Most Persian verbs are two words
Persian has stopped making new simple verbs. Instead it combines a noun or an adjective with a small set of "light" verbs. The noun carries the meaning, the verb carries the grammar.
| Compound | Parts | English |
|---|---|---|
| کار کردن | work + do | to work |
| صحبت کردن | speech + do | to talk |
| تلفن زدن | telephone + hit | to phone |
| حرف زدن | word + hit | to talk |
| یاد گرفتن | memory + take | to learn |
| گوش دادن | ear + give | to listen |
| دوست داشتن | friend + have | to like, to love |
| تمام شدن | finished + become | to end |
| سرما خوردن | cold + eat | to catch a cold |
Only the verb part changes
The noun stays exactly as it is, in every tense and person:
- من هر روز کار میکنم. — I work every day.
- دیروز کار کردم. — I worked yesterday.
- فردا کار خواهم کرد. — I will work tomorrow.
- ما یاد گرفتهایم. — We have learned.
Prefixes also land on the verb part, never in front of the noun: کار نمیکنم (I do not work), صبر کن (wait), تلفن نزدم (I did not phone). In the subjunctive and the imperative, compound verbs usually drop بـ: کار کنم, not کار بکنم.
کردن or شدن
The same noun takes کردن when someone does it to something, and شدن when it simply happens. English often uses one verb for both.
| Transitive (کردن) | Intransitive (شدن) |
|---|---|
| در را باز کردم. — I opened the door. | در باز شد. — The door opened. |
| کار را تمام کردم. — I finished the work. | کار تمام شد. — The work was finished. |
| کلید را گم کردم. — I lost the key. | کلید گم شد. — The key got lost. |
Objects and pronoun suffixes
The noun part is not an object, so a real object goes in front of the whole unit, with را if it is specific: در را باز کردم. A pronoun suffix attaches to the noun part: صدایش کردم (I called him), دوستش دارم (I like it).
Watch out as an English speaker
- Never conjugate the noun: ✗ کارم میکنم. / ✓ کار میکنم.
- The two parts are one verb, so time words go before them: ✗ کار هر روز میکنم. / ✓ هر روز کار میکنم.
- English uses the same verb for both directions, Persian does not: ✗ در باز کرد. / ✓ در باز شد. (The door opened.)
- The negative goes on the light verb: ✗ نکار میکنم. / ✓ کار نمیکنم.
Example dialogue
با چه کسی حرف میزدی؟ — Who were you talking to?
به مادرم تلفن زدم. — I phoned my mother.
کارت تمام شد؟ — Is your work finished?
نه، هنوز تمامش نکردهام. — No, I haven't finished it yet.