Dari vs Arabic: While Dari is written with the Persian script, a variation of the Arabic script, do not make the mistake of thinking the two languages are similar.  They are very different, though Dari does have a lot of Arabic loan words due to proximity, conquest, and Islamic influence.

Word Order: Dari has a subject-object-verb (SOV) structure. Instead of saying “I kick the ball” like in English, Dari would say “I the ball kick.” 

Sounds: Dari does not differentiate between the letters "v" and "w," often using the same letter "و" for both sounds, depending on context. This can present challenges for Dari speakers learning to pronounce certain English words.

Religion: Most speakers of Dari are Muslim, though some are Zoroastrian.

Islamic holidays:

• • Eid al-Adha - Muslim Festival of Sacrifice - commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son.  Marks the end of the annual Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)

  • Ramadan - name of the ninth month in the Islamic calendar.  Muslims fast between dawn (fajr) and sunset (maghrib).  It is a time of worship and contemplation.

Eid al-Fitr - Feast of the Breaking of the Fast - marks the end of Ramadan.