Demonstratives این and آن — Persian Grammar

Persian has two demonstratives, and they are as simple as words get: they never change their form, and they always come before the noun.

The Two Words

(ininayn) - this, these
(ânânan) - that, those

⁧این کِتاب قَدیمی اَست.⁩
in ketâb qadimi astin ketâb qadimi astayn ktab qdymy ast
This book is old.
⁧آن مَرد با سَگَش می‌دَوَد.⁩
ân mard bâ sagaš mi-davadân mard bâ sagash mi-davadan mrd ba sgš my-dvd
That man is running with his dog.
⁧این یِک دَر اَست، وَ آن یِک پَنجِرِه اَست.⁩
in yek dar ast va ân yek panjere astin yek dar ast va ân yek panjere astayn yk dr ast v an yk pnjr ast
This is a door, and that is a window.

The demonstrative itself never changes. It agrees with nothing - not in number, not in gender, since Persian has no gender at all - so the same (ininayn) stands in front of one thing or of many, and it is the noun that carries the plural if there is one.

⁧این گُل‌ها رَنگِ زیبایی دارَند.⁩
in gol-hâ rang-e zibâyi dârandin gol-hâ rang-e zibâyi dârandayn gl-ha rng-a zybayy darnd
These flowers have a beautiful colour.
⁧آن قایِق‌ها بِسیار گِران هَستَند.⁩
ân qâyeq-hâ besiyâr gerân hastandân qâyeq-hâ besiyâr gerân hastandan qayq-ha bsyyar gran hstnd
Those boats are very expensive.

Standing Alone

The same two words serve as pronouns, with no change of shape. Then they take a plural when they need one.

⁧این چیست؟⁩
in čistin chistayn čyst
What is this?
⁧هَزینِه‌یِ این‌ها چِقَدر اَست؟⁩
hazine-ye in-hâ čeqadr asthazine-ye in-hâ cheqadr asthzyn-y ayn-ha čqdr ast
How much do these cost?

(ân-hâân-hâan-ha) does double duty here: as the plural of (ânânan) it is "those", and it is also the ordinary pronoun for "they" and "them".

⁧آن‌ها اِسپانیایی هَستَند.⁩
ân-hâ espâniyâyi hastandân-hâ espâniyâyi hastandan-ha aspanyyayy hstnd
They are Spanish.

No Ezafe

Words that follow a noun are hooked on with an ezafe. Demonstratives come first, so they take none at all - (in ketâbin ketâbayn ktab), never anything between the two.

The Emphatic Forms

(haminhaminhmyn) and (hamânhamânhman) are the intensified versions: "this very", "that same".

⁧هَمین اَلان کُجا هَستی؟⁩
hamin alân kojâ hastihamin alân kojâ hastihmyn alan kja hsty
Where are you right now?
⁧بیایید هَمین کار را اَنجام دَهیم.⁩
biyâyid hamin kâr râ anjâm dahimbiyâyid hamin kâr râ anjâm dahimbyyayyd hmyn kar ra anjam dhym
Let us do this very thing.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Persian course

102 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 2. A few of them, with the words “Demonstratives این and آن” is about in bold:

این دوست من آنا است. او یک دانشجو است.
in dust-e man ânâ ast. u yek dânešju ast.in dust-e man ânâ ast. u yek dâneshju ast.ayn dvst mn ana ast. av yk danšjv ast.
This is my friend, Anna. She is a student.
Lesson 2
من دوستشان دارم و آن‌ها مرا دوست دارند.
man dustešân dâram va ân-hâ marâ dust dârand.man dusteshân dâram va ân-hâ marâ dust dârand.mn dvstšan darm v an-ha mra dvst darnd.
I love them and they love me.
Lesson 32
این آب سرد است. آن آب داغ است.
in âb sard ast. ân âb dâġ ast.in âb sard ast. ân âb dâgh ast.ayn ab srd ast. an ab daġ ast.
This water is cold. That water is hot.
Lesson 68

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