1Dari is a term for the standard variety of the Persian language that is spoken in Afghanistan. In 1964, the Afghan government officially named the language Dari (literally ‘language of the court’) to differentiate it from the Persian varieties spoken in Tajikistan and Iran. In addition to Pashto, Dari Persian is an official language in Afghanistan and the lingua franca of various ethnic groups. It is also the language that is used by the Persian-language media in Afghanistan. In general, there are only a few differences between the dialect of Dari that is spoken in Western Afghanistan and the Persian dialects, particularly in terms of the stress and the vowel system. Dari syntax does not differ greatly from Persian syntax, but the morphology, particularly the verbal system, differs somewhat from that of Iranian Persian.

2This two-volume book is designed to teach and introduce Dari Persian for beginners and independent users (from level A1 to B1 on the European reference framework), including language skills, grammar and vocabulary. The first volume of the book consists of 26 chapters, while the second volume contains chapters 27 to 40. Keys (solutions to exercises) and two glossaries (Dari-German and German-Dari) are included at the end of the second volume.

3The book provides a practical and communicatively oriented introduction to this language, explains the writing system, and enables communication in everyday life and in areas of immediate relevance.

4The book begins by explaining basic vocabulary and structures and concludes at a more advanced level. New words are introduced whenever they are used in dialogues, texts or exercises for learning a specific communicative function. As it ranges from introducing and discussing the home, the city and hobbies to expanding the readers’ vocabulary and their understanding of grammar, the book provides a comprehensive introduction to the practical use of Dari Persian.

5The book goes beyond traditional grammatical descriptions of language, as it includes extensive audio and video material (available in open access at https://medialibrary.reichert-verlag.de/​en/​9783752000436_dari_persisch/​), and provides solutions to numerous exercises. Language examples and two glossaries support the learners in language acquisition.

6The format of the book is easy to follow, and the work provides guidance both for teaching Dari Persian as a foreign language and for self-study via the available resources to improve speaking, writing and reading. In addition to the language, the book provides an extensive background to cultural, political and religious topics, as well as the socio-ethnic composition and history of Afghanistan.