The same suffixes, a new job
The endings you learned as possessives (کتابم — my book) also work as object pronouns. Attached to a verb, they mean "me, you, him, her, it, us, them".
| Person | Suffix | On a verb | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| me | ـم | صدایم کرد | he called me |
| you (sg) | ـت | میبینمت | I see you |
| him / her / it | ـش | دیدمش | I saw him |
| us | ـمان | دیدمان | he saw us |
| you (pl) | ـتان | دیدتان | he saw you |
| them | ـشان | دیدمشان | I saw them |
The suffix comes after the personal ending of the verb: دید + ـم (I) + ـش (him) = دیدمش.
The full form is always available
Every suffix has a long equivalent with را. In writing, and always when you want to stress the object, use the long form:
- او را دیدم. = دیدمش. — I saw him.
- تو را دوست دارم. = دوستت دارم. — I love you.
- آنها را میشناسم. = میشناسمشان. — I know them.
Compound verbs take it on the noun
- دوستش دارم. — I like it.
- صدایش کردم. — I called him.
- کمکم کن. — Help me.
With prepositions
In speech the suffix attaches to the preposition: بهش (to him), ازش (from him), باهاش (with him), براش (for him). In writing use به او، از او، با او; برایش (for him) is also normal in writing.
Watch out as an English speaker
- Do not use را and the suffix for the same object: ✗ او را دیدمش. / ✓ او را دیدم. or دیدمش.
- The person ending comes first, the object second: ✗ دیدشم / ✓ دیدمش.
- On a compound verb the standard place is the noun part: ✗ دوست دارمش (heard in casual speech) / ✓ دوستش دارم.
- English needs a separate word ("I saw him"), Persian can pack the whole sentence into one word: دیدمش is a complete sentence.
Example dialogue
مریم را دیدی؟ — Did you see Maryam?
بله، دیروز دیدمش. — Yes, I saw her yesterday.
چیزی به او گفتی؟ — Did you say anything to her?
گفتم که منتظرش هستیم. — I said that we are waiting for her.