Expressing Ability with تَوانِستَن

01

The Pattern

Conjugate ⁧⁧تَوانِستَن⁩⁩ (tavânestantavânestantvanstn), "can", and put the verb that follows it in the subjunctive.

• ⁧می‌تَوانَم بِبینَم⁩

  mi-tavânam bebinammi-tavânam bebinammy-tvanm bbynm

  I can see

• ⁧می‌تَوانی بِبینی⁩

  mi-tavâni bebinimi-tavâni bebinimy-tvany bbyny

  you can see

• ⁧می‌تَوانَد بِبینَد⁩

  mi-tavânad bebinadmi-tavânad bebinadmy-tvand bbynd

  he can see

Both verbs are conjugated, and both must agree. This is the part English speakers forget, since English leaves the second verb bare.

• ⁧می‌تَوانَم بیشتَر بِمانَم.⁩

  mi-tavânam bištar bemânammi-tavânam bishtar bemânammy-tvanm byštr bmanm

  I can stay longer.

• ⁧مَن می‌تَوانَم آن را حَمل کُنَم.⁩

  man mi-tavânam ân râ ḥaml konamman mi-tavânam ân râ haml konammn my-tvanm an ra ḥml knm

  I can carry it.

• ⁧آیا می‌تَوانی این جُملِه را بِه ویِتنامی تَرجُمِه کُنی؟⁩

  âyâ mi-tavâni in jomle râ be viyetnâmi tarjome koniâyâ mi-tavâni in jomle râ be viyetnâmi tarjome koniaya my-tvany ayn jmlh ra bh vytnamy trjmh kny

  Can you translate this sentence into Vietnamese?

02

Negation

The negative prefix ⁧نِ⁩ (ne-) goes on ⁧⁧تَوانِستَن⁩⁩ (tavânestantavânestantvanstn), never on the second verb.

• ⁧نِمی‌تَوانَم بِبینَمَت.⁩

  nemi-tavânam bebinamatnemi-tavânam bebinamatnmy-tvanm bbynmt

  I cannot see you.

• ⁧نِمی‌تَوانَم عِینَکَم را پِیدا کُنَم.⁩

  nemi-tavânam ʿeynakam râ peydâ konamnemi-tavânam 'eynakam râ peydâ konamnmy-tvanm ʿynkm ra pyda knm

  I cannot find my glasses.

• ⁧تا وَقتی کِه گُواهینامِه‌یِ رانَندِگی نَگیرَم، نِمی‌تَوانَم رانَندِگی کُنَم.⁩

  tâ vaqti ke govâhinâme-ye rânandegi nagiram nemi-tavânam rânandegi konamtâ vaqti ke govâhinâme-ye rânandegi nagiram nemi-tavânam rânandegi konamta vqty kh gvahynamh-y ranndgy ngyrm nmy-tvanm ranndgy knm

  Until I get a driving licence, I cannot drive.

03

In Requests

A great many polite requests are built on ⁧⁧تَوانِستَن⁩⁩ (tavânestantavânestantvanstn), "can", and they are worth having ready.

• ⁧چِطُور می‌تَوانَم بِه شُما کُمَک کُنَم؟⁩

  čeṭor mi-tavânam be šomâ komak konamchetor mi-tavânam be shomâ komak konamčṭvr my-tvanm bh šma kmk knm

  How can I help you?

• ⁧آیا می‌تَوانَم مِنُو را بِبینَم، لُطفاً؟⁩

  âyâ mi-tavânam meno râ bebinam loṭfanâyâ mi-tavânam meno râ bebinam lotfanaya my-tvanm mnv ra bbynm lṭfan

  May I see the menu, please?

• ⁧آیا می‌تَوانید آن را تِکرار کُنید؟⁩

  âyâ mi-tavânid ân râ tekrâr konidâyâ mi-tavânid ân râ tekrâr konidaya my-tvanyd an ra tkrar knyd

  Could you repeat that?

04

The Other 'Can': ⁧بَلَد بودَن⁩ (balad budan)

⁧⁧تَوانِستَن⁩⁩ (tavânestantavânestantvanstn) is being able. Knowing how - a skill you have learned - is ⁧⁧بَلَد بودَن⁩⁩ (balad budanbalad budanbld bvdn), and it takes a noun or a subjunctive.

• ⁧مَن اِنگِلیسی وَ کُرِه‌ای بَلَدَم.⁩

  man engelisi va kore-i baladamman engelisi va kore-i baladammn anglysy v krh-ay bldm

  I know English and Korean.

• ⁧او بَلَد اَست پیانُو بِنَوازَد.⁩

  u balad ast piyâno benavâzadu balad ast piyâno benavâzadav bld ast pyanv bnvazd

  She knows how to play the piano.