Other people’s words: goft ke biaam — the request in reported speech
Statements are reported with ke: goft ke mi-aayad — he said that he is coming. The tense stands still. Questions keep their word: porsid kojaa mi-ram — he asked where I am going. Requests and orders drop into the wishing shape. Goft ke biaam — he said to come; goft ke nakonam — he told me not to do it. The vouching words scale the trust. Migan ke — they say; shenidam ke — I heard. Zohran — supposedly; be gofte-ye…
How it works
Statements are reported with ke: goft ke mi-aayad — he said that he is coming. The tense stands still. Questions keep their word: porsid kojaa mi-ram — he asked where I am going. Requests and orders drop into the wishing shape. Goft ke biaam — he said to come; goft ke nakonam — he told me not to do it. The vouching words scale the trust. Migan ke — they say; shenidam ke — I heard. Zohran — supposedly; be gofte-ye hamsaaye — according to the neighbor.
Table
| what is passed on | the introducer | example | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| a statement | که | گفت که میآید | he said that he is coming |
| a question with a word | کجا, کی, چی | پرسید کی آمد | he asked who came |
| a request | که + the wishing shape | گفت که بیام | he said to come |
| a forbidding in others’ speech | که + نه | گفت که نکنم | he told me not to do it |
| the rumor | میگن | میگن که | they say that |
| the hearsay | شنیدم که | شنیدم که | I heard that |
| the careful rumor | ظاهراً | zohran | supposedly |
| the source | به گفته | به گفته همسایه | according to the neighbor |
By example
- گفت که فردا میآید.gâft ke fardâ mi-âyad.He said that he will come tomorrow.
- پرسید کجا میروم.pârsid kâdzhâ mi-râvam.He asked where I am going.
- خواهش کرد دیرتر برم.khâhesh kard dirtar beram.He asked that I leave later.
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
Other people’s words: how does it work in Persian?
Statements are reported with ke: goft ke mi-aayad — he said that he is coming. The tense stands still. Questions keep their word: porsid kojaa mi-ram — he asked where I am going. Requests and orders drop into the wishing shape. Goft ke biaam — he said to come; goft ke nakonam — he told me not to do…
What does it look like in a Persian example sentence?
“گفت که فردا میآید.” (gâft ke fardâ mi-âyad.) — He said that he will come tomorrow. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.