Ezafe: the glue between words
There is no word for "of" and none for "which is". Two nouns, or a noun and an adjective, are joined by a little -e sound called ezafe. Zabaan-e faarsi — the Persian language, literally "language-of Persian". Doost-e man — my friend, "friend-of me". The adjective follows its noun the same way: khune bozorg — a house big. Where English would reach for a preposition, ezafe is already there. "From" keeps its own word…
How it works
There is no word for "of" and none for "which is". Two nouns, or a noun and an adjective, are joined by a little -e sound called ezafe. Zabaan-e faarsi — the Persian language, literally "language-of Persian". Doost-e man — my friend, "friend-of me". The adjective follows its noun the same way: khune bozorg — a house big. Where English would reach for a preposition, ezafe is already there. "From" keeps its own word, az: doost-e man az Shiraaz ast.
By example
- زبان فارسی زیباستzâbâne fârsi zibâastThe Persian language is beautiful
- دوست من از شیراز استduste man az Shiraz astMy friend is from Shiraz
- خانه بزرگ استkhâne bâzârg astThe house is big
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
What is ezafe in persian?
There is no word for "of" and none for "which is". Two nouns, or a noun and an adjective, are joined by a little -e sound called ezafe. Zabaan-e faarsi — the Persian language, literally "language-of Persian". Doost-e man — my friend, "friend-of me". The adjective follows its noun the same way…
How to say my house in persian?
There is no word for "of" and none for "which is". Two nouns, or a noun and an adjective, are joined by a little -e sound called ezafe. Zabaan-e faarsi — the Persian language, literally "language-of Persian". Doost-e man — my friend, "friend-of me". The adjective follows its noun the same way…
What does zaban-e farsi mean?
There is no word for "of" and none for "which is". Two nouns, or a noun and an adjective, are joined by a little -e sound called ezafe. Zabaan-e faarsi — the Persian language, literally "language-of Persian". Doost-e man — my friend, "friend-of me". The adjective follows its noun the same way…
Why is there no preposition of in persian?
There is no word for "of" and none for "which is". Two nouns, or a noun and an adjective, are joined by a little -e sound called ezafe. Zabaan-e faarsi — the Persian language, literally "language-of Persian". Doost-e man — my friend, "friend-of me". The adjective follows its noun the same way…
What does it look like in a Persian example sentence?
“زبان فارسی زیباست” (zâbâne fârsi zibâast) — The Persian language is beautiful. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.