Meaning
To express disagreement or a differing opinion politely.
Cultural Background
Directly saying 'No' can be seen as harsh. Iranians often use 'soft' negations like this phrase to keep the 'door open' for further discussion. In the capital, using the full phrase with 'Man' is a sign of being 'Ba-kelās' (high class/sophisticated). In meetings, silence followed by 'Man intowr fekr nemikonam' is a strong signal that a proposal will not be accepted. Scholars might replace 'fekr' with 'andisheh' or 'tasavvor' to sound more intellectual.
Softening the Blow
Always add 'Bebakhshid' (Excuse me) or 'Ba ehteram' (With respect) before this phrase in formal settings.
Don't drop the 'ne-'
If you say 'Fekr mikonam', you are agreeing! The 'ne' is tiny but changes everything.
Meaning
To express disagreement or a differing opinion politely.
Softening the Blow
Always add 'Bebakhshid' (Excuse me) or 'Ba ehteram' (With respect) before this phrase in formal settings.
Don't drop the 'ne-'
If you say 'Fekr mikonam', you are agreeing! The 'ne' is tiny but changes everything.
The 'Intowr' trick
Using 'intowr' makes you sound much more like a native than just saying 'Fekr nemikonam'.
Body Language
A slight tilt of the head while saying this makes it even more polite.
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb.
من اینطور فکر ______ (I don't think so).
The phrase requires the negated present continuous form 'nemikonam'.
Which response is the most polite way to disagree in a meeting?
Manager: 'We should cancel the project.'
Adding 'bebakhshid' and using 'man intowr fekr nemikonam' is the standard polite disagreement.
Complete the dialogue.
A: آیا فردا باران میبارد؟ B: ______، هوا صاف است.
Since the weather is clear (sāf), the speaker doesn't think it will rain.
Match the phrase to the register.
1. بنده اینطور فکر نمیکنم. 2. فکر نکنم. 3. نه بابا!
'Bande' is formal, 'Fekr nakonam' is informal, and 'Na baba' is slang.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesمن اینطور فکر ______ (I don't think so).
The phrase requires the negated present continuous form 'nemikonam'.
Manager: 'We should cancel the project.'
Adding 'bebakhshid' and using 'man intowr fekr nemikonam' is the standard polite disagreement.
A: آیا فردا باران میبارد؟ B: ______، هوا صاف است.
Since the weather is clear (sāf), the speaker doesn't think it will rain.
1. بنده اینطور فکر نمیکنم. 2. فکر نکنم. 3. نه بابا!
'Bande' is formal, 'Fekr nakonam' is informal, and 'Na baba' is slang.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questionsYes, it is perfectly polite. Just ensure your tone is respectful.
Yes, but only with friends. 'Injoori' is the spoken/informal version.
'Goman' is more formal and literary. You'll see it in books more than hear it at a cafe.
No, it means 'I don't share that opinion'. It's much less aggressive than 'I don't believe you'.
Use 'Man intowr fekr nemikardam'.
Related Phrases
مخالفم
synonymI disagree
فکر نکنم
similarI don't think [so]
اشتباه میکنی
contrastYou are wrong
به نظرم
builds onIn my opinion
بعید میدانم
specialized formI find it unlikely
