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

An unstressed ⁧ی⁩ (-i) on the end of a noun marks it as indefinite, like English "a".

⁧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.

On the Last Word of the Phrase

When an adjective follows the noun, the indefinite ending ⁧ی⁩ (-i) does not stay on the noun. It goes on the last word of the whole phrase - the adjective - and the noun keeps its ezafe.

⁧روزِ خوبی⁩
ruz-e xubiruz-e khubirvz-a xvby
a good day
⁧خانِوادِه‌یِ بُزُرگی⁩
xânevâde-ye bozorgikhânevâde-ye bozorgixanvadh-y bzrgy
a large family
⁧مَن پولِ زیادی نَدارَم.⁩
man pul-e ziyâdi nadâramman pul-e ziyâdi nadârammn pvl-a zyady ndarm
I do not have a lot of money.

After a Vowel

A noun ending in a vowel needs a little help carrying the indefinite ending ⁧ی⁩ (-i). After the silent ⁧ه⁩ (he) an ⁧ا⁩ (alef) appears; after ⁧ا⁩ (alef) or ⁧و⁩ (vâv) another ⁧ی⁩ (ye) comes before it, so the word ends in ⁧یی⁩ (-yi).

⁧جَعبِه‌ای⁩
jaʿbe-ija'be-ijʿbh-ay
a box
⁧چِهرِه‌ای⁩
čehre-ichehre-ičhrh-ay
a face
⁧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 a lot of cows.

The Other Way: ⁧یِک⁩ (yek)

(yekyekyk) means "one", and placed before a noun it does much the same job as the English "a" - and as the indefinite ending ⁧ی⁩ (-i). 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 - the unstressed ⁧ی⁩ (-i) - 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 (kekekh) in front of the clause.

⁧کاری نیست کِه نَتَوانَد اَنجام دَهَد.⁩
kâri nist ke natavânad anjâm dahadkâri nist ke natavânad anjâm dahadkary nyst kh 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 kh dvst daryd
a pair of shoes that you like

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Persian course

58 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
شما اولین کسی هستید که متوجه شدید!
šomâ avvalin kasi hastid ke motevajje šodid!shomâ avvalin kasi hastid ke motevajje shodid!šma avlyn ksy hstyd kh mtvjh šdyd!
You are the first person to notice!
Lesson 337
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

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