Farsi Lesson 137 – How to Use Two Verbs in One Sentence – Part Two

Hi eveybody! Welcome back to the class!

Today, we will continue the lesson 136 on ‘using two verbs in one Persian sentence’.

I hope you did not have any problems with lesson 136.

Today, we are going to have some more examples to make sure everybody understood this lesson perfectly.

Please go through the followings patiently.

1- I asked her to go.

To ask = خواستن /kha:stæn/.

To go = رفتن /ræftæn/.

Question: who is supposed to go?

Of course I know that you know the answer. I just wanted to make sure if I knew the right answer!

So, your answer is totally correct!

‘She’ is asked to go. Therefore, in your Persian sentence, the second verb ‘to go’ should refer to ‘third person’, which in this sentence is ‘her = she’.

I asked her to go = از او خواستم برود /æz u: kha:stæm berævæd/.

You could also say, ‘ من از او خواستم برود ‘ – which is the same as the first sentence.

You see how sugar this Persian is!! I should have called myself ‘Hassan the Sugarist’!!! Not, Hassan ‘the Persian language teacher’!!

All right,

Now let’s continue with the above sentence.

I asked her to go.

You asked her to go.

She/he asked her to go.

We asked her to go.

You asked her to go.

They asked her to go.

My father asked her to go.

Your mother asked her to go.

Her brother asked her to go.

Your sister asked her to go.

People asked her to go.

Her neighbors asked her to go.

Her teacher asked her to go.

Enough? Or, should I continue?!

You try based on the explanation given in this lesson. But, worry not!! You may find the correct answers on Useful Drills page. First, give it a try.

Second example:

I hope you can come.

To hope = امیدوار بودن /omidva:r bu:dæn/.

To come = آمدن /a:mædæn/.

I hope you can come = امیدوارم بتوانید بیایید /omidva:ræm betæva:nid bia:eed/.

Seems difficult!!

Do you know why?

Because we simply missed the second verb in our English sentence! The second verb in our English sentence is ‘to can’, which seems a bit odd for those who deal with English language as their second language. ‘To can’ does not seem to be very popular! That’s this word’s problem! This word is not strong enough to get people’s attention! So, foreigners know it mainly as an auxiliary word.

So,

To can = توانستن /tæva:nestæn/.

As you see, the Iranians have treated this word as a very main verb in their language! That’s part of our culture. We do not kill the weak!!!

Ok,

‘can’ and ‘come’ refer to ‘you’ in our sentence. Therefore, they should refer to ‘you’ in our Persian sentence. How?

I hope = امیدوارم /omidva:ræm/.

You can = می توانی /mitæva:ni/ – or: می توانید /mitæva:nid/, which is more polite.

You come = می آیی /mi a: i:/.

Do not be afraid!

As our rule, the first verb does not change. So, we go for other verbs.

You can = می توانی /mitæva:ni/ => بتوانی or: می توانید /mitæva:nid/ => بتوانید

The problem seems gone!

I hope you can come = امیدوارم بتوانید بیایید /omidva:ræm betæva:nid bia:eed/.

I hope she can come = امیدوارم بتواند بیاید /omidva:ræm betæva:næd biya:yæd/.

I hope they can come =>

I hope your friend can come => امیدوارم دوستت بتواند بیاید

I hope the guests can come.

Guest = مهمان

Guests = مهمانان = مهمان ها

I hope everybody can come =>

Everybody = همه => this word comes with ‘plural from of verb’, like what we see in ‘they can come’.

My mother hopes she can come. مادرم امیدوار است او بتواند بیاید

My friend hopes your brother can come.

My friends hope you can come.

His family hopes you can come.

Family = خانواده

His family = خانواده اش

Ok, please do your best first and then go to the Useful Drills page for the answers.

See you all soon.

Till then, bye! تا بعد – خدا حافظ /ta: bæd, Khoda: ha:fez/!

Lesson 137

• Useful Drills 137