What somebody identifies as has been all the rage in recent years, but like nearly everything—ever!—Iranians did it first. Since 1935, when Iran ceased to officially be Persia, Iranians have been choosing to refer to themselves as Persians. Throughout the following years, the reasons have changed for why one identifies as Iranian or Persian, and it’s exactly this that we wanted to explore. To help you understand more about this matter, we invited two girls that identify as Persian. In fact, they doubly identify as Persian, going as far as using it to identify their podcast. Yup, once again we had the pleasure of Persian Girl Podcast join us to discuss when to say your Persian, what it means to say you’re Persian, and whether one is more correct than the other. So listen to this episode to find out, “Persians vs. Iranians… who wins?”
Questions we also get answers to in this episode
- Are Iranians Persians, or Persians Iranians?
- Which is the correct term for the language: Persian or Farsi?
- Do Iranians/Persians have a dedicated dating app? Yes, Sheytoon
- Why did Persian Girl Podcast choose the name Persian Girl Podcast?
- Where can I listen to the previous episode with Ask An Iranian and Persian Girl Podcast? “What should I know before dating a Persian girl?”
Follow Persian Girl Podcast online
Firstly, make sure to listen and subscribe to the Persian Girl Podcast on Spotify. Secondly, the girls also regularly post entertaining content across various social media platforms — we highly recommend you follow Persian Girl Podcast on Instagram. Lastly, if you, like us, are a fan of their content, be sure to show your support, by going to their Patreon page. Oh, oh! Finally-finally, be sure to get some of the Persian Girl Podcast merchandise… before you can’t!
Translations of Persian (Farsi) words used during the episode
| Persian | English translation |
|---|---|
| Bah bah: | An expression of pleasure, use by Iranians |
| Masha’allah: | “What God has willed” – a term used by Muslims |
| Khar: | “Donkey” |
Image credit: Picture of Cyrus the Great (contact us for information or credit), edited by Ask An Iranian
Dara
Out of curiosity, what’s the word you kept censoring during the segment talking about maps of the middle east?
theiranianresponder
Hi Dara, thank you for getting in touch. It’s a certain location that is not recognised by the location we record from. Forgive us for avoid mentioning it and even explaining it, but, you know, it’s a sensitive matter.