Prepositions

01

The Simple Ones

These four take their noun directly, with nothing in between.

• ⁧⁧بِه⁩⁩ (bebebh) - to, for
• ⁧⁧اَز⁩⁩ (az) - from, of, than
• ⁧⁧با⁩⁩ (bâbâba) - with
• ⁧⁧دَر⁩⁩ (dardardr) - in, at

• ⁧بِه خانِه می‌رَوَم.⁩

  be xâne mi-ravambe khâne mi-ravambh xanh my-rvm

  I am going home.

• ⁧اَز صُبحانِه کَمی نان باقی ماند.⁩

  az ṣobḥâne kami nân bâqi mândaz sobhâne kami nân bâqi mândaz ṣbḥanh kmy nan baqy mand

  Some bread was left over from breakfast.

• ⁧با سَگَش قَدَم می‌زَنَد.⁩

  bâ sagaš qadam mi-zanadbâ sagash qadam mi-zanadba sgš qdm my-znd

  She walks with her dog.

• ⁧دَر یَخچال اَست.⁩

  dar yaxčâl astdar yakhchâl astdr yxčal ast

  It is in the fridge.

02

The Noun-Like Ones

Most other Persian prepositions are really nouns, and they link to what follows with an ezafe - the same ⁧ـِ⁩ (-e) that joins any noun to any other.

• ⁧⁧رویِ⁩⁩ (ru-yeru-yervy) - on
• ⁧⁧زیرِ⁩⁩ (zir-ezir-ezyr) - under
• ⁧⁧بَرایِ⁩⁩ (barây-ebarây-ebray) - for
• ⁧⁧جِلُویِ⁩⁩ (jelo-yejelo-yejlvy) - in front of
• ⁧⁧پُشتِ⁩⁩ (pošt-eposht-epšt) - behind
• ⁧⁧بالایِ⁩⁩ (bâlây-ebâlây-ebalay) - above
• ⁧⁧داخِلِ⁩⁩ (dâxel-edâkhel-edaxl) - inside
• ⁧⁧بِینِ⁩⁩ (beyn-ebeyn-ebyn) - between

• ⁧بُشقابِ مَن رویِ میز اَست.⁩

  bošqâb-e man ru-ye miz astboshqâb-e man ru-ye miz astbšqab-a mn rv-y myz ast

  My plate is on the table.

• ⁧گُربِه زیرِ میز اَست.⁩

  gorbe zir-e miz astgorbe zir-e miz astgrbh zyr-a myz ast

  The cat is under the table.

• ⁧مَن جِلُویِ دَر هَستَم.⁩

  man jelo-ye dar hastamman jelo-ye dar hastammn jlv-y dr hstm

  I am in front of the door.

• ⁧رِستوران بالایِ ایستگاهِ قَطار اَست.⁩

  resturân bâlây-e istgâh-e qaṭâr astresturân bâlây-e istgâh-e qatâr astrstvran balay-a aystgah-a qṭar ast

  The restaurant is above the train station.

03

With a Pronoun

The noun-like prepositions - the ones joined to their noun with an ezafe, such as ⁧⁧بَرایِ⁩⁩ (barây-ebarây-ebray), "for" - take a possessive ending in place of the noun, which is neater than using a separate pronoun.

• ⁧بَرایَم⁩

  barâyambarâyambraym

  for me

• ⁧بَرایَت⁩

  barâyatbarâyatbrayt

  for you

• ⁧وَقتی رَسیدَم، بَرایَت کارت‌پُستال می‌فِرِستَم.⁩

  vaqti rasidam barâyat kârt-postâl mi-ferestamvaqti rasidam barâyat kârt-postâl mi-ferestamvqty rsydm brayt kart-pstal my-frstm

  When I arrive I will send you a postcard.

• ⁧می‌شَوَد بَرایَم مِثالی بِزَنی؟⁩

  mi-šavad barâyam meṯâli bezanimi-shavad barâyam mesâli bezanimy-švd braym mṯaly bzny

  Could you give me an example?

In speech the simple prepositions, which take their noun directly, take endings too: ⁧⁧بِهِش⁩⁩ (behešbeheshbhš), "to him, to her", ⁧⁧اَزَش⁩⁩ (azašazashazš), "from him, from her", ⁧⁧باهاش⁩⁩ (bâhâšbâhâshbahaš), "with him, with her".

04

⁧اَز⁩ (az) Covers a Lot of Ground

One preposition does the work of several English ones - "from", "of", "out of", and "than" after a comparative. With a feeling, it names what the feeling comes from, where English says "to" or "about": pleased "from" meeting someone.

• ⁧اَز مُلاقاتِ شُما خُوش وَقتَم.⁩

  az molâqât-e šomâ xoš vaqtamaz molâqât-e shomâ khosh vaqtamaz mlaqat-a šma xvš vqtm

  I am pleased to meet you.

• ⁧مَردُم دَر حالِ پیادِه شُدَن اَز اُتُوبوس هَستَند.⁩

  mardom dar ḥâl-e piyâde šodan az otobus hastandmardom dar hâl-e piyâde shodan az otobus hastandmrdm dr ḥal-a pyadh šdn az atvbvs hstnd

  People are getting off the bus.

• ⁧این کِشوَر بِسیار بُزُرگ‌تَر اَز بِلژیک اَست.⁩

  in kešvar besiyâr bozorg-tar az belžik astin keshvar besiyâr bozorg-tar az belzhik astayn kšvr bsyar bzrg-tr az blžyk ast

  This country is much bigger than Belgium.