Subordination with کِه

01

Introducing a Clause

After a verb of saying, knowing or thinking, ⁧⁧کِه⁩⁩ (kekek) 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 k mn yk hft mrxṣy xahm 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 k 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 nmand ast

  I think there is no food left.

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

02

As a Relative Pronoun

The same word 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 k anja ast šhrt 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 k gavhay-a zyyady 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 k dvst daryd antxab knyd

  Choose a pair of shoes that you like.

03

The Noun Takes an Ending

Notice ⁧⁧روستایی⁩⁩ (rustâyirustâyirvstayy) and ⁧⁧کَفشی⁩⁩ (kafšikafshikfšy) above. A noun that a relative clause 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 (kekek) joins ⁧⁧این⁩⁩ (ininayn) in front of it to make ⁧⁧اینکِه⁩⁩ (inkeinkeaynk), "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 aynk pvl-a zyyady 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 n aynk an ra bkšyd

  You should push the door, not pull it.

In the first, ⁧⁧اینکِه⁩⁩ (inkeinkeaynk) 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 (nanan).

05

In Time Expressions

⁧⁧کِه⁩⁩ (kekek) 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 نَدیدَمَت!⁩

  noh sâl ast ke nadidamatnoh sâl ast ke nadidamatnh sal ast k ndydmt

  It has been nine years since I 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 k gvahynam-y ranndgy ngyrm nmy-tvanm ranndgy knm

  Until I get a driving licence, I cannot drive.