Foundations of Time: Present and Past

Hey there! Ready to dive into the very foundations of Persian conversation? In this chapter, you're going to learn how to talk about yourself, what you possess, and what you did in the past. Don't worry, it's easier than you think! First up, you'll get familiar with the verb 'to be' (hastan). This super important verb always comes at the end of the sentence and will help you say things like

I am a teacher

or You are happy. After that, we'll tackle the present tense verb endings (-am, -i, -ad, -im, -id, -and). With these, you won't always need to say I or you; the verb itself will show who's talking! Pretty handy, right? Next, we have a tricky verb: 'to have' (dāshtan). This one's a little different from other present tense verbs because it doesn't take the 'mi-' prefix. You'll learn how to say

I have a book

or

He has a car

naturally. Now, are you ready for a quick trip to the past? You'll learn how to transform regular verbs into the simple past tense. For example, how to say I ate or You went. And finally, you'll learn the past tense of 'to be' (budan) so you can say

I was a student

or

They were here yesterday.

These foundational skills will be super useful when you want to introduce yourself, tell someone where you're from, or share what you ate last night. Or, for instance, when you want to say

I have a good friend

or

The weather was good yesterday.

By the end of this chapter, you'll be able to talk about yourself, what you currently have, and what you've done in the past, all with ease and confidence. Let's go!

• 动词“是/存在” (Hastan)：我是，你是……

  在波斯语里，动词“是” (hastan) 总是躲在句子的最后面，而且会根据“谁”在说话来变换“小尾巴”，比如 hastam、hasti 或 ast。
• 波斯语现在时动词词尾：我做，你做 (-am, -i, -ad)

  只要记住这六个神奇的动词小尾巴：-am, «-i», -ad, -im, -id, -and，你就能不用代词也变身波斯语达人！
• 叛逆动词：现在时的“拥有” (dāshtan)（没有 mi- 前缀！）

  波斯语的“有”是个叛逆的小淘气！它不像其他动词那样需要 mi- 前缀，直接用词根 dār 配合结尾就能搞定。
• 波斯语简单过去时：规则动词 (-am, -i, -)

  To form the Persian past tense, add personal endings to the infinitive stem (infinitive minus -an).
• 过去时态的“是/在” (budan)

  用 bud 加上人称尾巴就能表达“过去是”；记住“他/她” (u) 是最简单的，什么都不加。 bud nabud budam