Expressing 'to like' with دوست داشتَن

01

The Pattern

⁧⁧دوست⁩⁩ (dustdustdvst) stays put; ⁧⁧داشتَن⁩⁩ (dâštandâshtandaštn) conjugates. What is liked is a direct object, and takes ⁧⁧را⁩⁩ (rârâra) when it is definite.

• ⁧مَن موهایَت را دوست دارَم.⁩

  man muhâyat râ dust dâramman muhâyat râ dust dârammn mvhayt ra dvst darm

  I like your hair.

• ⁧آیا آن را دوست دارید؟⁩

  âyâ ân râ dust dâridâyâ ân râ dust dâridaya an ra dvst daryd

  Do you like it?

• ⁧آن‌ها مَرا دوست دارَند.⁩

  ân-hâ marâ dust dârandân-hâ marâ dust dârandan-ha mra dvst darnd

  They like me.

• ⁧هَمِه شِنا کَردَن را دوست دارَند.⁩

  hame šenâ kardan râ dust dârandhame shenâ kardan râ dust dârandhm šna krdn ra dvst darnd

  Everyone likes swimming.

It covers both "like" and "love", of people and of things alike.

• ⁧مَن دوستِشان دارَم.⁩

  man dustešân dâramman dusteshân dârammn dvstšan darm

  I love them.

02

Liking an Activity

To say you like doing something, the infinitive serves as the object - and being a noun, it takes ⁧⁧را⁩⁩ (rârâra) just as any other object would.

• ⁧تُو کِتاب خواندَن را دوست داری.⁩

  to ketâb xândan râ dust dârito ketâb khândan râ dust dârit ktab xandn ra dvst dary

  You like reading books.

03

The Stronger ⁧عاشِقِ⁩ (ʿâšeq-e)

⁧⁧عاشِقِ⁩⁩ (ʿâšeq-e'âsheq-eʿašq) plus "to be" is "to be in love with", used of people and, freely, of things.

• ⁧مَن عاشِقِ غَذا هَستَم.⁩

  man ʿâšeq-e ġaḏâ hastamman 'âsheq-e ghazâ hastammn ʿašq-a ġḏa hstm

  I love food.

• ⁧مَن عاشِقِ بَهار هَستَم.⁩

  man ʿâšeq-e bahâr hastamman 'âsheq-e bahâr hastammn ʿašq-a bhar hstm

  I love spring.

• ⁧آن‌ها عاشِقِ غَذاهایِ ایتالیایی هَستَند.⁩

  ân-hâ ʿâšeq-e ġaḏâhây-e itâliyâyi hastandân-hâ 'âsheq-e ghazâhây-e itâliyâyi hastandan-ha ʿašq-a ġḏahay-a aytalyyayy hstnd

  They love Italian food.

04

The Impersonal Alternative

⁧⁧خُوشَم می‌آیَد⁩⁩ (xošam mi-âyadkhosham mi-âyadxšm my-ayd) says the same thing with no subject at all, and what is liked follows ⁧⁧اَز⁩⁩ (az).

• ⁧اَز این خُوشَم نِمی‌آیَد.⁩

  az in xošam nemi-âyadaz in khosham nemi-âyadaz ayn xšm nmy-ayd

  I do not like this.

05

Favourites

⁧⁧مُورِدِ عَلاقِه⁩⁩ (mored-e ʿalâqemored-e 'alâqemrd-a ʿlaq) means "favourite", and hooks on with an ezafe.

• ⁧فیلمِ مُورِدِ عَلاقِه‌یِ شُما چیست؟⁩

  film-e mored-e ʿalâqe-ye šomâ čistfilm-e mored-e 'alâqe-ye shomâ chistfylm-a mrd-a ʿlaq-y šma čyst

  What is your favourite film?

• ⁧سوشی غَذایِ مُورِدِ عَلاقِه‌یِ مَن اَست.⁩

  suši ġaḏây-e mored-e ʿalâqe-ye man astsushi ghazây-e mored-e 'alâqe-ye man astsvšy ġḏay-a mrd-a ʿlaq-y mn ast

  Sushi is my favourite food.