A1 Verb System 4 min read Facile

Passé Simple Persan : J'ai fait, Il est allé (-am, -i, -)

To speak in the past, drop the 'an' from any verb and add your personal ending.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

The simple past describes completed actions; just add the correct personal ending to the past stem of the verb.

  • Find the past stem by removing '-an' from the infinitive (e.g., raftan -> raft).
  • Add the personal ending: -am, -i, - (none), -im, -id, -and.
  • For negatives, add the prefix 'na-' to the beginning of the verb.
Past Stem + Personal Ending = Completed Action (e.g., رفت + م = رفتم)

Overview

Vous trouvez que le passé en anglais est un casse-tête ? Pensez à bought ou caught. Le persan est bien plus relax.
Le passé simple est le fondement de votre apprentissage. C'est ainsi que vous racontez votre week-end à vos amis ou expliquez votre retard à une réunion Zoom. En persan, le passé est incroyablement régulier.
Une fois que vous avez trouvé le radical du passé, vous avez fait 90 % du travail. C'est comme construire avec des LEGO.

How This Grammar Works

Chaque verbe persan a une identité secrète : l'infinitif. Ils se terminent toujours par an (ـن). Pour obtenir le passé, il suffit de couper cette fin.
Ce qui reste est le radical du passé. Par exemple, raftan (aller) devient raft. Ce radical est votre ticket d'or.
Contrairement au français où les verbes changent tout le temps, en persan, le radical reste identique pour chaque personne. Vous ajoutez juste un petit suffixe.

Formation Pattern

1
Suivez ces trois étapes :
2
Commencez par l'infinitif, comme khordan (manger).
3
Retirez le an (ـن) final pour obtenir le radical : khord (خورد).
4
Ajoutez les terminaisons personnelles :
5
Je : -am -> khordam (j'ai mangé)
6
Tu : -i -> khordi (tu as mangé)
7
Il/Elle : PAS DE TERMINAISON -> khord (il a mangé)
8
Nous : -im -> khordim (nous avons mangé)
9
Vous : -id -> khordid (vous avez mangé)
10
Ils/Elles : -and -> khordand (ils ont mangé)
11
La 3ème personne du singulier est juste le radical pur. C'est la forme minimaliste !

When To Use It

Utilisez ce temps pour toute action terminée.
  • Réseaux sociaux : "J'ai posté une story" (estori gozashtam).
  • Quotidien : "J'ai acheté du pain" (nan kharidam).
  • Netflix : "J'ai regardé toute la saison" (tamam-e fasl-o didam).

Common Mistakes

L'erreur la plus courante est de vouloir ajouter une terminaison à la 3ème personne du singulier. Ne dites pas raft-esh, dites simplement raft. N'oubliez pas non plus d'utiliser le pluriel -id pour être poli avec les inconnus.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

Le persan a le passé simple (raftam) et le passé composé (rafte-am). Pour débuter, le passé simple suffit amplement. Ne le confondez pas avec l'imparfait qui utilise le préfixe mi-.

Quick FAQ

Q : Le radical est-il toujours régulier ?

R: Oui ! Enlevez toujours an de l'infinitif.

Q : Comment faire la forme négative ?

R: Ajoutez le préfixe na-. naraftam (je n'ai pas été).

Q : Dois-je utiliser les pronoms ?

R: Généralement non, la terminaison suffit.

Meanings

The simple past is used to describe actions that were completed at a specific time in the past.

1

Completed Action

An action that happened and finished in the past.

“او کتاب را خواند”

“ما ناهار خوردیم”

2

Narrative Past

Used in storytelling to sequence events.

“او وارد شد، سلام کرد و نشست”

“خورشید طلوع کرد”

3

Negative Past

Denying an action occurred.

“من نرفتم”

“او نخورد”

Conjugation of 'Raftan' (To Go)

Pronoun Ending Conjugated Form
Man (I) -am Raftam
To (You) -i Rafti
Ou (He/She) none Raft
Ma (We) -im Raftim
Shoma (You pl.) -id Raftid
Anha (They) -and Raftand

Reference Table

Reference table for Passé Simple Persan : J'ai fait, Il est allé (-am, -i, -)
Person Suffix Example (Raftan - to go)
I (Man) -am raftam (I went)
You (To) -i rafti (You went)
He/She (U) (none) raft (He/She went)
We (Mā) -im raftim (We went)
You pl. (Shomā) -id raftid (You went)
They (Anhā) -and raftand (They went)

Spectre de formalité

Formel
من به فروشگاه رفتم.

من به فروشگاه رفتم. (Daily errand)

Neutre
من به مغازه رفتم.

من به مغازه رفتم. (Daily errand)

Informel
رفتم مغازه.

رفتم مغازه. (Daily errand)

Argot
زدم تو کار مغازه.

زدم تو کار مغازه. (Daily errand)

Anatomy of a Past Tense Verb

Past Verb

The Base

  • Past Stem Infinitive minus -an

The Suffixes

  • -am, -i, -im Personal endings

Formal vs. Informal 'You'

Informal (Friends)
rafti you went
Formal (Boss/Elders)
raftid you went (polite)

How to Conjugate

1

Is the subject He/She/It?

YES
Just use the Past Stem (no ending)
NO
Add the specific personal ending
2

Is it negative?

YES
Add 'na-' prefix
NO ↓

Essential Past Stems

🚶

Movement

  • • raft (went)
  • • āmad (came)
  • • resid (arrived)
✍️

Actions

  • • khord (ate)
  • • did (saw)
  • • nevesht (wrote)
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Examples by Level

1

من دیروز غذا خوردم

I ate food yesterday

2

او به خانه رفت

He went home

3

ما فیلم دیدیم

We watched a movie

4

تو کتاب خواندی

You read a book

1

من دیروز به مدرسه نرفتم

I didn't go to school yesterday

2

آیا تو دیروز کار کردی؟

Did you work yesterday?

3

آنها دیر رسیدند

They arrived late

4

شما چه چیزی خریدید؟

What did you buy?

1

وقتی رسیدم، او رفته بود

When I arrived, he had gone

2

او گفت که دیروز به بازار رفت

He said he went to the market yesterday

3

اگر می‌دانستم، می‌آمدم

If I had known, I would have come

4

او تصمیم گرفت که برود

He decided to go

1

او با دقت نامه را نوشت و امضا کرد

He carefully wrote and signed the letter

2

در آن سال، تغییرات زیادی رخ داد

In that year, many changes occurred

3

او نتوانست حقیقت را بگوید

He could not tell the truth

4

ما به نتیجه نرسیدیم

We did not reach a conclusion

1

او چنان با مهارت سخن گفت که همه تحت تأثیر قرار گرفتند

He spoke with such skill that everyone was impressed

2

او از فرصت استفاده کرد و پیشنهاد داد

He took the opportunity and made a proposal

3

این واقعه مسیر تاریخ را تغییر داد

This event changed the course of history

4

او به ندرت در جلسات شرکت کرد

He rarely participated in the meetings

1

او در آن لحظه به یاد آورد که چه چیزی را فراموش کرده بود

At that moment, he remembered what he had forgotten

2

او با وجود مشکلات، به راه خود ادامه داد

Despite the problems, he continued on his way

3

این تصمیم، سرنوشت او را رقم زد

This decision determined his fate

4

او در نهایت به حقیقت پی برد

He finally realized the truth

Easily Confused

Persian Simple Past: I Did, He Went (-am, -i, -) vs Simple Past vs. Imperfect

Learners often use the simple past for habitual actions.

Persian Simple Past: I Did, He Went (-am, -i, -) vs Simple Past vs. Present Perfect

Learners use simple past when the time is not specified.

Persian Simple Past: I Did, He Went (-am, -i, -) vs Simple Past vs. Past Progressive

Mixing up completed actions with ongoing past actions.

Erreurs courantes

✗

Raftam-am

✓

Raftam

Don't double the pronoun ending.
✗

Na-raft

✓

Naraft

The negative prefix should be attached.
✗

Raft-i-am

✓

Raftam

Incorrect suffix combination.
✗

Raftan-i

✓

Rafti

Using the infinitive instead of the stem.
✗

Man rafti

✓

Man raftam

Subject-verb agreement error.
✗

Raftam diruz

✓

Diruz raftam

Word order preference.
✗

Naraftam-i

✓

Naraftam

Redundant suffix.
✗

Raftam-e

✓

Raftam

Confusing with present perfect.
✗

Raftam-im

✓

Raftim

Incorrect pluralization.
✗

Naraft-am

✓

Naraftam

Incorrect prefix placement.
✗

Raftam-e-bud

✓

Raftam

Over-complicating the tense.
✗

Raft-e

✓

Raft

Incorrect third-person suffix.
✗

Naraft-e

✓

Naraft

Incorrect negation.

Sentence Patterns

من دیروز ___ کردم.

آیا تو ___ رفتی؟

ما ___ را ندیدیم.

او گفت که ___ کرد.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

کجا رفتی؟

Job Interview very common

من در آن پروژه کار کردم.

Travel common

من بلیط را خریدم.

Social Media common

امروز خیلی خوش گذشت!

Food Delivery occasional

من پیتزا سفارش دادم.

News Report constant

رئیس جمهور سخنرانی کرد.

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🎯

Drop the Pronoun

Persian is a 'pro-drop' language. Since the verb ending tells you who the subject is, you don't need to say 'Man' or 'To' every time. It makes you sound more like a native!
⚠️

The Silent 3rd Person

Remember: He/She (U) never takes an ending in the past tense. If you add one, people will still understand you, but it's a dead giveaway that you're a beginner.
💬

Politeness Matters

Always use the plural 'you' (-id) when talking to someone you don't know well, even if it's just one person. It's the Persian way of being respectful.

Smart Tips

Always learn the infinitive and past stem together.

Learning 'raftan'. → Learning 'raftan' (raft).

The 'na-' prefix is always attached.

Na raftam. → Naraftam.

Focus on the ending sound.

Raft-am. → Raftam.

Use time markers to clarify.

Raftam. → Diruz raftam.

Prononciation

raf-TAM

Stress

Stress usually falls on the last syllable of the stem.

Question

Rafti? ↑

Rising pitch at the end indicates a question.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Remember 'Past is a Blast': Take the stem, add the ending, and you're done!

Visual Association

Imagine a train (the verb) arriving at a station (the past). The passengers (the endings) hop on at the end of the train.

Rhyme

Take the stem and add the bit, now you've made the past of it!

Story

Yesterday, I (raftam) to the store. I (kharidam) bread. I (khordam) lunch. It was a good day.

Word Web

RaftanKhandanKhardanDidanNeveshtanGoftan

Défi

Write 5 sentences about what you did this morning in 5 minutes.

Notes culturelles

In casual speech, the final 'd' in 'raftand' is often dropped.

Always use the full 'd' ending in writing.

The simple past is the primary tense for historical narration.

The Persian simple past is derived from the Old Persian past participle.

Conversation Starters

“

دیروز چه کار کردی؟

“

آخر هفته کجا رفتی؟

“

اولین باری که به ایران آمدی چه حسی داشتی؟

“

در دوران کودکی چه بازی‌هایی انجام دادی؟

Journal Prompts

Write about your favorite childhood memory.
Describe your last vacation in detail.
Write a short story about a mysterious event.
Reflect on a major decision you made last year.
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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'did' (to see/watch).

Man film rā ____. (I watched the movie)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: didam
The suffix for 'I' (Man) is -am. The stem of 'did-an' is 'did'.
Which sentence is correct for 'He went'? Choix multiple

Choose the right option:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: U raft.
In Persian simple past, the 3rd person singular (He/She) takes no ending.
Fix the mistake in this sentence: 'Mā ghazā khord.' Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Mā ghazā khord.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Mā ghazā khordim.
The subject 'Mā' (We) requires the ending -im.

Score: /3

Exercices pratiques

8 exercises
Conjugate 'raftan' for 'I'.

من به خانه ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: رفتم
The ending for 'I' is -am.
Fix the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

او نرفتم.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: او نرفت
Third person singular has no suffix.
Select the correct negative form. Choix multiple

من غذا ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: نخوردم
Negative for 'I' is 'na-' + stem + '-am'.
Reorder the sentence. Sentence Reorder

دیروز / رفتم / من / بازار

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: من دیروز بازار رفتم
Standard word order is Subject-Time-Object-Verb.
Translate to Persian. Traduction

They arrived.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: آنها رسیدند
Third person plural ending is -and.
Match the pronoun to the ending. Match Pairs

Match: Man, To, Ma

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: -am, -i, -im
Correct endings for I, You, We.
Which is the past stem? Choix multiple

Infinitive: 'Khandan'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Khand
Remove -an to get the stem.
Conjugate for 'We'.

ما فیلم ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: دیدیم
The ending for 'We' is -im.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Fill in the blank: Shomā be Tehrān ____ (You plural arrived). Texte trous

Shomā be Tehrān ____.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: residid
Translate to Persian: They read the book. Traduction

They read the book. (to read = khāndan, book = ketāb)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Anhā ketāb rā khāndand.
Reorder the words to say 'I bought bread.' Sentence Reorder

kharidam / man / nān

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: man nān kharidam
Match the pronoun to the verb ending. Match Pairs

Match them:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Man : -am, To : -i, Mā : -im, Anhā : -and
Find the error: To ketāb khāndam. Error Correction

To ketāb khāndam.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: To ketāb khāndi.
How do you say 'She did not go'? Choix multiple

Choose the negative form:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: U naraft.
Fill in the blank: Man emruz dars ____ (I studied today). Texte trous

Man emruz dars ____.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: khāndam
Translate to Persian: We ate. Traduction

We ate.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Mā khordim.
Reorder: didid / shomā / rā / film Sentence Reorder

didid / shomā / rā / film

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: shomā film rā didid
Which is the past stem of 'neveshtan' (to write)? Choix multiple

Past stem of neveshtan:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nevesht

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

Remove the '-an' from the infinitive verb. For example, 'raftan' becomes 'raft'.

Yes, the endings are consistent for almost every verb in Persian.

Add 'na-' to the beginning of the verb. 'Raftam' becomes 'naraftam'.

Most Persian verbs are regular in the past tense. Only a few have irregular stems.

No, this is only for past actions.

No, Persian verbs do not change based on the gender of the subject.

Use the same structure as a statement but raise your intonation at the end.

Confusing the past stem with the present stem.

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

Pretérito indefinido

Spanish has more irregular stems.

French moderate

Passé composé

Persian uses suffixes, not auxiliaries.

German moderate

Präteritum

German has strong/weak verb classes.

Japanese low

Ta-form

Persian conjugates for person.

Arabic moderate

Madi

Arabic has gendered endings.

Chinese none

Le particle

Persian is inflectional.

Previous
Nombres persans de 1 à 100 : Compter comme un natif

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