Compound Verbs

01

How They Are Built

A compound verb is two words: a noun or an adjective that carries the meaning, then a plain verb that carries the grammar.

• ⁧⁧کار⁩⁩ (kârkârkar) work, plus ⁧⁧کَردَن⁩⁩ (kardankardankrdn) to do, gives ⁧⁧کار کَردَن⁩⁩ (kâr kardankâr kardankar krdn) to work
• ⁧⁧صُحبَت⁩⁩ (ṣoḥbatsohbatṣḥbt) speech, plus ⁧⁧کَردَن⁩⁩ (kardankardankrdn), gives ⁧⁧صُحبَت کَردَن⁩⁩ (ṣoḥbat kardansohbat kardanṣḥbt krdn) to talk
• ⁧⁧گوش⁩⁩ (gušgushgvš) ear, plus ⁧⁧دادَن⁩⁩ (dâdandâdandadn) to give, gives ⁧⁧گوش دادَن⁩⁩ (guš dâdangush dâdangvš dadn) to listen
• ⁧⁧تَماس⁩⁩ (tamâstamâstmas) contact, plus ⁧⁧گِرِفتَن⁩⁩ (gereftangereftangrftn) to take, gives ⁧⁧تَماس گِرِفتَن⁩⁩ (tamâs gereftantamâs gereftantmas grftn) to get in touch

• ⁧دوستِ مَن دَر یِک دَفتَر کار می‌کُنَد.⁩

  dust-e man dar yek daftar kâr mi-konaddust-e man dar yek daftar kâr mi-konaddvst-a mn dr yk dftr kar my-knd

  My friend works in an office.

• ⁧بایَد صُحبَت کُنیم.⁩

  bâyad ṣoḥbat konimbâyad sohbat konimbayd ṣḥbt knym

  We need to talk.

• ⁧مَن موسیقی گوش می‌دَهَم.⁩

  man musiqi guš mi-dahamman musiqi gush mi-dahammn mvsyqy gvš my-dhm

  I listen to music.

02

Only the Second Part Changes

In a compound verb the noun never inflects. Everything - tense, person, negation - happens on the light verb (the plain verb behind the noun), and the noun sits in front unchanged.

• ⁧کار می‌کُنَم⁩

  kâr mi-konamkâr mi-konamkar my-knm

  I work

• ⁧کار کَردَم⁩

  kâr kardamkâr kardamkar krdm

  I worked

• ⁧کار نِمی‌کُنَم⁩

  kâr nemi-konamkâr nemi-konamkar nmy-knm

  I do not work

• ⁧بایَد کار کُنَم⁩

  bâyad kâr konambâyad kâr konambayd kar knm

  I must work

03

The Common Light Verbs

The plain verb behind the noun in a compound verb is called the light verb. These are the commonest:

• ⁧⁧کَردَن⁩⁩ (kardankardankrdn) to do - the general one, and by far the commonest
• ⁧⁧شُدَن⁩⁩ (šodanshodanšdn) to become - for changes of state, and for passives
• ⁧⁧دادَن⁩⁩ (dâdandâdandadn) to give - for actions directed outwards
• ⁧⁧گِرِفتَن⁩⁩ (gereftangereftangrftn) to take - for actions directed inwards
• ⁧⁧زَدَن⁩⁩ (zadanzadanzdn) to hit - for quick, sharp actions
• ⁧⁧داشتَن⁩⁩ (dâštandâshtandaštn) to have - for states

• ⁧اِحساسِ سَرما می‌کُنَم.⁩

  eḥsâs-e sarmâ mi-konamehsâs-e sarmâ mi-konamaḥsas-a srma my-knm

  I feel cold.

• ⁧قَدَم می‌زَنَد⁩

  qadam mi-zanadqadam mi-zanadqdm my-znd

  she is taking a walk

• ⁧نیاز دارَم⁩

  niyâz dâramniyâz dâramnyaz darm

  I need

04

⁧کَردَن⁩ (kardan) and ⁧شُدَن⁩ (šodan) as a Pair

In a compound verb, keep the noun, swap one light verb for the other, and a thing you do becomes a thing that happens to you. ⁧⁧تَمام کَردَن⁩⁩ (tamâm kardantamâm kardantmam krdn) is "to finish something"; ⁧⁧تَمام شُدَن⁩⁩ (tamâm šodantamâm shodantmam šdn) is "to be finished".

• ⁧آیا تَماشایِ دی‌وی‌دی را تَمام کَردِه‌ای؟⁩

  âyâ tamâšây-e di-vi-di râ tamâm karde-iâyâ tamâshây-e di-vi-di râ tamâm karde-iaya tmašay-a dy-vy-dy ra tmam krdh-ay

  Have you finished watching the DVD?

• ⁧تَمام خواهَد شُد.⁩

  tamâm xâhad šodtamâm khâhad shodtmam xvahd šd

  It will be finished.

The same pairing runs through the whole class of compound verbs, which is why so many of these verbs come in twos.

• ⁧خَستِه می‌شَوَم⁩

  xaste mi-šavamkhaste mi-shavamxsth my-švm

  I get tired

• ⁧مَریض شُدَم⁩

  mariḍ šodammariz shodammryḍ šdm

  I became ill

05

The Two Halves Are Separable

The noun in a compound verb is still a noun. It can take a demonstrative, it can be marked as the object with ⁧⁧را⁩⁩ (rârâra), it can carry a pronoun ending - and the light verb (the plain verb that carries the grammar) waits at the end of the sentence for it.

• ⁧چِرا این کار را کَردید؟⁩

  čerâ in kâr râ kardidcherâ in kâr râ kardidčra ayn kar ra krdyd

  Why did you do this?

• ⁧مَن بَعداً اَنجامَش می‌دَهَم.⁩

  man baʿdan anjâmaš mi-dahamman ba'dan anjâmash mi-dahammn bʿdan anjamš my-dhm

  I will do it later.