Prepositions are an essential part of any language, including Persian. Prepositions are words that show the relationship between two or more elements in a sentence. In Persian, prepositions are called “حرف اضافه” (harf-e ezafi) and are used to indicate the position, direction, time, and manner of an action.
In this article, we will discuss prepositions in Persian, their types, and some common examples of their usage.
Types of Prepositions in Persian:
In Persian, prepositions can be divided into four main types:
- Simple Prepositions: These are the most basic type of prepositions and consist of a single word that expresses the relationship between two elements in a sentence. Examples of simple prepositions in Persian include:
- برای (barāy) meaning “for”
- با (bā) meaning “with”
- در (dar) meaning “in”
- به (be) meaning “to”
- از (az) meaning “from”
- Compound Prepositions: These prepositions are formed by combining two or more words to express a more complex relationship between two elements in a sentence. Examples of compound prepositions in Persian include:
- در مورد (dar mowred) meaning “about”
- با توجه به (bā tawjoh be) meaning “in consideration of”
- بجز (bejoz) meaning “except for”
- به جز (be joz) meaning “apart from”
- Prepositional Phrases: These prepositions are made up of a preposition and a noun, pronoun, or gerund. Examples of prepositional phrases in Persian include:
- در انتظار (dar entezār) meaning “waiting for”
- با من (bā man) meaning “with me”
- بدون کار (bedun kār) meaning “without work”
- در حال خواندن (dar hāl-e khāndan) meaning “in the act of reading”
- Adverbial Phrases: These prepositions modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, indicating time, manner, or place. Examples of adverbial phrases in Persian include:
- آرام آرام (ārām-ārām) meaning “slowly, gradually”
- همیشه (hamishe) meaning “always”
- درست (dorost) meaning “correctly, accurately”
- بالا (bālā) meaning “up, upward”
Usage of Prepositions in Persian:
The usage of prepositions in Persian can vary depending on the context of the sentence. However, some common usage of prepositions in Persian include:
- Location: Prepositions in Persian are used to indicate the location of an object or person. For example:
- کتاب در میز است. (ketāb dar miz ast.) meaning “The book is on the table.”
- پسر از کنار خانه رد شد. (pesar az kenār-e khāne radd shod.) meaning “The boy walked by the house.”
- Time: Prepositions in Persian are used to indicate time. For example:
- من ساعت ۶ صبح بیدار میشوم. (man sāʿat-e shesh-e sobh bidār mishavam.) meaning “I wake up at 6 in the morning.”
- مراسم ساعت ۸ شب شروع میشود.