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Persian Writing – Useful Drills 18

As you know, practice makes perfect! These useful drills present even more new words for you to add to this week’s lesson. This will not only build your Persian vocabulary, but also help you learn to read and write Farsi more quickly and confidently.

Note: Before doing these homeworks, make sure you have learned the previous words fluently.

New words:

To be = /bu:dæn/.

Budan

I was = /mæn bu:dæm/.

Man budam

They were not = /a:nha: næbu:dænd/.

Anha nabudand

I was at home = /mæn dær kha:neh bu:dæm/.

Man dar khaneh budam

At/in = /dær/.

Home = /kha:neh/.

Khaneh

Street = /khiya:ba:n/.

Khiyaban

In street = /dær khiya:ba:n/.

Dar khiyaban

To come = /a:mædæn/

Amadan

She came = /u: a:mæd/

u amad

She didn’t come = /u: næya:mæd/

U nayamad

Teacher = /moæl.lem/.

Moallem

/l.lem/ means that the letter ‘L’ is emphasized: Tashdid.

Week = /hæfteh/.

Hafteh

Last = /gozæshteh/.

Gozashteh

Last week = /hæfteh ye gozæshteh/.

Hafteh ye gozashteh

Absent = /gha:yeb/.

Ghayeb

Homework = /mæshgh/.

Mashgh

To do homework = /mæshgh neveshtæn/. Delete /nu:n/ and you’ll have /mæshgh nevesht/. I did my homework. /mæn mæshghæm ra: neveshtæm/.

Man mashgham ra neveshtam

Letter = /na:meh/.

Nameh

This week = /in hæfteh/

To talk to somebody = /ba: ‘somebody’ sohbæt kærdæn/.

I talked to him. / mæn ba: u: sohbæt kærdæm/.

Man ba oo sohbat kardam

Boy = /pesær/.

Pesar

This boy = /in pesær/.

Girl = /dokhtær/.

Dokhtar

Night = /shæb/.

Shab

Last night = /dishæb/.

Dishab

Please translate the following sentences into Persian.

Note 1: Just follow the rule: subject + object + time + place + verb. If any of these items is absent, simply skip over it to reach the next one. For example: in ‘ I was at home yesterday’, we have this rule: subject + time + place + verb. Is it clear?

Note 2: Please note that for ‘The + noun’ in English, we have only ‘noun’ in Persian. For example: The door = /dær/.

Note 3: Please do your best to do it all first. Then, if you want to be sure, look for the answers at the bottom of this page. No cheating!!

  1. I saw your friend in the street today.
  2. My teacher didn’t come last week.
  3. My friend was absent yesterday.
  4. She wrote a letter this week.
  5. She didn’t write a letter last week.
  6. They didn’t do their homework last night.
  7. We were not at home last week.
  8. She didn’t talk to her friend yesterday.
  9. My father didn’t build this bridge last year.
  10. This boy broke the window yesterday.
  11. This girl didn’t break the window yesterday.

NOTE: As you know, the structure of sentences in Persian is this: subject + object + time + place + verb. Sometimes, however, ‘time’ could stand before ‘object’ like what you see in this drill (Numbers 4- 5- 6). Either way is Correct. There is a slight difference in them though, but don’t worry, it is not very fatal (at least for beginners)!! I believe I have explained this somewhere during our next lessons. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the lesson’s number!

Note: try to memorize the sentences as much as possible.

Lesson 18

29 Comments

  1. Elie M.
    May 11, 2012 @ 3:38 pm

    Salam,

    I have few questions concerning certain details in the exercise of Useful Drills 18.

    First, in sentences like the fourth, why did the sentence structure change: instead of placing the time after the object (او يك نامه اين هفته نوشت), we placed it before the object (او اين هفته يك نامه نوشت) ?
    Second, in the eighth sentence, what does “با” stand for right before “دوستش” ?
    Third, in verbs like “آمدن”, do we always add a “ي” between it and the “ن” added in the beginning of the verb to signify the negative form in simple past tense (نيامد) ?

    Motæshækeræm.

    • Hassan H
      May 14, 2012 @ 10:16 am

      Elie Slam

      First: Both structures are ‘almost’ the same. As a beginner, you don’t need to worry about their difference.

      Second: to speak ‘with’ somebody = ‘ba’ kesi sohbat kardan => with = ba

      Third: I have to be very careful when issuing a general rule, but as far as I can remember, yes, you can follow the same order (there may be some exceptions though, which I cannot think of now).
      Ex:
      amadan => nayamad (negative)
      avordan => nayavord
      ashamidan => nayashamid

      Hope this helps,
      Best,
      Hassan

      • Elie M.
        May 14, 2012 @ 12:03 pm

        Thank you very much.
        Your reply was helpful indeed, I appreciate it.

  2. shahab wali
    July 4, 2012 @ 12:00 am

    hello,sir..there is a question for you,of 4rth sentence”she wrote a letter this week”if i translate it as”oo yek nama ra een hafta nawasht”so will it be right??

  3. Nadege
    July 23, 2012 @ 12:58 am

    Hello everyone!
    Thank you for this wonderful website.
    I’m wondering how you actually type ” Persian letters” on your computers using the key board?
    I will really appreciate your help.
    Thank you
    Nadege

  4. Laura di Lucca
    July 26, 2012 @ 5:12 pm

    at the example 6, you wrote “their homework” mashgshan, should it be like mashghand?

  5. Hanane The Noble Spirit
    September 2, 2012 @ 6:16 pm

    Salam
    Hafteh ye gozashteh, where is the “ye” in the persian writing form???
    Thank you very much fo these lessons.

  6. behindtheberezina
    September 4, 2012 @ 12:15 am

    I would love to know how you all type with Persian letters at will
    .

    • 아브데시
      June 20, 2013 @ 5:03 am

      You can configure tge keyboard in your pc or laptop while doing slight changes in control panel. I have installed the same by following some easy steps through control panel key board settings.

    • Agathe
      October 6, 2016 @ 9:32 pm

      or you can simply use a website such as this one http://www.lexilogos.com/keyboard/persian.htm ;)

  7. Ziplaboum
    January 24, 2013 @ 6:49 pm

    Salam
    why, sentence 4, there is no “ra” after the object nameh ?Thanks for the answer

    • Vaulson
      July 30, 2016 @ 11:30 am

      Ra is not needed if a number already showed behind the noun

  8. Mona-Lisa
    April 18, 2013 @ 10:49 am

    Thank you for today’s lesson. Perfect drill. I enjoy every moment. I will try to remember when to use the different “last”. English is not my native language.
    Mona-Lisa

  9. nabila
    July 14, 2013 @ 12:28 am

    salam,,
    i amjust wondering where is the ”ye” in word ”hafteh gozashteh”??

    anyway thanks for the lessons,,i hope you will reply as soon as possible

    • leveni
      August 2, 2013 @ 11:01 am

      ‘ye’ is like a possessive marker, kind of like ‘of’. so hafteh gozashteh is pronounced hafteh ye gozashteh. ‘week of last’.
      In persian: week = هفته, last = گذشته, of = ی.
      Oh, I see your point now. there is no ی. That is because of the rules of the writing system in Persian. if ‘ye ی’ is followed by ‘h ه’ it is not written down, but it is still pronounced.
      That is a great question!

  10. Ushna
    October 28, 2013 @ 9:43 pm

    Can I just say it is so satisfying to be able to translate from english to persian after having read only 18 webpages! The feeling is amazing; I didn’t have much hopes of learning any language online but this is incredible. Thank you so much.

  11. Mathias Nilsson
    April 28, 2014 @ 4:01 pm

    Hi!
    Is there anyone who can explain why there is no “ra” in the forth sentence?
    Thanks for a wonderful website

    • Jan
      June 12, 2014 @ 8:18 am

      Because it was “A letter” NOT “the letter”. You do not use “ra” in that case. It is explained in previous lesson at the bottom of the drills, under QUESTIONS: https://www.easypersian.com/drills/persian-writing-useful-drills-17/

      • Jan
        June 12, 2014 @ 8:20 am

        “Ra” would point to a specific letter, but this wasn’t a specific letter, just “A letter”

  12. Muhammad Usman
    July 20, 2014 @ 11:45 am

    Salam,
    Man az Shumeh Tashakur krdum.
    First post in Farsi.
    Thank you again for your lessons.

  13. Jenette
    January 28, 2015 @ 10:57 am

    Do you also have the ‘writing/finglisch’ translation for the sentences? It’s a bit to difficult yet to do it or correct it afterwards without. Thank you.

  14. ساشا
    August 2, 2015 @ 3:59 pm

    I have a question related with the word absent (غایب ). Does this word, since it is going after “time” and doesn’t represent “location” produces something like compound verb غایب بودن?
    Also, I would like to thank for very clear and comprehensive lessons.

  15. Mira
    October 8, 2015 @ 1:58 pm

    Hi you all!

    I have a question about the sentence “I talked to him”. Why is there no ra after او

    I love this site!

  16. Jaissica
    April 23, 2016 @ 3:54 pm

    Hello!
    I haven’t started yet to learn writing and reading, so could anyone confirm if my answers are right? thank you! :)

    1. Man doostat dar khiyaban emrooz didam.
    2. Moalleman hafteh ye gozashteh nayamad.
    3. Doostat dirooz ghayeb bud.
    4. Oo in hafteh yek nameh nevesht.
    5. Oo hafteh ye gozashteh yeh nameh nanevesht.
    6. Anha mashgham ra dishab naneveshtand.
    7. Ma khaneh ra hafteh ye gozashteh nabud.
    8. Oo dirooz ba doostash sohbat nakard.
    9. Pedaram par saal in pol ra nasakh.
    10. In pisar panjereh ra dirooz shekest.
    11. In docktar panjereh ra dirooz nashekest.

  17. Sam
    May 15, 2016 @ 11:17 am

    Hi,

    Can I ask how you would pronounce a negative verb that also starts with the ‘N’ sound? So for example, how do you pronounce ‘didn’t write’, as there is a repeat of the same sound twice at the beginning of the word?

    Thanks a lot :)

  18. Aly
    October 9, 2016 @ 1:02 pm

    Why by the sentence #6 “They didn’t do their homework last night” “Ra” came before the verb and usually should be before the object. Persian poets are famous worldwide but for beginner of the persian language children poems and volks stories will be more accurate and easy for beginner to have more relation to this wonderful language maybe after the lessons # 100 you may start with the Persian poems.

  19. Aly
    October 9, 2016 @ 1:15 pm

    You may kindly explain your comment. I didn’t see anything wrong or harm in my email