Meaning
To choose a course of action.
Cultural Background
Decisions are often preceded by 'Ta'arof' (ritual politeness). One might say 'هر چه شما تصمیم بگیرید' (Whatever you decide) to show respect to an elder or guest. In Iranian business culture, decisions are usually top-down. The 'Modir' (Manager) takes the decision after hearing others, but the final 'Tasmim' is theirs. When a decision is very difficult, some Iranians perform an 'Estekhareh' using the Quran to help them decide. Younger Iranians use social media to poll friends before 'tasmim gereftan' on things like fashion or travel.
The 'Take' Rule
Always remember you 'take' a decision in Persian. If you say 'make', people will understand but know you are a beginner.
Subjunctive Alert
When 'deciding to do' something, the second verb must be in the subjunctive (e.g., beravam, bokhoram).
Meaning
To choose a course of action.
The 'Take' Rule
Always remember you 'take' a decision in Persian. If you say 'make', people will understand but know you are a beginner.
Subjunctive Alert
When 'deciding to do' something, the second verb must be in the subjunctive (e.g., beravam, bokhoram).
Negative Form
Use 'Hanooz tasmim nagereftam' (I haven't decided yet) to politely end a conversation with a pushy salesperson.
Family First
In Iran, saying 'I need to decide with my family' is a very respected and common excuse.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'gereftan' in the past tense.
من دیروز تصمیم _______ که به کتابخانه بروم.
The sentence refers to 'yesterday' (diruz), so the past tense 'gereftam' is required.
Which of these is the correct way to say 'I haven't decided yet'?
کدام جمله درست است؟
In Persian, you 'take' (gereftan) a decision, and the negative past is 'nagereftam'.
Complete the dialogue.
سارا: برای تعطیلات کجا میری؟ علی: هنوز _________.
Ali is saying he hasn't decided yet in response to a question about his plans.
Match the sentence to the situation.
جمله: 'دولت تصمیم گرفت مالیات را کم کند.'
Decisions about taxes by the government are typical news topics.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Tasmim vs Entekhab
Practice Bank
4 exercisesمن دیروز تصمیم _______ که به کتابخانه بروم.
The sentence refers to 'yesterday' (diruz), so the past tense 'gereftam' is required.
کدام جمله درست است؟
In Persian, you 'take' (gereftan) a decision, and the negative past is 'nagereftam'.
سارا: برای تعطیلات کجا میری؟ علی: هنوز _________.
Ali is saying he hasn't decided yet in response to a question about his plans.
جمله: 'دولت تصمیم گرفت مالیات را کم کند.'
Decisions about taxes by the government are typical news topics.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNo, it is grammatically incorrect and sounds very unnatural. Always use 'gereftan'.
Tasmim is the mental act of deciding on a course of action. Entekhab is picking one item from a group of items.
You can say 'Tasmim-am ro gereftam' (I've taken my decision).
It is neutral and can be used in any context, from a street market to a palace.
Usually 'baraye' (for) or 'darbareye' (about), but often it's followed directly by a subjunctive verb.
The adjective is 'ghate' (قاطع). A decisive person is 'adam-e ghate'.
Yes, it's perfectly fine for both small and life-changing decisions.
It is the noun form meaning 'decision-making'.
Yes, it is used in Urdu, Turkish (as 'tasarım' but with different meaning), and Arabic.
Say 'Tasmim gereftan barayam sakht ast' (Deciding is hard for me).
Related Phrases
انتخاب کردن
similarTo choose/select
قصد داشتن
similarTo intend
به نتیجه رسیدن
builds onTo reach a conclusion
اراده کردن
specialized formTo will/resolve
