Progressive with دَر حالِ

01

The Pattern

⁧⁧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 xrdn 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 xandn-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

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 xrdn-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-exrdn) 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 construction 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 hastandatbvs-ha dr ḥal-a rsydn b aystgah-a atbvs 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 pyyad šdn az atbvs 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 b ahng-a mrd-a ʿlaq-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 same words 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 hastit dr ḥal-a ḥaḍr xab hsty

  You are asleep at the moment.