Request and command: be-, bia and kon
The command is the present stem with a be- in front: bero — go; kon — do; bekhor — eat. Irregulars are few and old: bia, come, replaces a whole paradigm, and begoo, say, wears down from goftan. For the polite you the ending -id is added: beravid, konid. Politeness rides on the ending, not on a separate word — and lotfan after any command turns it into a request. Towzih bedeh, lotfan: explain, please. For example…
How it works
The command is the present stem with a be- in front: bero — go; kon — do; bekhor — eat. Irregulars are few and old: bia, come, replaces a whole paradigm, and begoo, say, wears down from goftan. For the polite you the ending -id is added: beravid, konid. Politeness rides on the ending, not on a separate word — and lotfan after any command turns it into a request. Towzih bedeh, lotfan: explain, please.
Table
| verb | you | you (polite) |
|---|---|---|
| رفتن — to go | برو — bero | بروید — beravid |
| آمدن — to come | بیا — bia | بیایید — biayid |
| کردن — to do | کن — kon | کنید — konid |
| خوردن — to eat | بخور — bekhor | بخورید — bekhorid |
| گفتن — to say | بگو — begoo | بگویید — begooid |
By example
- برو راست!bârâ râst!Go straight!
- بیا, چای بخورbiâ, chay bâkhârCome on, drink some tea
- توضیح بده, لطفاtâzih behe, lâtfanExplain, please
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Request and command: how does it work in Persian?
The command is the present stem with a be- in front: bero — go; kon — do; bekhor — eat. Irregulars are few and old: bia, come, replaces a whole paradigm, and begoo, say, wears down from goftan. For the polite you the ending -id is added: beravid, konid. Politeness rides on the ending, not on a…
What does it look like in a Persian example sentence?
“برو راست!” (bârâ râst!) — Go straight! A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.