Impersonal Constructions

01

States of the Body

• ⁧گَرمَم شُدِه اَست.⁩

  garmam šode astgarmam shode astgrmm šd ast

  I have got hot.

• ⁧خوابَم می‌بَرَد.⁩

  xâbam mi-baradkhâbam mi-baradxabm my-brd

  I am getting sleepy.

• ⁧حالَم بَد اَست.⁩

  ḥâlam bad asthâlam bad astḥalm bd ast

  I feel unwell.

• ⁧حُوصِلِه‌اَم سَر رَفتِه اَست.⁩

  ḥoṣele-am sar rafte asthosele-am sar rafte astḥṣl-am sr rft ast

  I am bored.

In each of these the ending - ⁧ـَم⁩ (-am) - is doing the work that "I" does in English. Change the ending and you change who is affected, while the verb never moves.

02

Liking and Disliking

The commonest of these is ⁧⁧خُوشَم می‌آیَد⁩⁩ (xošam mi-âyadkhosham mi-âyadxšm my-ayd), literally "my pleasant comes", meaning "I like it". 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.

• ⁧مَن اَز هَمِه‌یِ فیلم‌ها خُوشَم می‌آیَد.⁩

  man az hame-ye film-hâ xošam mi-âyadman az hame-ye film-hâ khosham mi-âyadmn az hm-y fylm-ha xšm my-ayd

  I like all films.

03

Pain

• ⁧کُجایَش دَرد می‌کُنَد؟⁩

  kojâyaš dard mi-konadkojâyash dard mi-konadkjayš drd my-knd

  Where does it hurt?

• ⁧دَستانَم بَعد اَز کار دَر مَزرَعِه دَرد می‌کُنَد.⁩

  dastânam baʿd az kâr dar mazraʿe dard mi-konaddastânam ba'd az kâr dar mazra'e dard mi-konaddstanm bʿd az kar dr mzrʿ drd my-knd

  My hands hurt after work on the farm.

04

Age Works the Same Way

Persian does not say how old you are; it says how many years are yours.

• ⁧چَند سالَش اَست؟⁩

  čand sâlaš astchand sâlash astčnd salš ast

  How old is she?

• ⁧دُختَرَم بیست سالَش اَست.⁩

  doxtaram bist sâlaš astdokhtaram bist sâlash astdxtrm byst salš ast

  My daughter is twenty.

• ⁧آن‌ها چَند سالِشان اَست؟⁩

  ân-hâ čand sâlešân astân-hâ chand sâleshân astan-ha čnd salšan ast

  How old are they?

Notice the last one: ⁧⁧آن‌ها⁩⁩ (ân-hâân-hâan-ha) is plural, and the verb is still ⁧⁧اَست⁩⁩ (ast). That is the mark of the construction throughout.

05

Asking After Someone

The everyday greeting is built on exactly this pattern.

• ⁧حالَت چِطُور اَست؟⁩

  ḥâlat čeṭor asthâlat chetor astḥalt čṭr ast

  How are you?

• ⁧حالِتان چِطُور اَست؟⁩

  ḥâletân čeṭor asthâletân chetor astḥaltan čṭr ast

  How are you?

• ⁧حالَم خوب اَست، مَمنون.⁩

  ḥâlam xub ast mamnunhâlam khub ast mamnunḥalm xvb ast mmnvn

  I am well, thank you.