Dari

Dari, also called Dari Persian or Afghan Persian, is a variety of the Persian language spoken primarily in Afghanistan. It is one of the two official languages of the country, alongside Pashto, and serves as a national lingua franca in government, media, education, and daily life. Dari is widely regarded as the Afghan standard variety of Persian and is mutually intelligible with Iranian Persian (Farsi) and Tajik Persian, though it has its own conventional vocabulary, pronunciation tendencies, and idioms shaped by Afghan usage.

Dari is spoken across Afghanistan, with particularly strong usage in Kabul and in central and northern regions. It is the language of instruction in many schools, the primary language of administration, and the common medium in radio and television. Afghan communities abroad, especially in Iran, Pakistan, and dispersed diaspora populations, also use Dari.

The language is written in the Perso-Arabic script, using the same alphabet as Iranian Persian but with local pronunciation and vocabulary preferences reflected in daily usage and education. Afghan orthographic conventions align with standard Persian spelling, while regional preferences may appear in informal writing.

Linguistically, Dari is a standard form of Persian within the Western Iranian branch of the Indo-European family. It shares core grammar and most core vocabulary with Iranian Persian and Tajik but includes Afghanisms and a distinctive lexicon influenced by contact with other languages in Afghanistan, including loanwords from Arabic and regional languages.

Dari has a rich modern and classical literary tradition in Afghanistan, contributing to national journalism, poetry, and prose. It remains central to education, media, and cultural life in the country.