The Enclitic Copula

01

The Endings

• ⁧ـَم⁩ (-am) - I am
• ⁧ـی⁩ (-i) - you are
• ⁧ـَست⁩ (-ast) - he is, she is, it is
• ⁧ـیم⁩ (-im) - we are
• ⁧ـید⁩ (-id) - you are
• ⁧ـَند⁩ (-and) - they are

Apart from the third person, these are the same syllables that end a Persian verb, which is no accident. Attach them to an adjective, and you have a complete sentence with no separate verb in sight.

• ⁧خَستِه‌اَم.⁩

  xaste-amkhaste-amxst-am

  I am tired.

• ⁧گُرُسنِه‌اَم وَ تِشنِه‌اَم.⁩

  gorosne-am va tešne-amgorosne-am va teshne-amgrsn-am v tšn-am

  I am hungry and thirsty.

• ⁧تُو بامَزِّه‌ای.⁩

  to bâmazze-ito bâmazze-it bamzz-ay

  You are funny.

02

How It Is Written

After a consonant the ending simply follows the letters: ⁧⁧مُتِشَکِّرَم⁩⁩ (motešakkerammoteshakkerammtškkrm) - "I am grateful" - is ⁧⁧مُتِشَکِّر⁩⁩ (motešakkermoteshakkermtškkr) with ⁧ـَم⁩ (-am) on the end. After a word ending in the silent ⁧ه⁩ (he), or in ⁧ی⁩ (ye), an ⁧ا⁩ (alef) appears to carry it, joined by the half-space that Persian uses between such pieces. After ⁧ا⁩ (alef) or ⁧و⁩ (vâv) a ⁧ی⁩ (ye) carries it instead.

• ⁧مَن مُعتَقِدَم زَمین صاف اَست.⁩

  man moʿtaqedam zamin ṣâf astman mo'taqedam zamin sâf astmn mʿtqdm zmyn ṣaf ast

  I believe the earth is flat.

• ⁧خِیلی مُتِاَسِّفَم.⁩

  xeyli moteʾassefamkheyli mote'assefamxyly mtʾssfm

  I am very sorry.

• ⁧آیا آمادِه‌اید؟⁩

  âyâ âmâde-idâyâ âmâde-idaya amad-ayd

  Are you ready?

• ⁧آیا این گُروه را شِنیدِه‌اید؟⁩

  âyâ in goruh râ šenide-idâyâ in goruh râ shenide-idaya ayn grvh ra šnyd-ayd

  Have you heard this band?

The last two show that second case: ⁧⁧آمادِه⁩⁩ (âmâdeâmâdeamad) and ⁧⁧شِنیدِه⁩⁩ (šenideshenidešnyd) both end in the silent ⁧ه⁩ (he), and the ending is written after an ⁧ا⁩ (alef) of its own.

The third person is the odd one. After a consonant it is not attached at all - ⁧⁧اَست⁩⁩ (ast) stays a separate word. After a vowel it loses its alef and joins on as ⁧ست⁩ (-st).

• ⁧این بِهتَرین رِستورانِ دُنیاست.⁩

  in behtarin resturân-e doniyâstin behtarin resturân-e doniyâstayn bhtryn rstvran-a dnyyast

  This is the best restaurant in the world.

• ⁧دیگَر کافی‌ست!⁩

  digar kâfi-stdigar kâfi-stdygr kafy-st

  That is enough!

03

Which One to Use

The short form is the everyday one; the full ⁧⁧هَستَم⁩⁩ (hastamhastamhstm) forms carry a little more weight and are the ones you reach for when the verb needs to be heard - in answer to a question, say, or under contrast. Both of these are perfectly ordinary Persian:

• ⁧مَن مَریض هَستَم.⁩

  man mariḍ hastamman mariz hastammn mryḍ hstm

  I am ill.

• ⁧خَستِه‌اَم.⁩

  xaste-amkhaste-amxst-am

  I am tired.