Ke, chonke, agar, vaqti: two thoughts in one sentence
One small word, ke, fastens a second thought to the first: midaanam ke farda mi-aayi — I know that you will come tomorrow. Cause is chonke — because; condition is agar — if; time is vaqti — when. The second verb keeps its own tense: vaqti baaraan oomad, dar khune boodim — when the rain came, we were at home. No future is dragged into the if-half: agar vaqt daari, bia — if you have time, come. For example: “میدانم…
How it works
One small word, ke, fastens a second thought to the first: midaanam ke farda mi-aayi — I know that you will come tomorrow. Cause is chonke — because; condition is agar — if; time is vaqti — when. The second verb keeps its own tense: vaqti baaraan oomad, dar khune boodim — when the rain came, we were at home. No future is dragged into the if-half: agar vaqt daari, bia — if you have time, come.
Table
| meaning | conjunction | reading | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| that, so that | که | ke | midaanam ke mi-aayi — I know you will come |
| because | چون | chonke | khoshhaalam chonke injaayi — glad since you are here |
| if | اگر | agar | agar vaqt daari — if you have time |
| when | وقتی | vaqti | vaqti baaraan oomad — when the rain came |
| but (not a linker) | ولی | vaali | khoob ast vaali geran — good but pricey |
By example
- میدانم که فردا میآییmi-dânam ke fardâ mi-âyaiI know that you will come tomorrow
- اگر وقت داری, به عروسی بیاagar vâgt dâri, be ârusi biyoIf you have time, come to the wedding
- وقتی باران آمد, در خانه بودیمvagti bârân âmâd, dar khâne budimWhen the rain came, we were at home
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
Ke, chonke, agar, vaqti: how does it work in Persian?
One small word, ke, fastens a second thought to the first: midaanam ke farda mi-aayi — I know that you will come tomorrow. Cause is chonke — because; condition is agar — if; time is vaqti — when. The second verb keeps its own tense: vaqti baaraan oomad, dar khune boodim — when the rain came, we…
What does it look like in a Persian example sentence?
“میدانم که فردا میآیی” (mi-dânam ke fardâ mi-âyai) — I know that you 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.