Verbs: Subjunctive Mood

01

Building It

Take the present stem, put ⁧بِ⁩ (be-) in front instead of ⁧می‌⁩ (mi-), and add the ordinary endings.

• ⁧بِرَوَم⁩

  beravamberavambrvm

  that I go

• ⁧بِرَوی⁩

  beraviberavibrvy

  that you go

• ⁧بِرَوَد⁩

  beravadberavadbrvd

  that he go

• ⁧بِرَویم⁩

  beravimberavimbrvym

  that we go

• ⁧بِرَوید⁩

  beravidberavidbrvyd

  that you go

• ⁧بِرَوَند⁩

  beravandberavandbrvnd

  that they go

The prefix is usually ⁧بِ⁩ (be-), but in speech it rounds to ⁧بُ⁩ (bo-) when the verb's own first vowel is an o - ⁧⁧بُخُور⁩⁩ (boxorbokhorbxr), ⁧⁧بُرو⁩⁩ (boroborobr) - so the stem tells you which to use.

02

Where It Turns Up

After ⁧⁧بایَد⁩⁩ (bâyadbâyadbayd), "must":

• ⁧مَن بایَد بِرَوَم.⁩

  man bâyad beravamman bâyad beravammn bayd brvm

  I must go.

• ⁧بایَد بِه سوپِرمارکِت بِرَوَم.⁩

  bâyad be supermârket beravambâyad be supermârket beravambayd b svprmarkt brvm

  I have to go to the supermarket.

After ⁧⁧می‌خواهَم⁩⁩ (mi-xâhammi-khâhammy-xahm), "I want":

• ⁧می‌خواهَم پیتزا بُخُورَم.⁩

  mi-xâham pitzâ boxorammi-khâham pitzâ bokhorammy-xahm pytza bxrm

  I want to eat pizza.

• ⁧مَن می‌خواهَم این گیاه را بِخَرَم.⁩

  man mi-xâham in giyâh râ bexaramman mi-khâham in giyâh râ bekharammn my-xahm ayn gyyah ra bxrm

  I want to buy this plant.

After ⁧⁧می‌تَوانَم⁩⁩ (mi-tavânammi-tavânammy-tvanm), "I can":

• ⁧می‌تَوانَم بیشتَر بِمانَم.⁩

  mi-tavânam bištar bemânammi-tavânam bishtar bemânammy-tvanm byštr bmanm

  I can stay longer.

And after ⁧⁧تا⁩⁩ (tâtâta), "so that":

• ⁧اَلان دارَم دَرس می‌خوانَم تا بِتَوانَم اِمتِحان بِدَهَم.⁩

  alân dâram dars mi-xânam tâ betavânam emteḥân bedahamalân dâram dars mi-khânam tâ betavânam emtehân bedahamalan darm drs my-xanm ta btvanm amtḥan bdhm

  I am studying now so that I can sit the exam.

03

The Second Verb Is Conjugated Too

Where English drops into a bare infinitive - "I want to go" - Persian conjugates the second verb too, for whoever does it. Usually that is the same person as the first verb, but after wanting it can be someone else, and the ending alone says who - where English needs "I want you to".

• ⁧اَلان بایَد بِرَویم.⁩

  alân bâyad beravimalân bâyad beravimalan bayd brvym

  We must go now.

• ⁧می‌خواهَم بَرنامِه‌ریزی کُنی.⁩

  mi-xâham barnâme-rizi konimi-khâham barnâme-rizi konimy-xahm brnam-ryzy kny

  I want you to make a plan.

04

Compound Verbs Usually Drop the بِ (be-)

A verb built from a noun plus a light verb normally leaves the prefix off. It is not wrong to include it, but it sounds stiff.

• ⁧بایَد صُحبَت کُنیم.⁩

  bâyad ṣoḥbat konimbâyad sohbat konimbayd ṣḥbt knym

  We must talk.

• ⁧بایَد تَمرین کُنی.⁩

  bâyad tamrin konibâyad tamrin konibayd tmryn kny

  You must practise.