Possibility with می‌شَوَد — Persian Grammar

(mi-šavadmi-shavadmy-švd) is the third person of (šodanshodanšdn), "to become", frozen and used impersonally. It asks whether something is possible - and in practice it is how Persian makes a polite request.

The Pattern

To ask whether something is possible: (mi-šavadmi-shavadmy-švd) followed by a subjunctive. The first word never changes for person; the second one carries it.

⁧می‌شَوَد قِیمَت را کَم کُنید؟⁩
mi-šavad qeymat râ kam konidmi-shavad qeymat râ kam konidmy-švd qymt ra km knyd
Could you lower the price?
⁧می‌شَوَد سِفارِش بِدَهَم، لُطفاً؟⁩
mi-šavad sefâreš bedaham loṭfanmi-shavad sefâresh bedaham lotfanmy-švd sfarš bdhm lṭfan
Could I order, please?
⁧می‌شَوَد آن عَکس را بِه مَن نِشان بِدَهی؟⁩
mi-šavad ân ʿaks râ be man nešân bedahimi-shavad ân 'aks râ be man neshân bedahimy-švd an ʿks ra bh mn nšan bdhy
Could you show me that photo?

Why It Is Polite

A request with (mi-šavadmi-shavadmy-švd) asks about the world rather than about the person - "is it possible that the price comes down?" rather than "will you lower it?". That indirectness is what makes it courteous, and it is the standard way to ask a stranger for anything.

⁧می‌شَوَد لَپ‌تاپَت را بِه مَن قَرض بِدَهی؟⁩
mi-šavad lap-tâpat râ be man qarḍ bedahimi-shavad lap-tâpat râ be man qarz bedahimy-švd lp-tapt ra bh mn qrḍ bdhy
Could you lend me your laptop?
⁧می‌شَوَد دُوبارِه آن پَیام را بِفِرِستی؟⁩
mi-šavad dobâre ân payâm râ beferestimi-shavad dobâre ân payâm râ beferestimy-švd dvbarh an pyam ra bfrsty
Could you send that message again?
⁧می‌شَوَد بَرایَم مِثالی بِزَنی؟⁩
mi-šavad barâyam meṯâli bezanimi-shavad barâyam mesâli bezanimy-švd braym mṯaly bzny
Could you give me an example?

The Same Form Also Means 'Becomes'

(mi-šavadmi-shavadmy-švd) is also simply the ordinary third person of (šodanshodanšdn), "to become", and it turns up with its plain meaning as well. What tells the two apart is what follows: a request has a subjunctive after (mi-šavadmi-shavadmy-švd), while the plain verb has a real subject in front of it and no subjunctive after it. What comes first decides nothing, since a request often opens with (bebaxšidbebakhshidbbxšyd), "excuse me".

⁧بِبَخشید، می‌شَوَد سِفارِش بِدَهَم؟⁩
bebaxšid mi-šavad sefâreš bedahambebakhshid mi-shavad sefâresh bedahambbxšyd my-švd sfarš bdhm
Excuse me, could I order?

And the plain verb:

⁧پَنج دَقیقِه‌یِ دیگَر، ساعَت دَه می‌شَوَد.⁩
panj daqiqe-ye digar sâʿat dah mi-šavadpanj daqiqe-ye digar sâ'at dah mi-shavadpnj dqyqh-y dygr saʿt dh my-švd
In five minutes it will be ten o'clock.
⁧کِلاس دُو ساعَتِ دیگَر شُروع می‌شَوَد.⁩
kelâs do sâʿat-e digar šoruʿ mi-šavadkelâs do sâ'at-e digar shoru' mi-shavadklas dv saʿt-a dygr šrvʿ my-švd
The class starts in two hours.

The Refusal

(nemi-šavadnemi-shavadnmy-švd) is "it is not possible" - and on its own it is a complete and fairly final answer.

Compared with ⁧می‌تَوانید⁩ (mi-tavânid)

(mi-tavânidmi-tavânidmy-tvanyd) asks whether you are able; (mi-šavadmi-shavadmy-švd) asks whether the thing can happen at all. Both are polite, and both are common.

⁧آیا می‌تَوانید این بُطری را باز کُنید؟⁩
âyâ mi-tavânid in boṭri râ bâz konidâyâ mi-tavânid in botri râ bâz konidaya my-tvanyd ayn bṭry ra baz knyd
Can you open this bottle?

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Persian course

12 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 84. A few of them, with the words “Possibility with می‌شَوَد” is about in bold:

در ماه ژوئیه، رودخانه بسیار گرم می‌شود.
dar mâh-e žuʾiye, rudxâne besiyâr garm mi-šavad.dar mâh-e zhu'iye, rudkhâne besiyâr garm mi-shavad.dr mah žvʾyh, rvdxanh bsyar grm my-švd.
In July, the river becomes very warm.
Lesson 409
می‌شود دوباره آن پیام را بفرستی؟
mi-šavad dobâre ân payâm râ beferesti?mi-shavad dobâre ân payâm râ beferesti?my-švd dvbarh an pyam ra bfrsty?
Can you send the message again?
Lesson 426

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