No word for "the"
Persian has no definite article. A bare noun is understood as "the ..." when speaker and listener know which one is meant, or as a general statement:
- کتاب روی میز است. (ketāb ru-ye miz ast) — The book is on the table.
- نان گران است. (nān gerān ast) — (The) bread is expensive.
When it matters that a known thing is the object of a verb, Persian marks it with را (lesson 15): کتاب را خریدم. — I bought the book.
Three ways to say "a"
| Form | Example | Say | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| یک + noun | یک کتاب | yek ketāb | everywhere; most common in speech |
| noun + ـی | کتابی | ketābi | common in writing |
| یک + noun + ـی | یک کتابی | yek ketābi | colloquial only |
- یک دوست دارم. — I have a friend.
- زنی اینجا کار میکند. (zani injā kār mikonad) — A woman works here.
In speech یک is pronounced یه (ye): یه کتاب (ye ketāb, colloquial).
Spelling of the ـی suffix
| Noun ends in | "a ..." | Say |
|---|---|---|
| a consonant | کتابی | ketābi |
| silent ه (vowel e) | خانهای | khāne-i |
| ا or و | جایی | jā-yi (a place) |
| ی (vowel i) | صندلیای | sandali-i (a chair) |
With an adjective
The suffix ـی goes on the last word of the ezafe phrase. With یک nothing changes at the end:
- کتابِ خوبی (ketāb-e khubi) — a good book
- یک کتابِ خوب (yek ketāb-e khub) — a good book
- خانهٔ بزرگی — a big house
Jobs, nationality, "what kind"
After "to be", a job or nationality normally takes no marker: او پزشک است. — She is a doctor. Question words take ـی on the noun: چه کتابی؟ — What (kind of) book?
Watch out as an English speaker
- آن means "that", not "the": ✗ آن کتاب روی میز است. (for "the book is on the table") / ✓ کتاب روی میز است.
- With jobs, یک sounds translated: ✗ او یک پزشک است. / ✓ او پزشک است.
- Put ـی on the end of the whole phrase, not on the noun: ✗ کتابیِ خوب / ✓ کتابِ خوبی.
- یک ... ـی together is spoken style: ✗ یک کتابی خریدم. (in writing) / ✓ یک کتاب خریدم. or کتابی خریدم.
Example dialogue
یک سؤال دارم. — I have a question.
بفرمایید. — Go ahead.
اینجا کتابفروشیای هست؟ — Is there a bookshop here?
بله، یک کتابفروشیِ کوچک کنارِ بانک هست. — Yes, there is a small bookshop next to the bank.