Pointing Words: 'This' vs. 'These' (In vs. Inhā)
in/ān) even if the noun is plural.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'in' (این) for singular objects near you and 'inha' (اینها) for plural objects near you.
- Use 'in' (این) for a single object close by: 'in ketab' (this book).
- Use 'inha' (اینها) for multiple objects close by: 'inha ketab-ha' (these books).
- Demonstratives in Persian do not change based on gender.
Overview
Persian demonstrative pronouns and adjectives, particularly این (in - this) and آن (ān - that), are fundamental for pointing to entities in space and discourse. Unlike English, where 'this' and 'these' indicate both proximity and number agreement, Persian maintains a distinct system based on the grammatical function of the demonstrative. Understanding this distinction is crucial for B1 learners, as it often leads to common errors rooted in direct translation from English.
At its core, the Persian system differentiates between a demonstrative acting as an adjective (modifying a noun) and as a pronoun (standing independently, replacing a noun). This grammatical split dictates whether the demonstrative will take a plural form or remain singular, regardless of the plurality of the object it references. Mastering this aspect of Persian grammar clarifies not only how to point correctly but also deepens your understanding of Persian's broader agreement patterns.
How This Grammar Works
این and آن are unique in their behavior regarding number agreement. The key principle governing their usage is their grammatical role within a sentence: are they describing a noun, or are they substituting for one?این or آن functions as a demonstrative adjective, it directly modifies a noun. In this role, it is invariable and always remains in its singular form (این or آن), regardless of whether the noun it modifies is singular or plural. For example, این کتاب (in ketāb - this book) and این کتابها (in ketāb-hā - these books) both use the singular این.این or آن operates as a demonstrative pronoun, it stands alone, replacing a noun that is either understood from context or not explicitly stated. In this pronominal function, the demonstrative can pluralize by taking the plural suffix -ها (hā). Thus, اینها (in-hā - these) and آنها (ān-hā - those) emerge as plural forms.اینها (these). The verb in such constructions will then agree in number with the plural pronoun. This system reflects a linguistic economy where agreement markers are applied only when necessary for stand-alone reference.-ها), and its direct modifiers often remain invariant. However, when the modifier becomes the head (i.e., acts as a pronoun), it then assumes the responsibility of marking number.Formation Pattern
این (in) | N/A | N/A |
آن (ān) | N/A | N/A |
این (in) | این (in) | اینها (in-hā) |
آن (ān) | آن (ān) | آنها (ān-hā) |
این or آن modifies a noun, it always precedes the noun and does not take the plural suffix, even if the noun is plural. Crucially, it does not connect with the Ezafe particle (-e).
این سیب (in sib) - This apple (singular noun)
این سیبها (in sib-hā) - These apples (plural noun, but این remains singular)
آن دانشجو (ān dāneshju) - That student (singular noun)
آن دانشجوها (ān dāneshju-hā) - Those students (plural noun, but آن remains singular)
این or آن replaces a noun, it acts as a stand-alone pronoun. Here, it can take the plural suffix -ها to denote plurality.
این زیباست (in zibā-st) - This is beautiful (referring to a singular item).
اینها زیبا هستند (in-hā zibā hastand) - These are beautiful (referring to plural items).
آن گران است (ān gerān ast) - That is expensive (referring to a singular item).
آنها گران هستند (ān-hā gerān hastand) - Those are expensive (referring to plural items).
آن often shortens to اون (un), and its plural form آنها often becomes اونا (unā). Similarly, اینها commonly transforms into اینا (inā).
این (in) | N/A | N/A |
اون (un) | N/A | N/A |
این (in) | این (in) | اینا (inā) |
اون (un) | اون (un) | اونا (unā) |
این کتابا (in ketābā) - These books (colloquial, ها often becomes ا or is omitted in quick speech)
اون بچه (un bacce) - That child
اینا کین؟ (inā kin?) - Who are these (people)? (Colloquial که هستند؟ - ki hastand?)
اونا خوبن (unā khuban) - Those (people/things) are good (Colloquial خوب هستند - khub hastand)
Gender & Agreement
این and آن can refer to masculine, feminine, inanimate objects, or abstract concepts without any change in form.این مرد(in mard - this man)این زن(in zan - this woman)این میز(in miz - this table)این ایده(in ide - this idea)
- 1Adjectival Demonstratives and Verb Agreement: When
اینorآنfunctions as an adjective modifying a noun, the demonstrative itself remains singular. However, the verb in the sentence must agree in number with the noun it modifies. The plurality of the noun dictates the verb's form, not the invariant demonstrative.
این دانشجو درس میخواند.(in dāneshju dars mikhānad - This student studies.) - Singular noun, singular verb.این دانشجوها درس میخوانند.(in dāneshju-hā dars mikhānand - These students study.) - Plural noun, plural verb. Noticeاینremains singular.آن ماشین خراب است.(ān māshin kharāb ast - That car is broken.) - Singular noun, singular verb.آن ماشینها خراب هستند.(ān māshin-hā kharāb hastand - Those cars are broken.) - Plural noun, plural verb.
- 1Pronominal Demonstratives and Verb Agreement: When
اینهاorآنهاacts as a stand-alone pronoun, it inherently carries plural meaning, and the verb must agree with this plural form.
اینها دانشجویان هستند.(in-hā dāneshju-yān hastand - These are students.) - Plural pronoun, plural verb.آنها دروغ میگویند.(ān-hā dorugh miguyand - Those [people] are lying.) - Plural pronoun, plural verb.
When To Use It
این and آن hinges on understanding their distinct roles as adjectives versus pronouns and recognizing the context that dictates each form. This choice impacts both grammatical correctness and naturalness in communication.این and آن as Demonstrative Adjectivesاین or آن as an adjective when you are directly specifying or distinguishing a particular noun (or group of nouns) that is present or clearly understood in the immediate context. This form emphasizes the specific item(s) being referred to.- For singular nouns: To indicate a specific singular item near (
این) or far (آن) from the speaker. این قلم مال من است.(in qalam māl-e man ast - This pen is mine.)آن ساختمان بلند است.(ān sākhtemān boland ast - That building is tall.)- For plural nouns: To indicate a specific group of items near (
این) or far (آن) from the speaker. Remember, the demonstrative itself remains singular. این گلها زیبا هستند.(in gol-hā zibā hastand - These flowers are beautiful.)آن درختها پیر هستند.(ān derakht-hā pir hastand - Those trees are old.)
اینها and آنها as Demonstrative Pronounsاینها or آنها when the noun it refers to is implied or has already been mentioned, and the demonstrative stands alone to represent that noun or group of nouns. This is akin to usingDemonstrative Usage Table
| Type | Persian | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Singular
|
این
|
This
|
Near, 1 item
|
|
Plural
|
اینها
|
These
|
Near, 2+ items
|
Colloquial Shortening
| Formal | Informal |
|---|---|
|
اینها
|
اینا
|
Meanings
These words function as proximal demonstrative pronouns and adjectives, indicating objects or people physically close to the speaker.
Singular Proximal
Pointing to one item close to the speaker.
“این ماشین من است.”
“این دوست من است.”
Plural Proximal
Pointing to multiple items close to the speaker.
“اینها کلیدهای من هستند.”
“اینها دانشآموزان کلاس هستند.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
In + Noun
|
این کتاب است (This is a book)
|
|
Negative
|
In + Noun + Nist
|
این کتاب نیست (This is not a book)
|
|
Question
|
In + Noun + -e? / -ast?
|
این کتاب است؟ (Is this a book?)
|
|
Plural
|
Inha + Noun
|
اینها کتابها هستند (These are books)
|
|
Plural Negative
|
Inha + Noun + Nistand
|
اینها کتابها نیستند (These are not books)
|
Formality Spectrum
این کتاب من است. (Casual conversation)
این کتاب منه. (Casual conversation)
این کتابمه. (Casual conversation)
این کتابمه دیگه. (Casual conversation)
Proximal Demonstratives
Singular
- این This
Plural
- اینها These
Examples by Level
این کتاب است.
This is a book.
اینها سیب هستند.
These are apples.
این دوست من است.
This is my friend.
اینها کلید هستند.
These are keys.
آیا این ماشین شماست؟
Is this your car?
اینها خیلی زیبا هستند.
These are very beautiful.
این کیف من است.
This is my bag.
اینها مال من نیستند.
These are not mine.
این پروژه برای من خیلی مهم است.
This project is very important to me.
اینها مدارکی هستند که لازم داریم.
These are the documents we need.
این خانه را دوست دارم.
I like this house.
اینها پیشنهادهای خوبی هستند.
These are good suggestions.
این مسئلهای است که باید بررسی شود.
This is an issue that must be investigated.
اینها نتایجی هستند که از تحقیق به دست آمدند.
These are the results obtained from the research.
این رویکرد جدیدی در مدیریت است.
This is a new approach in management.
اینها چالشهایی هستند که با آنها روبرو هستیم.
These are the challenges we are facing.
این همان چیزی است که به دنبالش بودم.
This is exactly what I was looking for.
اینها مفاهیمی هستند که در ادبیات کلاسیک ریشه دارند.
These are concepts rooted in classical literature.
این استدلال منطقی به نظر میرسد.
This argument seems logical.
اینها پیامدهایی هستند که باید در نظر گرفته شوند.
These are consequences that must be considered.
این پدیده در گویشهای محلی به شکل متفاوتی بیان میشود.
This phenomenon is expressed differently in local dialects.
اینها شواهد تاریخی هستند که نظریه را تایید میکنند.
These are historical evidences that confirm the theory.
این رویکرد، پارادایم جدیدی را معرفی میکند.
This approach introduces a new paradigm.
اینها متغیرهایی هستند که در مدلسازی لحاظ شدهاند.
These are variables that have been included in the modeling.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up proximal and distal.
Learners mix up plural proximal and distal.
Learners use plural for singular.
Common Mistakes
Inha ketab
Inha ketab-ha
In ketab-ha
In ketab
Inha man
In man
Inha ast
Inha hastand
An ketab (when close)
In ketab
Inha-ha ketab
Inha ketab-ha
In ketab-e
In ketab
Inha (for objects far away)
Anha
In-ha (as a single word)
Inha
Inha (as adjective)
Inha (as pronoun)
Inha (in formal text)
Inha (colloquial)
Inha (referring to abstract concepts)
In (referring to abstract concepts)
Inha (missing Ezafe)
Inha (with Ezafe)
Sentence Patterns
___ [Noun] است.
___ [Noun-ha] هستند.
آیا ___ [Noun] است؟
___ [Noun] مال من است.
Real World Usage
این چقدر است؟ (How much is this?)
اینا رو دیدی؟ (Did you see these?)
این پروژه برای من مهم است. (This project is important to me.)
این کجاست؟ (Where is this?)
این غذا سرد است. (This food is cold.)
اینا عکسهای سفرم هستن. (These are my trip photos.)
Context is King
Don't Over-pluralize
Use Gestures
Politeness
Smart Tips
Always use 'in' followed by the noun.
Use 'inha' and remember to pluralize the noun.
You can shorten 'inha' to 'ina'.
Use rising intonation at the end.
Pronunciation
In
Pronounced like 'een' in 'seen'.
Inha
Pronounced 'een-haa'.
Statement
این کتاب است. ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
Question
این کتاب است؟ ↗
Rising intonation for yes/no questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
In is for one, Inha has the 'ha' for many.
Visual Association
Imagine holding one apple in your hand (In) and a basket of apples in your other hand (Inha).
Rhyme
In is for one, Inha is for more, keep them close to your door.
Story
Ali is in his room. He points to his pen: 'In pen'. Then he points to his books: 'Inha ketab-ha'. He is happy because he knows how to point.
Word Web
Challenge
Point to 5 things in your room and say 'In [object]' or 'Inha [objects]'.
Cultural Notes
In Tehrani dialect, 'inha' is almost always shortened to 'ina'.
In formal writing, 'inha' is preferred over 'ina'.
When pointing at people, it is more polite to use a hand gesture rather than just the word.
Derived from Old Persian demonstrative roots.
Conversation Starters
این چیست؟
اینها چه هستند؟
به نظر شما این پروژه چطور است؟
این رویکرد چه مزایایی دارد؟
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
___ کتاب من است. (This is my book.)
___ سیبها مال من هستند.
Find and fix the mistake:
اینها کتاب است.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
These are my keys.
Answer starts with: این...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Use 'In' and 'ماشین'.
این کتاب است.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises___ کتاب من است. (This is my book.)
___ سیبها مال من هستند.
Find and fix the mistake:
اینها کتاب است.
است / این / کتاب / من
These are my keys.
این vs اینها
Use 'In' and 'ماشین'.
این کتاب است.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercises(Those) ___ expensive! (Colloquial: those = unā)
Choose the correct structure:
Reorder the words:
آنِ مرد معلم است. (That man is a teacher)
How do you say 'Those' when pointing to a group of objects without naming them?
Match the pairs:
Look at ___ (these) pictures.
Choose the best option:
آنها درختها بلند هستند. (Those trees are tall)
Translate the sentence:
Formal: Ānhā | Informal: ___
Order the words:
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
No, Persian demonstratives are gender-neutral.
Yes, in informal speech, 'inha' is often used for people.
Use 'an' (singular) or 'anha' (plural).
Yes, it acts as a determiner.
That is the colloquial Tehrani pronunciation.
Yes, as a pronoun: 'In chi-e?' (What is this?).
It is preferred for clarity, but sometimes omitted in speech.
Use 'in/inha' for all registers, but 'ina' only in informal settings.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
este/esta
Persian lacks gender agreement.
ce/cette
Persian is gender-neutral.
dieser/diese/dieses
Persian has no case system for demonstratives.
kore/kono
Persian only has two distance levels.
hadha/hadhihi
Persian lacks gender.
zhè
Chinese uses measure words, Persian does not.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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