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Counting & the Counter 'Taa'
A1·BeginnerCount things with 'taa', and keep the noun singular
Lesson Overview
12 exercises · Level 2
Grammar Explanation
Counting & the Counter "taa"
To count things in Persian you put taa between the number and the noun. The surprise for English speakers: the noun stays singular.
The Pattern
number + taa + noun (singular)
| Phonetic | Literal | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| se taa ketaab | three unit book | three books |
| do taa sib | two unit apple | two apples |
| panj taa doost | five unit friend | five friends |
Key Points
- Never add -haa after a number: "se taa ketaab", not "se taa ketaab-haa".
- chand taa? = how many?
- taa is optional in formal/written Persian ("se ketaab"), but in speech it's everywhere.
- yek/ye doesn't usually need taa: "ye ketaab" = a/one book.
- Don't confuse the counter taa with the preposition taa (until), same word, different job.
Numbers 1–10
| Phonetic | Number |
|---|---|
| yek | 1 |
| do | 2 |
| se | 3 |
| chahaar | 4 |
| panj | 5 |
| shesh | 6 |
| haft | 7 |
| hasht | 8 |
| noh | 9 |
| dah | 10 |
Counting people
nafar is the person-specific counter: dah nafar daaneshjoo (ten students). The counter can be omitted: dah daaneshjoo. In informal speech, taa is also used with people: dah taa daaneshjoo. Use nafar as the model when explicitly practising the counter for people; do not mark the other forms wrong in an unrestricted translation.