoosofé gom gashté, Part 3
This episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation reviews the next four lines of Hafez's poem yoosofé gom gashté. The discussion focuses on individual words and phrases that broadly relate to the nature of the heavens and earth.
- Poetry | Hafez's yoosofé gom gashté, Part 2
This episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation focuses on the vocabulary and phrases found in the initial four lines of Hafez's poem, yoosofé gom gashté, continuing a lesson on the work.
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, On the Creation of the World, Part 6
This episode concludes the discussion on "On the Creation of the World" from Ferdowsi
- Poetry | Hafez's yoosofé gom gashté, Introduction with Sahba Shayani
Professor Sahba Shayani joins 'Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation' to introduce Hafez's poem 'Yoosofe Gom Gashte', exploring its overarching themes and meaning.
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, On the Creation of the World, Part 5
This episode discusses Part 5 of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, focusing on the creation of the world. It covers the origins of plants and animals, and begins the explanation of human origins.
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, On the Creation of the World, Part 4
This episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation, featuring Dr. Omid Arabian, covers the fourth part of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh's section on the creation of the world, detailing the origins of plants and animals.
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, On the Creation of the World, Part 3
This episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation features Dr. Omid Arabian discussing the third part of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, specifically focusing on the formation of the Earth.
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, On the Creation of the World, Part 2
In this episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation, Dr. Omid Arabian discusses the section "On the Creation of the World" from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, focusing on the origins of the universe as depicted in the epic poem.
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, On the Creation of the World, Part 1
In this episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation, Dr. Omid Arabian joins the discussion on Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, specifically the section "On the Creation of the World." The conversation starts by examining the very first two li…
- Speak Lesson 70 | Thanking a Shopowner
This Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation episode focuses on expressions for thanking a shopowner, particularly useful when visiting a jewelry store or arranging items in advance.
- Interview | Growing Up Irooni - Nilo Tabrizy on the Cost of Telling Iran’s Story
Journalist Nilo Tabrizy discusses her book "For the Sun After Long Nights" and the emotional toll of reporting on Iran from abroad. The episode covers forensic journalism, the Iranian diaspora, and the significance of women's defiance in I…
- Speak Lesson 69 | Giving Thanks
Speak Lesson 69 of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation covers tārof-related expressions for thanking people, particularly in social settings like parties.
- Speak Lesson 68 | Talking with a Neighbor
Speak Lesson 68 of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation introduces tārof expressions for neighborly conversations and phrases related to gardening.
- Speak Lesson 67 | How to Talk About School
Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation's Speak Lesson 67 focuses on vocabulary and phrases for discussing school.
- Speak Lesson 66 | Tārof When Welcoming Guests
This episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation, titled 'Speak Lesson 66 | Tārof When Welcoming Guests,' delves into examples of tārof applicable to hosting guests.
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, Part 5
This episode concludes the Story of Zal from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. Zal and Sam return to Zabulistan, where Zal receives a hero's welcome.
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, Part 4
This episode continues the discussion of Ferdowsi
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, Part 3
Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation continues its discussion of Ferdowsi
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, Part 2
This episode continues the discussion of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh with Dr. Sahba Shayani, focusing on the second part of the Story of Zal. It covers the moment when Simorgh discovers the abandoned baby.
- Culture | Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, Part 1
This episode begins a discussion of Ferdowsi
- Interview | From Oklahoma to Shahnameh: Daniel Nayeri, Author of Everything Sad is Untrue on Memory, Myth and Belonging
Daniel Nayeri, author of Everything Sad is Untrue, shares his experiences as an Iranian refugee in Oklahoma, discussing memory, generational trauma, and inherited stories. The conversation touches on Persian storytelling traditions, the wr…
- Poetry | Nizami Ganjavi's sokhanee chand dar eshgh, Part 6
This episode concludes the discussion of Nizami Ganjavi's 'sokhanee chand dar eshgh'. It covers the remaining lines, explaining the concept of love transcending earthly existence and applying to the entire universe.
- Poetry | Nizami Ganjavi's sokhanee chand dar eshgh, Part 5
Part 5 of the series on Nizami Ganjavi's 'Sokhanee Chand Dar Eshgh' focuses on two lines that describe the life-giving nature of love.
- Speak Lesson 65 | Tārof at a Gallery
Speak Lesson 65 focuses on tārof, teaching examples appropriate for elders and demonstrating their use in a conversation set at an art gallery.
- Interview | Growing Up Irooni – Tara Grammy, An Iranian Take on Identity, Comedy, and Being All Up in Your Business
Tara Grammy, an Iranian Canadian actor and creator, speaks with Leyla about her experiences growing up as an Iranian in the diaspora, the creation of her comedy series "Soosi Lee," and navigating identity, acting, motherhood, and cultural…
- Poetry | Nizami Ganjavi's sokhanee chand dar eshgh, Part 4
This episode, the fourth in a series, delves into two specific lines from Nizami Ganjavi's 'sokhanee chand dar eshgh,' examining their meaning regarding the indispensability of love.
- Speak Lesson 64 | Meeting New People
Speak Lesson 64 from Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation covers new expressions for meeting people and introduces a tārof-related phrase.
- Poetry | Nizami Ganjavi's sokhanee chand dar eshgh, Part 3
This episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation delves into Nizami Ganjavi's "sokhanee chand dar eshgh," analyzing two lines and exploring the significance of love in human experience.
- Speak Lesson 63 | Meeting Up with Friends
Speak Lesson 63 of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation focuses on expressions for conversing with friends and acquaintances, especially those not seen for an extended period.
- Poetry | Nizami Ganjavi's sokhanee chand dar eshgh, Part 2
This is the second part of a discussion on Nizami Ganjavi
- Speak Lesson 62 | Getting Attention
Speak Lesson 62 covers methods for getting someone's attention and the appropriate way to return a lost item.
- Poetry | Nizami Ganjavi's sokhanee chand dar eshgh, Introduction with Dr. Sahba Shayani
This episode introduces Nizami Ganjavi, a significant 12th-century poet from the cultures of Iran, Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. Dr. Sahba Shayani joins to discuss Ganjavi's excerpt "A Few Words on Love" from the Roma…
- Speak Lesson 61 | Meeting on the Street
This lesson focuses on practical Persian phrases for meeting people on the street and describing daily activities. It also includes information about Vijay's mixtape and YouTube playlist.
- Culture | Attar's Parable of the Moths, Part 4
This episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation concludes Attar's Parable of the Moths. Omid Arabian joins to analyze the final lines, discussing language, imagery, and deeper meanings related to love and transformation.
- Culture | Attar's Parable of the Moths, Part 3
This episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation features Omid Arabian discussing the third part of Attar's Parable of the Moths. The discussion covers the poem's language, imagery, and deeper meanings.
- Interview | Growing Up Irooni – Yassamin Ansari, Congresswoman from Arizona, on Politics, Protest, and Persian Identity
Representative Yassamin Ansari, the youngest member of Congress and the first Iranian-American Democrat elected, shares her experiences growing up Persian in Arizona and her path into public service. The discussion covers her family
- Interview | Money, Iranian-American Identity, and Romance: Chelsea Fagan on Building a Business and Writing a Political Love Story
Chelsea Fagan, founder of The Financial Diet and author of High Dive, talks with Leyla about her romance novel featuring a Persian American love interest, navigating immigrant identity, and the challenges of creating joyful work during dif…
- Culture | Attar's Parable of the Moths, Part 2
This episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation continues with Part 2 of Attar's Parable of the Moths, featuring Omid Arabian. The discussion focuses on the poem's language, imagery, and deeper meanings, suitable for intermediate…
- Culture | Attar's Parable of the Moths, Part 1
This episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation begins a new series on Attar
- Interview | Comedian Neema Naz on Iranian Parents, Comedic Hustle, and Finding His Voice
Comedian Neema Naz discusses his journey from family gatherings to international stages, the influence of his Iranian identity on his humor, and the integral role his family plays in his comedic brand. He also touches on navigating communi…
- Interview | Gissou Nia, Human Rights Lawyer, on Justice, Diaspora Identity, and the Power of Speaking Up
Leyla talks with human rights lawyer Gissou Nia about her experiences as an Iranian-American, her legal work on international human rights cases, and the significance of diaspora activism and the courage to speak out.