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Prepositions
A1·BeginnerThe little connecting words: from, to, in, with, for
Lesson Overview
12 exercises · Level 2
Grammar Explanation
Prepositions
Persian prepositions come before the noun, exactly like English. Some take ezafe, some don't, that's the only thing to watch.
The Common Ones
| Phonetic | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| az | from / than | az Tehraan (from Tehran) |
| be | to | be khoone (to home) |
| dar / too | in | too maashin (in the car) |
| baa | with | baa man (with me) |
| baraaye | for | baraaye to (for you) |
| ru(-ye) | on | ru-ye miz (on the table) |
| zir(-e) | under | zir-e miz (under the table) |
| bedoon-e | without | bedoon-e to (without you) |
| taa | until | taa farda (until tomorrow) |
Key Points
- dar is written/formal; too is what people say.
- ru, zir, bedoon and a few others take ezafe before the noun: "ru-ye miz", not "ru miz".
- az does double duty: "from" and "than" in comparisons ("bozorgtar az man" = bigger than me).
- Preposition phrases usually sit before the verb, since the verb closes the sentence.
Examples
| Phonetic | Translation |
|---|---|
| az khoone taa madrese | from home to school |
| baa doost-am raftam | I went with my friend |
| in baraaye to-st | This is for you |
| ketaab ru-ye miz-e | The book is on the table |
| bedoon-e to nemiram | I won't go without you |