So you want to learn either Persian or Hebrew but don’t know which one to pick. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
In this article, I’ll shed some light on the pros and cons for each language to help you decide.
Table of Contents
Should I Learn Persian Or Hebrew – A Comparison
Here’s the short answer:
- More people speak Persian than Hebrew globally.
- Persian is easier to learn than Hebrew (for an English speaker).
- Persian is an in demand language in the US and Europe especially within government agencies.
- Hebrew provides great job opportunities in Israel and the Middle East.
- There are more Persian speakers living in the US than Hebrew.
- Persian is the official language in 3 countries (Iran, Afghanistan & Tajikistan) but Hebrew is the language of just 1 country (Israel).
- Persian uses the Arabic script so learning it allows you to read Arabic & Urdu but the Hebrew script is only used for Hebrew and Yiddish.
Hebrew is a good language to learn if you have an interest in Israeli culture specifically, however Persian would be the better choice as it is more useful to know overall.
Of course, part of your decision comes from your own personal reasons for wanting to study the language.
Perhaps you have friends that speak the language, maybe it’s your ancestral language or maybe you have a keen interest in the country it’s spoken in.
This should also be considered when choosing which language to learn as this will be your main motivating factor for learning the language.
Persian vs Hebrew
Persian
Persian is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The closest related languages are Kurdish and Pashto.
There are approximately 110 million native speakers of Persian around the world making it one of the world’s most spoken languages.
There are 3 main dialects of Persian – Farsi (spoken in Iran), Dari (spoken in Afghanistan) and Tajiki (spoken in Tajikistan).
All of the varieties of Persian are mutually intelligible so if you learn Persian you can communicate with people from Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan with ease.
Hebrew
Hebrew is a Semitic language which belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. It’s closely related to both Arabic and Aramaic.
It is mainly spoken in Israel but also by Jewish people around the world. There are approximately 9 million speakers.
Hebrew is one of the only examples of a dead language that has been successfully revived.
It was originally a biblical language with earliest written texts dating back to the 10th century BCE.
It stopped being used regularly as a spoken language sometime between 200 and 400 CE.
After not being spoken for 2,000 years, it was successfully revived in the 19th century and now serves as the native language of millions of people.
Is Persian or Hebrew Easier to Learn?
Assuming you’re an English speaker then Persian is easier to learn than Hebrew.
And here’s why…
Persian comes from the same language family as English. Both languages are Indo-European meaning that they both descended from the same ancestral language.
This means that they share many similarities.
Hebrew, on the other hand, comes from the Afro-Asiatic language family so it actually developed independently of English.
How Difficult is Persian?
Persian grammar is actually very simple. There is no gender, no irregular verb conjugations and nouns only have one form.
Pronunciation is quite different to English and can take some time to get the hang of but it’s not too difficult.
The main difficulty for an English speaker wanting to learn Persian is that it is written in an adapted form of the Arabic script.
Learning the Persian script isn’t as daunting as it might seem at first and can easily be done with plenty of practice, however there is also the added difficulty that short vowel sounds are not written in the script.
Read my full guide on if Persian is hard to learn including how long it takes to learn.
How Difficult is Hebrew?
As Hebrew is from a different language family to English, there are very few similarities.
One similarity though is that both English and Hebrew follow the same word order. Both languages follow the subject-verb-object structure (Persian doesn’t).
There are many elements of Hebrew that are alien to English speakers. For example, they use sounds that we don’t have in English and nouns are gendered.
One other thing that makes Hebrew difficult for English speakers is that it is written in its own script so you will have to spend some time learning this.
Similar to Persian, in writing, Hebrew doesn’t include vowels which can make it difficult for English speakers.
Imagine if English was written like this: ths s lng nd dffclt.
Which is the Most Useful Language?
As a whole, Persian is more useful than Hebrew but this entirely depends on you and your interests. Both languages are very useful for a variety of reasons.
Both countries have a rich cultural heritage and long history so both languages are definitely worth learning.
Persian has more than 10x as many speakers as Hebrew meaning you have a much higher chance of being able to use it (unless you are in Israel).
Additionally, according to the US census, there are more Persian speakers (300,000) living in the US compared with Hebrew (200,000).
Persian can be used in 3 different countries (Iran, Afghanistan & Tajikistan) whereas Hebrew is more limited and only spoken in Israel.
Why Learn Persian
I’ve actually written an entire post on why you should learn Persian but here’s a quick overview.
Persian is actually the second most spoken language in the Middle East and West Asia after Arabic. It’s among the top 20 most spoken languages in the world.
Additionally, it has huge historical importance and is actually one of the world’s oldest languages. It’s even older than Latin!
If you are interested in literature and poetry then Persian may be a better fit for you.
Persian poetry and literature is world-renowned. Iconic poets such as Rumi, Hafez, Saadi and Ferdowsi all wrote their works in Persian.
As the Persian language hasn’t changed much in the last 1,000 years, you’ll be able to enjoy their works in the original language they were written in.
These Persian poets have influenced writers across the globe for centuries and modern Persian literature is also super popular with international audiences.
Want to learn Farsi? We have a free PDF that I know you’ll love…
Why Learn Hebrew
Hebrew is a historically very important language as it is the original language of the Bible which has had an incalculable influence on the world throughout history.
In modern history, Hebrew has only been spoken for the last 150 years or so but, even in that time, Israel has produced many famous writers including Yehuda Amichai, Amos Oz and A.B. Yehoshua.
Their writings explore both the joys and the difficultutes of modern Jewish life including the birth of Israel, the Holocaust, Middle East conflicts and more.
Which Would Be More Useful For Jobs?
Both Persian and Hebrew can provide you with a whole new career path if you choose to learn them.
Persian Job Opportunities
Persian is currently an in demand language in both Europe and the US.
Due to current relations between Iran and the West, people with knowledge of Persian are needed urgently by government agencies, particularly those involved in intelligence, military and diplomatic activities.
As Persian is not a popular language to learn, at least in places like Europe and the US, Persian speakers are hard to find so it will definitely make your resume stand out from the crowd if you can speak Persian.
For example, did you know that in 2013 it was found that less than 3,000 college students were signed up to Persian classes in the US?
The US government has actually designated Persian as a ‘critical need language’ and now offers many scholarships for students learning Persian.
Hebrew Job Opportunities
Learning Hebrew would give you access to some excellent job opportunities.
Israel has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and is a very important country on the world stage.
Israel is recognized worldwide for its development of the technology of the future and is a giant when it comes to innovation.
It’s home to Research & Development centers for some of the world’s biggest companies including Google, Apple and IBM.
If you’re interested in working in Israel or elsewhere in the Middle East, then knowledge of Hebrew would be an invaluable skill and would really make your resume stand out.
Additionally, Hebrew is also a desirable language to know if you plan to pursue a career in government especially in areas like diplomacy, intelligence and the military.
Conclusion – Should I Learn Persian or Hebrew?
Hopefully this article gave you an insight into the pros and cons of learning Persian or Hebrew.
By now you may have a clearer idea of which one is better for you to learn.
In conclusion, Persian is easier to learn compared with Hebrew and is an in demand language in the US and Europe.
However Hebrew would be better to learn if you want to work in Israel.
Don’t forget to consider your own personal motivation for learning Persian or Hebrew as this is arguably the most important thing to consider.
If you have a particular love for Persian poetry or Israeli films, you may already have your answer on which language to learn.
If a friend or partner speaks one of these languages natively then that might also influence your decision.
You need to be extremely motivated to learn a language (if you’re not then you’ll give up) so choose wisely.
The difficulty or range of a language is far less important than the key reason as to why you want to learn it.
For example, if your mind is telling you to learn Persian for the job opportunities but your heart is telling you to learn Hebrew because you love Israeli culture, then choose Hebrew.
Struggling to choose between Persian and other languages?
Related Posts: