Question Words — Persian Grammar

Persian question words behave unlike the English ones in a way that takes some getting used to: they do not move. They sit where the answer would sit, and the rest of the sentence stays exactly as it was.

The Main Words

These are the ones a beginner meets first:

(čechečh) - what
(kikiky) - who
(kojâkojâkja) - where
(čerâcherâčra) - why
(čeṭorchetorčṭvr) - how
(čeqadrcheqadrčqdr) - how much
(čandchandčnd) - how many
(kodâmkodâmkdam) - which

They Stay in Place

Persian question words do not move to the front of the sentence.

⁧کُجا می‌رَوی؟⁩
kojâ mi-ravikojâ mi-ravikja my-rvy
Where are you going?
⁧دیروز چِه کار کَردی؟⁩
diruz če kâr kardidiruz che kâr kardidyrvz čh kar krdy
What did you do yesterday?
⁧چِرا این کار را کَردید؟⁩
čerâ in kâr râ kardidcherâ in kâr râ kardidčra ayn kar ra krdyd
Why did you do this?
⁧کُدام طَعم را تَرجیح می‌دَهی؟⁩
kodâm ṭaʿm râ tarjiḥ mi-dahikodâm ta'm râ tarjih mi-dahikdam ṭʿm ra trjyḥ my-dhy
Which flavour do you prefer?

In each of these the question word occupies the slot its answer would fill. The verb stays at the end, as it always does.

How Much and How Many

(čeqadrcheqadrčqdr) asks about an amount that is not counted; (čandchandčnd) asks about a number. A price can be asked with either.

⁧این چِقَدر اَست؟⁩
in čeqadr astin cheqadr astayn čqdr ast
How much is this?
⁧قِیمَتَش چَند اَست؟⁩
qeymataš čand astqeymatash chand astqymtš čnd ast
How much is it?
⁧قَدِ این شَلوار چَند اَست؟⁩
qad-e in šalvâr čand astqad-e in shalvâr chand astqd-a ayn šlvar čnd ast
What length are these trousers?
⁧چَند سالَش اَست؟⁩
čand sâlaš astchand sâlash astčnd salš ast
How old is she?

Two Frozen Contractions

(čistchistčyst) is (čechečh) plus (ast), and (kistkistkyst) is (kikiky) plus (ast). They are single words now and never change.

⁧اِسمِ شُما چیست؟⁩
esm-e šomâ čistesm-e shomâ chistasm-a šma čyst
What is your name?
⁧شُغلِ شُما چیست؟⁩
šoġl-e šomâ čistshoghl-e shomâ chistšġl-a šma čyst
What is your job?
⁧جایگُزینِ شُما دَر دَفتَر کیست؟⁩
jâygozin-e šomâ dar daftar kistjâygozin-e shomâ dar daftar kistjaygzyn-a šma dr dftr kyst
Who is your replacement at the office?

(kojâstkojâstkjast) works the same way, from (kojâkojâkja) plus (ast).

⁧غَذا کُجاست؟⁩
ġaḏâ kojâstghazâ kojâstġḏa kjast
Where is the food?
⁧گُربِه کُجاست؟⁩
gorbe kojâstgorbe kojâstgrbh kjast
Where is the cat?

With a Noun

(čechečh) and (kodâmkodâmkdam) can stand in front of a noun, as English "what" and "which" do.

⁧چِه رَنگی می‌خواهید؟⁩
če rangi mi-xâhidche rangi mi-khâhidčh rngy my-xvahyd
What colour would you like?
⁧اِمروز چِه روزی اَست؟⁩
emruz če ruzi astemruz che ruzi astamrvz čh rvzy ast
What day is it today?
⁧کُدام قِسمَتِ جُملِه را مُتِوَجِّه نِمی‌شَوید؟⁩
kodâm qesmat-e jomle râ motevajje nemi-šavidkodâm qesmat-e jomle râ motevajje nemi-shavidkdam qsmt-a jmlh ra mtvjh nmy-švyd
Which part of the sentence do you not understand?

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Persian course

69 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 1. A few of them, with the words “Question Words” is about in bold:

چه احساسی دارید؟ خوب یا بد؟
če eḥsâsi dârid? xub yâ bad?che ehsâsi dârid? khub yâ bad?čh aḥsasy daryd? xvb ya bd?
How are you feeling? Good or bad?
Lesson 61
دختر ما کجاست؟ - او در مدرسه است.
doxtar-e mâ kojâst? - u dar madrese ast.dokhtar-e mâ kojâst? - u dar madrese ast.dxtr ma kjast? - av dr mdrsh ast.
Where is our daughter? - She's at school.
Lesson 242
تو دو بچه‌ی خیلی زیبا داری. آن‌ها چند سالشان است؟
to do bačče-ye xeyli zibâ dâri. ân-hâ čand sâlešân ast?to do bachche-ye kheyli zibâ dâri. ân-hâ chand sâleshân ast?tv dv bčh-y xyly zyba dary. an-ha čnd salšan ast?
You have two very beautiful children. How old are they?
Lesson 264

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