Language/Iranian-persian/Grammar/Lesson-4:-Present-tense-conjugation-of-the-verb-to-be

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◀️ Lesson 3: Word order in Persian sentences — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Lesson 5: Present tense conjugation of regular verbs ▶️

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Iranian PersianGrammar0 to A1 Course → Unit 2: Sentence structure and basic verb conjugation → Lesson 4: Present tense conjugation of the verb "to be"

In this lesson, you will learn how to use the present tense of the verb "to be" in Persian and to make simple statements. The present tense is used to talk about actions or states that are happening now or are generally true. It is an essential part of building basic sentences in Persian.

The Present Tense of the Verb "to be"[edit | edit source]

In Persian, the verb "to be" is expressed by the word "است" (ast). This verb is used to connect the subject of a sentence with its complement or predicate. The present tense conjugation of "است" (ast) is as follows:

Persian Pronunciation English
من هستم man hastam I am
تو هستی to hasti You are (singular, informal)
او هست u hast He/She/It is
ما هستیم mā hastim We are
شما هستید shomā hastid You are (plural, formal)
آن‌ها هستند ānhā hastand They are

Note: The pronunciations provided here are a rough approximation and may vary depending on the speaker's accent.

As you can see from the table above, the verb "است" (ast) is conjugated differently depending on the subject of the sentence. It is important to remember these conjugations as they are used extensively in Persian sentences.

Making Simple Statements[edit | edit source]

To make a simple statement in Persian using the present tense of the verb "to be," you need to combine the subject of the sentence with the appropriate form of the verb "است" (ast). Here are some examples:

  • من دانش‌آموز هستم. (Man dānešāmuz hastam) - I am a student.
  • تو دانشجوی خوبی هستی. (To dānešjū-ye khubi hasti) - You are a good student.
  • او یک معلم است. (U yek mo'alem ast) - He/She is a teacher.
  • ما خواهر و برادر هستیم. (Mā khāhar o barādar hastim) - We are siblings.
  • شما دوستان خوبی هستید. (Shomā dustān-e khubi hastid) - You are good friends.
  • آن‌ها دانش‌آموزان هستند. (Ānhā dānešāmuzān hastand) - They are students.

In these examples, the subjects (من, تو, او, ما, شما, آن‌ها) are combined with the appropriate form of the verb "است" (ast) to form complete sentences. It is important to note that Persian does not have a separate word for the English verb "to be" in the present tense. Instead, the verb "است" (ast) is used to express the concept.

Negative Statements[edit | edit source]

To make a negative statement in Persian, you need to add the word "نیستم" (nistam), "نیستی" (nisti), "نیست" (nist), "نیستیم" (nistim), "نیستید" (nistid), or "نیستند" (nistand) after the verb "است" (ast). Here are some examples:

  • من دانش‌آموز نیستم. (Man dānešāmuz nistam) - I am not a student.
  • تو دانشجوی خوبی نیستی. (To dānešjū-ye khubi nisti) - You are not a good student.
  • او معلم نیست. (U mo'alem nist) - He/She is not a teacher.
  • ما خواهر و برادر نیستیم. (Mā khāhar o barādar nistim) - We are not siblings.
  • شما دوستان خوبی نیستید. (Shomā dustān-e khubi nistid) - You are not good friends.
  • آن‌ها دانش‌آموزان نیستند. (Ānhā dānešāmuzān nistand) - They are not students.

In these examples, the word "نیستم" (nistam), "نیستی" (nisti), "نیست" (nist), "نیستیم" (nistim), "نیستید" (nistid), or "نیستند" (nistand) is added after the verb "است" (ast) to form negative statements. This structure is similar to the English structure of adding "not" after the verb "to be" to form negative sentences.

Interrogative Statements[edit | edit source]

To form a question in Persian using the present tense of the verb "to be," you need to invert the subject and the verb "است" (ast). Here are some examples:

  • آیا من دانش‌آموز هستم؟ (Āyā man dānešāmuz hastam?) - Am I a student?
  • آیا تو دانشجوی خوبی هستی؟ (Āyā to dānešjū-ye khubi hasti?) - Are you a good student?
  • آیا او یک معلم است؟ (Āyā u yek mo'alem ast?) - Is he/she a teacher?
  • آیا ما خواهر و برادر هستیم؟ (Āyā mā khāhar o barādar hastim?) - Are we siblings?
  • آیا شما دوستان خوبی هستید؟ (Āyā shomā dustān-e khubi hastid?) - Are you good friends?
  • آیا آن‌ها دانش‌آموزان هستند؟ (Āyā ānhā dānešāmuzān hastand?) - Are they students?

In these examples, the verb "است" (ast) is placed before the subject to form interrogative statements. The word "آیا" (āyā) is used at the beginning of the sentence to indicate that it is a question.

Summary[edit | edit source]

In this lesson, you have learned how to use the present tense of the verb "to be" in Persian and to make simple statements. You have learned the conjugation of the verb "است" (ast) for different subjects and how to form negative and interrogative statements. The present tense is an essential part of building basic sentences in Persian, and mastering it will allow you to express various actions and states in the present. Keep practicing and using the present tense in your conversations to improve your Persian language skills.

Table of Contents - Iranian Persian Course - 0 to A1[edit source]


Unit 1: Basic greetings and introductions


Unit 2: Sentence structure and basic verb conjugation


Unit 3: Talking about daily routines


Unit 4: Object pronouns and possessive pronouns


Unit 5: Persian culture and customs


Unit 6: Food and drink


Unit 7: Past tense and regular verbs conjugation


Unit 8: Persian literature and arts


Unit 9: Travel and transportation


Unit 10: Imperative mood, infinitives and complex sentences


Unit 11: Persian history and geography


Unit 12: Leisure and entertainment



Other Lessons[edit | edit source]




◀️ Lesson 3: Word order in Persian sentences — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Lesson 5: Present tense conjugation of regular verbs ▶️

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