Intermediate course · Intermediate lesson 10
So far your Persian sentences have been short and simple. This lesson shows you how to join ideas together: Persian relative clauses (“the film that I saw”, “the man who works here”), the word که ke meaning “that”, and the everyday linking words for but, because, before and after. With these you can tell a story instead of listing facts.
The man who… : -i … ke
English has who, which, that and where. Persian uses one word for all of them, که ke. To make a relative clause, add -i to the noun you are describing, then ke, then the rest of the clause. The verb goes at the end, as usual.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| مردی که اینجا کار می‌کنه | mardi ke injâ kâr mikone | the man who works here |
| کتابی که خریدم | ketâbi ke kharidam | the book (that) I bought |
| فیلمی که دیدی | filmi ke didi | the film (that) you saw |
| رستورانی که دیروز رفتیم | restorâni ke diruz raftim | the restaurant we went to yesterday |
| جایی که زندگی می‌کنم | jâyi ke zendegi mikonam | the place where I live |
| اون آقایی که پشت میز نشسته | un âghâyi ke posht-e miz neshaste | that man sitting behind the desk |
This -i looks like the indefinite ending from Intermediate Lesson 1, but here it marks the noun as “the one that…”. After a vowel it becomes -yi: jâ → jâyi, âghâ → âghâyi. You will often hear همون hamun (that same) in front for emphasis: hamun restorâni ke diruz raftim, the very restaurant we went to yesterday.
If the noun already has a possessive ending or is a name, leave out the -i: دوستم که تو شیراز زندگی می‌کنه، فردا میاد dustam ke tu Shirâz zendegi mikone, fardâ miyâd, my friend, who lives in Shiraz, is coming tomorrow.
Grammar note: Unlike English, Persian never drops ke in a relative clause: “the book I bought” must be ketâbi ke kharidam.
When the noun is tied to a preposition inside the clause, Persian repeats it with a pronoun ending: دوستی که باهاش رفتم dusti ke bâhâsh raftam, the friend I went with (literally “the friend that I went with him”). And when the whole phrase is the object of the main verb, ro goes on the noun: فیلمی رو که دیدی دوست داشتی؟ filmi ro ke didi dust dâshti?, did you like the film you saw? (written: filmi râ ke didi).
Ke meaning “that”
After verbs of thinking, knowing and saying, ke introduces what is thought, known or said, just like English “that”. In speech it is often dropped, exactly as in English.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| فکر می‌کنم که دیر شده | fekr mikonam ke dir shode | I think (that) it’s late |
| می‌دونم که وقت نداری | midunam ke vaght nadâri | I know (that) you don’t have time |
| گفت که فردا میاد | goft ke fardâ miyâd | he/she said (that) he/she’s coming tomorrow |
| امیدوارم که خوب باشی | omidvâram ke khub bâshi | I hope (that) you’re well |
Notice that omidvâram (I hope) is followed by the subjunctive bâshi, just like bâyad and shâyad in Intermediate Lesson 3. Persian reports speech as it was said: goft ke fardâ miyâd is literally “he said that he comes tomorrow”.
But, because, before and after
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| و | va / o | and (o between words in speech) |
| ولی | vali | but |
| اما | ammâ | but (a little more formal) |
| چون | chon | because |
| پس | pas | so, therefore |
| یا | yâ | or |
| بعد از اینکه | ba’d az inke | after (+ past) |
| قبل از اینکه | ghabl az inke | before (+ subjunctive) |
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| خسته بودم، ولی رفتم سر کار | khaste budam, vali raftam sar-e kâr | I was tired, but I went to work |
| امروز نمیام چون مریضم | emruz nemiyâm chon marizam | I’m not coming today because I’m ill |
| بعد از اینکه شام خوردیم، رفتیم بیرون | ba’d az inke shâm khordim, raftim birun | after we had dinner, we went out |
| قبل از اینکه بری، به من زنگ بزن | ghabl az inke beri, be man zang bezan | before you go, give me a call |
Grammar note: Ghabl az inke always takes the subjunctive, even when talking about the past: قبل از اینکه بیام ایران، فارسی بلد نبودم ghabl az inke biyâm Irân, fârsi balad nabudam, before I came to Iran, I didn’t speak Persian. Ba’d az inke normally takes the simple past, even for the future: ba’d az inke residi, zang bezan, call when you’ve arrived. With a noun instead of a verb, drop inke: ghabl az kelâs, before class; ba’d az shâm, after dinner.
Dialogue: After the cinema, at a café in north Tehran
Sârâ: اون فیلمی که دیشب دیدی چطور بود؟
Un filmi ke dishab didi chetor bud?
How was that film you saw last night?
Tom: خوب بود، ولی یه کم طولانی بود.
Khub bud, vali ye kam tulâni bud.
It was good, but a bit long.
Sârâ: همون فیلمی که مهسا گفت؟
Hamun filmi ke Mahsâ goft?
The one Mahsa told us about?
Tom: آره. بعد از اینکه تموم شد، رفتیم یه رستورانی که کنار سینماست.
Âre. Ba’d az inke tamum shod, raftim ye restorâni ke kenâr-e sinamâst.
Yes. After it finished, we went to a restaurant that’s next to the cinema.
Sârâ: من نیومدم چون کار داشتم. ولی دفعه‌ی بعد حتماً میام.
Man nayumadam chon kâr dâshtam. Vali daf’e-ye ba’d hatman miyâm.
I didn’t come because I had work. But next time I’ll definitely come.
Tom: قبل از اینکه بریم، بهت پیام می‌دم.
Ghabl az inke berim, behet payâm midam.
Before we go, I’ll message you.
Sârâ: قول؟
Ghowl?
Promise?
Tom: قول!
Ghowl!
Promise!
New here: tamum shod (it finished; written tamâm shod), nayumadam (I didn’t come; written nayâmadam), daf’e-ye ba’d (next time), hatman (definitely) and behet (to you), which you will meet properly in Intermediate Lesson 12. Ye restorâni ke… (a restaurant that…) shows that ye and -i ke happily go together in speech. Looking for somewhere to practise? See our guide to cafés in north Tehran.
Tehran tip: Listen for ke at the very end of a sentence. گفتم که! goftam ke! means “I told you so!” and می‌دونم که! midunam ke! is “I know!”, with a touch of impatience. It is very Tehrani, and best used with friends rather than your landlord.
Practise
- Join the two sentences with ke: ye ketâb kharidam. Ketâb kheyli khube.
- Say “the man who works here”.
- Fill the gap: ___ az inke beri, zang bezan (before you go, call).
- Choose the right verb: ba’d az inke shâm (khordim / bekhorim), raftim birun.
- Say “I’m not coming because I’m tired”.
- Vali or chon? Gerune, ___ kheyli khoshgele (it’s expensive, ___ it’s very pretty).
- Say “I think (that) the bank is closed”.
Show answers
- کتابی که خریدم خیلی خوبه ketâbi ke kharidam kheyli khube (the book I bought is very good).
- مردی که اینجا کار می‌کنه mardi ke injâ kâr mikone.
- ghabl: ghabl az inke beri, zang bezan.
- khordim: ba’d az inke takes the past.
- نمیام چون خسته‌م nemiyâm chon khastam.
- vali: gerune, vali kheyli khoshgele.
- فکر می‌کنم بانک بسته‌ست fekr mikonam (ke) bânk bastast.
Flashcards
Test yourself
Summary
- Relative clauses use -i … ke: ketâbi ke kharidam, the book I bought. Ke covers who, which, that and where.
- Never drop ke in a relative clause; repeat prepositions with a pronoun ending: dusti ke bâhâsh raftam.
- After thinking and saying verbs, ke means “that” and is often dropped in speech.
- Link ideas with vali, ammâ, chon, pas and yâ.
- Ghabl az inke takes the subjunctive; ba’d az inke takes the past.