The normal sentence structure in Farsi differs from English. It is normally SUBJECT - OBJECT – VERB (Don’t forget that Farsi reads from right to left, so it is subject-object-verb reading from right to left)
To help you see this structure, a simple sentence has been dissected for you below. Each word of the Farsi sentence is literally translated. The verb is the last word in the sentence.
1.1 Nominative
He has a name. او یک نام دارد
Note:
Verbs are always placed last in a sentence.
This is the most important and easiest rule to remember from this page.
To try Supplementary Exercise 5 click here. This Exercise will help you build some simple persian sentences.
1.2 Past Tense
God Gave Himself a Name. خدا به خود یک نام داد
or
God Gave Himself the Name Jehovah. خدا نام یهوه را به خود داد
خود = Self, Own
1.3 Accusative Tense
God Gave Himself the Name Jehovah. خدا نام یهوه را به خود داد
The direct object (accusative case) can be one of the two forms:
- Direct – eg., ‘the’ - as in 'the name’
- Indirect eg., ‘a’ - as in 'a name’
Personal pronouns,
آن (”that”) or اين ( ‘this’), nouns preceded by آن and اين or nouns followed by possessive pronouns are examples of specified direct objects & must be followed by را as shown in the following sentences: - I like you من شما را دوست دارم
- I like this من این را دوست دارم
- I like this book من این کتاب را دوست دارم
- I like your book من کتاب شما را دوست دارم
- I like books من کتاب ها را دوست دارم
- He is reading a book او کتاب می خواند
- Is the addition of an ‘e’ linking a qualifying word to any noun. (Usually it is not written – see point (e))
- The qualifying word usually comes second & carries the word stress. With nouns ending in -h ( ه or Connected ه) the ezâfe is represented by a hamzeh. Note the word order in the examples below: Noun followed by the adjective
Note:
The genitive case is expressed by using ezâfe (‘-e’) between the two words for the owner and the owned. The order of the word for the owner & the owned object is reverse to English as shown in the eg. above.
b. Adjectives - Added to the noun when described by an adjective
c. ezâfe– Chains (combining a chain of words with ezâfe)
Our God’s great name is Jehovah.
If a possessive-pronoun is used in the sentence, it is always located last in the chain. In the above sentence the possessive -pronoun is our = ما
The Great and Fear Inspiring Day of Jehovah
Note how Jehovah's Name that comes at the name does not have an ezâfe.
d. Replacement of the word 'of'
the country of Iran Keshvar-e-Irân کشور ایران
the city of Toronto Shahr-e-Torento شهر تورنتو
Mrs Harwood Khânom-e-Hârwood خانم هاروود
e. When the noun ends in the letters –a ( ا) or –u ( و), the ezâfe becomes a written letter ‘i’ (ی)
Mr Ali âghâ-ye Ali آقای علی
our God khodâ-ye mâ خدای ما
over the water ru-ye âb روی آب
Gold of That land talâie ân zamin طلای آن زمین
Supplementary Exercise 6 provides the Farsi words for family relationships. It also helps with practicing the use of Ezâfe - connections - in a sentence. To go to supplementary exercise 6, click here.
1.5 Comparative & Superlative
The Comparative form adds the suffix تر ‘tar’ to the adjective & the 2 words are joined by an ezâfé.
When an adjective is used as a Superlative (e.g., ‘biggest’), it is located before the word that it describes, & the two words are not joined together by the ezâfe - the suffix ترين ' tarin ' is added to the adjective.
Adverbs
- The Comparative form adds the suffix تر ‘tar’ to the adverb & the two words are joined by an ezâfé.
- The Superlative از همه - az hameh precedes (or may follow) the comparative form.
ترين ' tarin ' is not used for the superlative of adverbs.
You write better شما بهتر می نویسید
He writes the best (of all) او از همه بهتر می نویسد = او بهتر از همه می نویسد
1.6 Exercise
Please read the following Bible texts outloud. Take note of the adjectives.
1.6 Exercise
Find an expert to check your adjectives from the scriptures above. Make flashcards.
1.7 Exercise
Please read outloud. Can you find Adjectives and Adverbs and their Comparative and Superlative forms? Can you translate orally?
عيسي بزرگتر از فرشته گان است. يهوه بزرگترين شخص در آسمان است
او بزرگتر از همه ديگر است. من كتابي بهتر از كتاب مقدس نخواندم
اميدي بهتر از آن نمي شناسم. از بروشورها كدام جالبتر است؟
او جالبترين موضوع را به من نشان داد
آيا كتاب زيباي شما، كه آورديد بهتر از كتاب من است؟
Supplementary Exercise 7 is an extra document explaining comparisons with examples of the verbs ‘can’ & ‘want’ in the present tense. To go to Supplementary Exercise 7, click here.
Supplementary Exercise 7A provides comparative and superlative form of some common Persian adjectives. To go to Supplementary Exercise 7A, click here.
Supplemetary Exercise 8 provides opposite adjectives in farsi. To go to Supplementary Exercise 8, click here. Choose Adjectives from Supplemetary Exercise 8 the fill the following document.
1.8 Exercise
Now make some simple sentences for practise with any of the adjectives that you selected above.
