Politeness with شُما

01

The Two Words

⁧⁧تُو⁩⁩ (totot) is for family, close friends, children and animals. ⁧⁧شُما⁩⁩ (šomâshomâšma) is for everybody else - strangers, colleagues, anyone older, anyone in a position of respect. It is also the plain plural "you".

02

It Takes Plural Verbs

Addressing one person as ⁧⁧شُما⁩⁩ (šomâshomâšma) does not make the verb singular. Everything agrees in the plural.

• ⁧شُما مَریض هَستید.⁩

  šomâ mariḍ hastidshomâ mariz hastidšma mryḍ hstyd

  You are ill.

• ⁧چِه اِحساسی دارید؟⁩

  če eḥsâsi dâridche ehsâsi dâridč aḥsasy daryd

  How do you feel?

• ⁧شُما خُوشحال هَستید.⁩

  šomâ xošḥâl hastidshomâ khoshhâl hastidšma xšḥal hstyd

  You are happy.

• ⁧شُما اَلان چِه کار می‌کُنید؟⁩

  šomâ alân če kâr mi-konidshomâ alân che kâr mi-konidšma alan č kar my-knyd

  What are you doing now?

Compare the same thing said to a friend:

• ⁧تُو مَریض هَستی.⁩

  to mariḍ hastito mariz hastit mryḍ hsty

  You are ill.

• ⁧حالَت چِطُور اَست؟⁩

  ḥâlat čeṭor asthâlat chetor astḥalt čṭr ast

  How are you?

03

The Endings Follow Too

The possessive ending changes with it - ⁧ـِتان⁩ (-etân) rather than ⁧ـَت⁩ (-at).

• ⁧حالِتان چِطُور اَست؟⁩

  ḥâletân čeṭor asthâletân chetor astḥaltan čṭr ast

  How are you?

• ⁧کیف‌هایِتان را بیاوَرید.⁩

  kif-hâyetân râ biyâvaridkif-hâyetân râ biyâvaridkyf-haytan ra byyavryd

  Bring your bags.

• ⁧اَز غَذایِتان لِذَّت بِبَرید.⁩

  az ġaḏâyetân leḏḏat bebaridaz ghazâyetân lezzat bebaridaz ġḏaytan lḏḏt bbryd

  Enjoy your meal.

04

And the Imperative

A polite command takes the plural ending.

• ⁧لُطفاً بِنِشینید.⁩

  loṭfan benešinidlotfan beneshinidlṭfn bnšynyd

  Please sit down.

• ⁧بیایید داخِل.⁩

  biyâyid dâxelbiyâyid dâkhelbyyayyd daxl

  Come inside.

05

Getting It Wrong

Using ⁧⁧تُو⁩⁩ (totot) with someone who expects ⁧⁧شُما⁩⁩ (šomâshomâšma) is not a small stumble - it reads as presumptuous or dismissive, particularly with anyone older. The safe course is to use ⁧⁧شُما⁩⁩ (šomâshomâšma) with any adult you have not been invited to address otherwise, and to follow the other person's lead.