Progressive with دَر حالِ

01

The Pattern

For an action going on at this very moment: ⁧⁧دَر حالِ⁩⁩ (dar ḥâl-edar hâl-edr ḥal), then the infinitive, then "to be". Literally it says "is in the state of eating".

• ⁧مَرد دَر حالِ خُوردَن اَست.⁩

  mard dar ḥâl-e xordan astmard dar hâl-e khordan astmrd dr ḥal-a xvrdn ast

  The man is eating.

• ⁧ما دَر حالِ خواندَنِ یِک کِتاب هَستیم.⁩

  mâ dar ḥâl-e xândan-e yek ketâb hastimmâ dar hâl-e khândan-e yek ketâb hastimma dr ḥal-a xvandn-a yk ktab hstym

  We are reading a book.

• ⁧مَن دَر حالِ تَماشایِ یِک فیلم هَستَم.⁩

  man dar ḥâl-e tamâšây-e yek film hastamman dar hâl-e tamâshây-e yek film hastammn dr ḥal-a tmašay-a yk fylm hstm

  I am watching a film.

The person is carried entirely by the "to be" at the end. The infinitive in the middle never changes.

02

With an Object

In the ⁧⁧دَر حالِ⁩⁩ (dar ḥâl-edar hâl-edr ḥal) progressive, the infinitive is a noun, grammatically speaking, so an object hangs off it with an ezafe rather than standing free.

• ⁧او دَر حالِ خُوردَنِ یِک سیب اَست.⁩

  u dar ḥâl-e xordan-e yek sib astu dar hâl-e khordan-e yek sib astav dr ḥal-a xvrdn-a yk syb ast

  He is eating an apple.

• ⁧آن‌ها دَر حالِ پُختَنِ ناهار هَستَند.⁩

  ân-hâ dar ḥâl-e poxtan-e nâhâr hastandân-hâ dar hâl-e pokhtan-e nâhâr hastandan-ha dr ḥal-a pxtn-a nahar hstnd

  They are cooking lunch.

Notice ⁧⁧خُوردَنِ⁩⁩ (xordan-ekhordan-exvrdn) and ⁧⁧پُختَنِ⁩⁩ (poxtan-epokhtan-epxtn) - the ezafe on the infinitive, linking it to what is being eaten or cooked.

03

Other Verbs in the Same Frame

The progressive with ⁧⁧دَر حالِ⁩⁩ (dar ḥâl-edar hâl-edr ḥal) is productive, and takes any verb at all.

• ⁧اُتُوبوس‌ها دَر حالِ رَسیدَن بِه ایستگاهِ اُتُوبوس هَستَند.⁩

  otobus-hâ dar ḥâl-e rasidan be istgâh-e otobus hastandotobus-hâ dar hâl-e rasidan be istgâh-e otobus hastandatvbvs-ha dr ḥal-a rsydn bh aystgah-a atvbvs hstnd

  The buses are arriving at the bus stop.

• ⁧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.

• ⁧هَمسَرَم دَر حالِ گوش دادَن بِه آهَنگِ مُورِدِ عَلاقِه‌اَش اَست.⁩

  hamsaram dar ḥâl-e guš dâdan be âhang-e mored-e ʿalâqe-aš asthamsaram dar hâl-e gush dâdan be âhang-e mored-e 'alâqe-ash asthmsrm dr ḥal-a gvš dadn bh ahng-a mvrd-a ʿlaqh-aš ast

  My wife is listening to her favourite song.

04

A Related Phrase

⁧⁧دَر حالِ حاضِر⁩⁩ (dar ḥâl-e ḥâḍerdar hâl-e hâzerdr ḥal-a ḥaḍr) uses the words of the progressive with ⁧⁧دَر حالِ⁩⁩ (dar ḥâl-edar hâl-edr ḥal) to mean "at present", "currently" - a useful fixed expression rather than a verb form.

• ⁧تُو دَر حالِ حاضِر خواب هَستی.⁩

  to dar ḥâl-e ḥâḍer xâb hastito dar hâl-e hâzer khâb hastitv dr ḥal-a ḥaḍr xvab hsty

  You are asleep at the moment.