Farsi classes · Los Angeles · Since 2006
Farsi Classes in Los Angeles. Salam.
Private lessons with native-speaking instructors. Matched to your goals, your schedule, and your life. Start any time.
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Why Farsi?
Four reasons to take Farsi classes
Read Rumi and Hafez in the Original
Rumi is the best-selling poet in America — but English translations lose the meter, rhyme, and mystical wordplay. Farsi unlocks the real thing.
Speak Across Iran, Afghanistan & Tajikistan
Farsi (and its variants Dari and Tajik) is spoken by over 110 million people across Central and Western Asia. One language, three countries, countless dialects.
Understand a Pivotal Geopolitical Region
Iran has been at the center of world events for decades. Farsi literacy gives analysts, journalists, and diplomats an irreplaceable primary-source advantage.
Easier Than You Think
Farsi has no grammatical gender, no noun cases, and a largely phonetic script. Its grammar is simpler than most European languages, making it surprisingly approachable.
Since 2006
Farsi in Los Angeles
Farsi — also called Persian — is spoken by 110 million people across Iran, Afghanistan (where it’s called Dari), and Tajikistan (where it’s called Tajik). Despite being written in a modified Arabic script, Farsi is not related to Arabic. It’s Indo-European, which means it shares deep structural roots with English, French, and Hindi. Farsi grammar is surprisingly approachable: no grammatical gender, no noun cases, and a verb system that, while detailed, follows clear patterns. The language has one of the oldest literary traditions in the world — Rumi, Hafez, and Ferdowsi all wrote in Farsi, and their poetry is still quoted in everyday conversation.
Westwood’s “Tehrangeles” corridor is the symbolic heart of LA’s Iranian community — the largest outside of Iran. Persian businesses, restaurants, and cultural institutions line Westwood Boulevard south of Wilshire. Beverly Hills has a significant Iranian-American population and has even had Iranian-American mayors. Encino and Tarzana in the Valley round out the geography. For many families, Farsi is the language spoken at home but slipping away with the younger generation. Heritage speakers make up a large share of our students, alongside professionals building ties with Iran and its diaspora and students drawn in by Persian literature and culture.
Strommen has offered Farsi tutoring in Los Angeles since 2014. Our tutors are native Persian speakers who teach through conversation, building your fluency in the way people actually speak — not the formal, stiff register of classroom textbooks. Whether you’re reconnecting with family, preparing for travel, reading Hafez in the original, or working with Farsi-speaking clients, we design lessons around your goals. One-on-one sessions are available online or in person.
No public Farsi group classes right now — but we can set up a semi-private class for your family, friends, or company with as few as two people. Get in touch.
Farsi class FAQ
What is the best way to learn Farsi?
Regular conversation with a native speaker is the fastest path. Farsi grammar is straightforward enough that you can start forming sentences early, and a tutor helps you build the spoken fluency that matters most in real interactions. Learning the Persian script is important but secondary — many students start with transliteration and add the script once their spoken Farsi has some momentum. A native tutor also teaches you ta'arof, the elaborate politeness system that governs Persian social interaction and that no textbook covers well.
How long does it take to learn Farsi?
The State Department classifies Farsi as Category III, estimating about 1,100 class hours for professional proficiency. But Farsi is on the easier end of that category — the grammar is simpler than Arabic or Hebrew, and a surprising number of words are borrowed from French and English. Heritage speakers who understand spoken Farsi usually make fast progress in reading and formal speaking within 3-6 months.
Is Farsi hard for English speakers?
Less than you'd expect. Farsi is Indo-European, so the sentence structure feels more natural than Arabic or Chinese. There's no grammatical gender, no noun cases, and verbs are regular. The main hurdle is the script — Persian uses a modified Arabic alphabet that reads right to left and connects letters differently depending on position. Pronunciation is generally manageable, though there are a few guttural sounds that take practice.
Can I take Farsi classes online?
Yes. All of our Farsi lessons are available online via video call. This is especially popular with heritage speakers and professionals who want consistent weekly sessions without commuting. Screen sharing is useful for script practice and reading exercises. You work with the same native-speaking tutor each time, with lessons built around your specific needs.
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Since 2006 · Los Angeles
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