Did and am doing: one past, one with mi-
The two faces of the verb stand in one sentence: diruz sakhtam, emrooz mi-saazam — yesterday I built, today I build. The past face is the bare stem with the person: kardam, bordam, raftam, khordam, didam, gereftam, daadam. The present face wraps the other stem in mi-: mikonam, mibaram, miravam, mikhooram, mibinam, migiram, mideham. No auxiliary anywhere: each face is one word, and the two of them cover everything a…
How it works
The two faces of the verb stand in one sentence: diruz sakhtam, emrooz mi-saazam — yesterday I built, today I build. The past face is the bare stem with the person: kardam, bordam, raftam, khordam, didam, gereftam, daadam. The present face wraps the other stem in mi-: mikonam, mibaram, miravam, mikhooram, mibinam, migiram, mideham. No auxiliary anywhere: each face is one word, and the two of them cover everything a day does.
Table
| infinitive | did | am doing | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| کردن | کردم | میکنم | to do — did / am doing |
| ساختن | ساختم | میسازم | to build |
| بردن | بردم | میبرم | to carry |
| رفتن | رفتم | میروم | to go |
| خوردن | خوردم | میخورم | to eat |
| دیدن | دیدم | میبینم | to see |
| گرفتن | گرفتم | میگیرم | to take |
| دادن | دادم | میدهم | to give |
By example
- دیروز ساختم، امروز میسازمdiruz sâkhtam, emruz mi-sâzamYesterday built, today building
- نان را بردم و پول دادمnâne râ bârdam â pul dâdamCarried the bread and gave the money
- کتاب را دیدم و میخرمketâbe râ didam â mi-kharamSaw the book and am buying it
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
Kardam vs mikonam difference?
The two faces of the verb stand in one sentence: diruz sakhtam, emrooz mi-saazam — yesterday I built, today I build. The past face is the bare stem with the person: kardam, bordam, raftam, khordam, didam, gereftam, daadam. The present face wraps the other stem in mi-: mikonam, mibaram, miravam…
How the past tense is formed?
The two faces of the verb stand in one sentence: diruz sakhtam, emrooz mi-saazam — yesterday I built, today I build. The past face is the bare stem with the person: kardam, bordam, raftam, khordam, didam, gereftam, daadam. The present face wraps the other stem in mi-: mikonam, mibaram, miravam…
How the present tense is formed?
The two faces of the verb stand in one sentence: diruz sakhtam, emrooz mi-saazam — yesterday I built, today I build. The past face is the bare stem with the person: kardam, bordam, raftam, khordam, didam, gereftam, daadam. The present face wraps the other stem in mi-: mikonam, mibaram, miravam…
One root two tenses?
The two faces of the verb stand in one sentence: diruz sakhtam, emrooz mi-saazam — yesterday I built, today I build. The past face is the bare stem with the person: kardam, bordam, raftam, khordam, didam, gereftam, daadam. The present face wraps the other stem in mi-: mikonam, mibaram, miravam…
How to conjugate a verb by person?
The two faces of the verb stand in one sentence: diruz sakhtam, emrooz mi-saazam — yesterday I built, today I build. The past face is the bare stem with the person: kardam, bordam, raftam, khordam, didam, gereftam, daadam. The present face wraps the other stem in mi-: mikonam, mibaram, miravam…
What does it look like in a Persian example sentence?
“دیروز ساختم، امروز میسازم” (diruz sâkhtam, emruz mi-sâzam) — Yesterday built, today building. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.