Dari, like many languages, has tenses and pronouns to differentiate between the formal and the informal. They however, unlike Spanish, do not differentiate between genders, but often sentences can be completely gender neutral even in pronouns and the listener must rely on context. Greetings are a great example of how the formal and informal tenses work.
Younger Speaker (YS)- Salam (Hello or peace)
Older/More Reverenced Speaker (OS)- Wa' aleukum salam. (Responsive hello or and peace to you also)
YS- Shuma chator astem? (How are you? <with respect/formal>)
OS- Man khub astam. Tu chator asti? (I am well. How are you? <informal>)
YS- Man khub astam. Takashore. (I am well, thank you.)
It is important in Persian culture that puts a great deal of emphasis on "face" and honor that one respects the different societal positions that people hold due to status, age, or relation to the speaker. To disrespect this is far more offensive in a hierarchical society like that of Afghanistan than it would be in an egalitarian society like America.
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