Persian/Lesson 6

In this lesson, you will learn how to build noun phrases with and with demonstrative adjectives.

Dialogue:
... and... are talking....

Explanation
 * Shahidi and Enver

Vocabulary

Ezâfe
An important part of Persian grammar is the handy little linking element called. It is used to extend a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase by adding an unstressed particle similar English “of”, followed by other words like adjectives, nouns, pronouns, and full phrases.

After a consonant, the ezâfe particle is pronounced as an unstressed ‹e› in standard Persian and is not usually written. On the right, is extended by the ezâfe particle and the noun, making the Persian phrase. ends in a consonant, so the ezâfe particle is pronounced ‹e› and is not written.

After a vowel, the ezâfe particle is pronounced as unstressed ‹ye› and may be written as ی or, after a silent ه, it may be written as a miniature superscript ی that looks like a hamze diacritic, i.e. as هٔ. Usually, though, it is only written after a vowel when extra clarity is wanted; otherwise it is often left unwritten.

When ezâfe extends one noun by adding another, it often indicates that the first noun's referent belongs to the second one's, as shown on the right in the Persian phrase. In older texts, ezâfe after ی is often represented by a small superscripted ی that resembles hamze ( ء ), so you may see words like, but today,  (and thus  ) is more common.

Colloquially, short forms are used even after vowels.

Adding a noun with ezâfe is not only used for ownership. It may indicate a family relationship:

It may indicate composition or purpose:

It may also used for apposition:

Ezâfe is also used to add an adjective, as in the phrase, shown on the right. The particle in such constructions is not usually translated into English as a separate word, but it may be thought of as “that is”.

Ezâfe is also used with certain nouns that have preposition-like meaning. In the example on the right and the one below, the nouns and  are used like prepositions with the help of ezâfe:

Ezâfe is also used to add prepositional phrases, e.g. :

A noun phrase created with ezâfe may be extended with ezâfe again, as shown on the right.

Demonstrative Adjectives
As the dialogues in the previous lessons have shown, Persian does not have a word that corresponds to the English definite article “the”. To say, “the book”, for example, the noun is normally used alone. Persian does, however, have the demonstrative adjectives and. These two words, unlike typical adjectives, are used before the noun with no intervening particle, as shown in the examples on the right.

Demonstrative contractions:
 * , colloquially pronounced ‹unjâ›
 * , colloquially pronounced ‹cenin›
 * , colloquially pronounced ‹cenun›
 * , colloquially ‹hamun›
 * , colloquially ‹hamun›
 * , colloquially ‹hamun›

Demonstrative pronouns:
 * or just "those", special case where ها is always joined
 * , second special case where ها ‹hâ› is always joined

Exercises

 * 1. Translate the following sentences into English:

If your name ends in a consonant, use this:
 * Daneshju-ye irani: “The Iranian student”
 * man-e bicâra (poor me) [Not really a qualifying adjective here]
 * Create Persian sentences with this formula:
 * Introduce yourself by your first name by replacing “[...]” in one of the sentences below with your first name.
 * Introduce yourself by your first name by replacing “[...]” in one of the sentences below with your first name.
 * Introduce yourself by your first name by replacing “[...]” in one of the sentences below with your first name.
 * Introduce yourself by your first name by replacing “[...]” in one of the sentences below with your first name.

If your name ends in a vowel, use this (note, the final ‹e› above becomes ‹s›):

Introduce yourself by your full name using the same formula.
 * Translate the following sentences into Persian:
 * Translate the following sentences into Persian:


 * 2. Using the vocabulary below make 5 simple sentences using ezâfe:
 * }
 * }
 * }
 * }


 * Translate the following phrases into Persian.