The Indefinite ی — Persian Grammar

Persian has no word for "the" and no word that must be used for "a". A bare noun stands for the definite thing, or for the whole class of things, depending on context. When you do want to mark something as indefinite - one of a kind, not yet identified - you add an unstressed ⁧ی⁩ (-i) to the end.

The Basic Form

⁧مُشکِلی⁩
moškelimoshkelimškly
a problem
⁧شُغلی⁩
šoġlishoghlišġly
a job
⁧سُوالی⁩
sovâlisovâlisvaly
a question
⁧آهَنگی⁩
âhangiâhangiahngy
a song

The ending is unstressed, which keeps it distinct from a stressed final ⁧ی⁩ (-i) that makes adjectives and abstract nouns.

After a Vowel

A noun ending in a vowel needs a little help carrying the ending. After the silent ⁧ه⁩ (he) an ⁧ا⁩ (alef) appears; after ⁧ا⁩ (alef) or ⁧و⁩ (vâv) the ⁧ی⁩ (ye) simply doubles.

⁧جَعبِه‌ای⁩
jaʿbe-ija'be-ijʿb-ay
a box
⁧چِهرِه‌ای⁩
čehre-ichehre-ičhr-ay
a face
⁧روستایی⁩
rustâyirustâyirvstayy
a village

The Other Way: ⁧یِک⁩ (yek)

(yekyekyk) means "one", and placed before a noun it does much the same job as the English "a". It is the commoner choice in speech, and the two can be combined for emphasis.

⁧یِک کِتاب⁩
yek ketâbyek ketâbyk ktab
a book
⁧یِک مُشکِل دارَم.⁩
yek moškel dâramyek moshkel dâramyk mškl darm
I have a problem.
⁧مُشکِلی دارَم.⁩
moškeli dârammoshkeli dârammškly darm
I have a problem.

The last two are near enough the same. (yekyekyk) points a little more at singleness, the ⁧ی⁩ (-i) ending a little more at vagueness.

With a Following Clause

The indefinite ending also does a second job: it marks a noun that a relative clause is about to define. English does this with "the ... that ..."; Persian puts ⁧ی⁩ (-i) on the noun and (kekek) in front of the clause.

⁧کاری نیست کِه نَتَوانَد اَنجام دَهَد.⁩
kâri nist ke natavânad anjâm dahadkâri nist ke natavânad anjâm dahadkary nyst k ntvand anjam dhd
There is nothing it cannot do.
⁧یِک جُفت کَفشی کِه دوست دارید⁩
yek joft kafši ke dust dâridyek joft kafshi ke dust dâridyk jft kfšy k dvst daryd
a pair of shoes that you like

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Persian course

48 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 10. A few of them, with the words “The Indefinite ی” is about in bold:

احساس خوبی دارم! من مریض نیستم. من سالم هستم.
eḥsâs-e xubi dâram! man mariḍ nistam. man sâlem hastam.ehsâs-e khubi dâram! man mariz nistam. man sâlem hastam.aḥsas xvby darm! mn mryḍ nystm. mn salm hstm.
I feel great! I am not sick. I am healthy.
Lesson 64
پس از دوباره فکر کردن، این ایده‌ی بدی است.
pas az dobâre fekr kardan, in ide-ye badi ast.pas az dobâre fekr kardan, in ide-ye badi ast.ps az dvbarh fkr krdn, ayn aydh-y bdy ast.
On second thought, that is a bad idea.
Lesson 338
آن بچه بینی بانمکی دارد.
ân bačče bini-ye bânamaki dârad.ân bachche bini-ye bânamaki dârad.an bčh byny banmky dard.
That baby has a cute nose.
Lesson 389

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