Subordination with کِه

01

Introducing a Clause

After a verb of saying, knowing or thinking, ⁧⁧کِه⁩⁩ (kekekh) introduces what was said or known.

• ⁧دُکتُرَم می‌گویَد کِه مَن یِک هَفتِه مُرخَصی خواهَم بود.⁩

  doktoram mi-guyad ke man yek hafte morxaṣi xâham buddoktoram mi-guyad ke man yek hafte morkhasi khâham buddktrm my-gvyd kh mn yk hfth mrxṣy xvahm bvd

  My doctor says that I will be off for a week.

• ⁧او اَز قَبل می‌دانَد کِه مَن بیمار هَستَم.⁩

  u az qabl mi-dânad ke man bimâr hastamu az qabl mi-dânad ke man bimâr hastamav az qbl my-dand kh mn bymar hstm

  She already knows that I am ill.

• ⁧فِکر می‌کُنَم دیگَر غَذایی باقی نَماندِه اَست.⁩

  fekr mi-konam digar ġaḏâyi bâqi namânde astfekr mi-konam digar ghazâyi bâqi namânde astfkr my-knm dygr ġḏayy baqy nmandh ast

  I think there is no food left.

That last sentence has no ⁧⁧کِه⁩⁩ (kekekh) at all - it is very often dropped, exactly as English drops "that".

02

As a Relative Pronoun

⁧⁧کِه⁩⁩ (kekekh) also attaches a describing clause to a noun, whether the noun is a person, a thing or a place.

• ⁧آن مَردِ جَوان کِه آنجا اَست، شُوهَرَت اَست؟⁩

  ân mard-e javân ke ânjâ ast šoharat astân mard-e javân ke ânjâ ast shoharat astan mrd-a jvan kh anja ast švhrt ast

  Is that young man who is over there your husband?

• ⁧مَن دَر روستایی زِندِگی می‌کُنَم کِه گاوهایِ زیادی دارَد.⁩

  man dar rustâyi zendegi mi-konam ke gâvhây-e ziyâdi dâradman dar rustâyi zendegi mi-konam ke gâvhây-e ziyâdi dâradmn dr rvstayy zndgy my-knm kh gavhay-a zyady dard

  I live in a village that has many cows.

• ⁧یِک جُفت کَفشی کِه دوست دارید، اِنتِخاب کُنید.⁩

  yek joft kafši ke dust dârid entexâb konidyek joft kafshi ke dust dârid entekhâb konidyk jft kfšy kh dvst daryd antxab knyd

  Choose a pair of shoes that you like.

03

The Noun Takes an Ending

Notice ⁧⁧روستایی⁩⁩ (rustâyirustâyirvstayy) in "a village that has many cows" and ⁧⁧کَفشی⁩⁩ (kafšikafshikfšy) in "a pair of shoes that you like". A noun that a relative clause with ⁧⁧کِه⁩⁩ (kekekh) is about to define usually takes the indefinite ⁧ی⁩ (-i) - it is a signal that more information is on its way.

04

⁧اینکِه⁩ (inke)

Where a whole clause has to behave like a noun - to follow a preposition, or to be set against something else - ⁧⁧کِه⁩⁩ (kekekh) joins ⁧⁧این⁩⁩ (ininayn) in front of it to make ⁧⁧اینکِه⁩⁩ (inkeinkeaynkh), "the fact that". The clause can then go wherever a noun could.

• ⁧با وُجودِ اینکِه پولِ زیادی دارَم، نِمی‌تَوانَم یِک ماشین بِخَرَم.⁩

  bâ vojud-e inke pul-e ziyâdi dâram nemi-tavânam yek mâšin bexarambâ vojud-e inke pul-e ziyâdi dâram nemi-tavânam yek mâshin bekharamba vjvd-a aynkh pvl-a zyady darm nmy-tvanm yk mašyn bxrm

  Even though I have a lot of money, I cannot buy a car.

• ⁧شُما بایَد دَر را فِشار دَهید، نَه اینکِه آن را بِکِشید.⁩

  šomâ bâyad dar râ fešâr dahid na inke ân râ bekešidshomâ bâyad dar râ feshâr dahid na inke ân râ bekeshidšma bayd dr ra fšar dhyd nh aynkh an ra bkšyd

  You should push the door, not pull it.

In the first, ⁧⁧اینکِه⁩⁩ (inkeinkeaynkh) makes the clause the object of ⁧⁧با وُجودِ⁩⁩ (bâ vojud-ebâ vojud-eba vjvd), "in spite of"; in the second it sets one clause against another after ⁧⁧نَه⁩⁩ (nananh).

05

In Time Expressions

⁧⁧کِه⁩⁩ (kekekh) also builds expressions of time. After a stretch of time it says how long something has been the case; after ⁧⁧وَقتی⁩⁩ (vaqtivaqtivqty), "time", it makes a clause meaning "when" or, with ⁧⁧تا⁩⁩ (tâtâta) in front, "until".

• ⁧نُه سال اَست کِه نَدیدِه‌اَمَت!⁩

  noh sâl ast ke nadide-amatnoh sâl ast ke nadide-amatnh sal ast kh ndydh-amt

  It has been nine years since I last saw you!

• ⁧تا وَقتی کِه گُواهینامِه‌یِ رانَندِگی نَگیرَم، نِمی‌تَوانَم رانَندِگی کُنَم.⁩

  tâ vaqti ke govâhinâme-ye rânandegi nagiram nemi-tavânam rânandegi konamtâ vaqti ke govâhinâme-ye rânandegi nagiram nemi-tavânam rânandegi konamta vqty kh gvahynamh-y ranndgy ngyrm nmy-tvanm ranndgy knm

  Until I get a driving licence, I cannot drive.