The Western, or Persian, language most commonly refers to Dari, one of the two official languages of Afghanistan, the other being Pashto. Dari is a variety of Persian, an Indo-Iranian language within the larger Indo-European family. It is primarily spoken in Afghanistan, where it serves as a lingua franca and is widely used in government, media, education, and everyday communication.

Dari, also known as Afghan Persian, shares many linguistic features with Farsi, the variety of Persian spoken in Iran, and Tajik, the variety spoken in Tajikistan. However, there are differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and some grammatical structures due to historical, cultural, and geographical influences.

The language is written in the Persian script, which is a variant of the Arabic script adapted to accommodate Persian sounds. This script includes additional letters and diacritical marks to represent specific Persian phonemes. Dari is known for its rich literary tradition, encompassing classical works by poets such as Rumi, Hafez, and Saadi, as well as modern literature.

Grammatically, Dari features a subject-object-verb (SOV) word order, gender-neutral nouns, and a complex system of verb conjugation based on tense, aspect, and mood. Its extensive use of suffixes and inflections adds to the language’s expressiveness.

Efforts to promote and preserve Dari involve its use in education, literature, and media, ensuring that it remains a vital part of Afghan cultural heritage. Despite the challenges faced by the country, Dari continues to be a crucial element of Afghanistan’s national identity and communication.