Ezafe: two words glue into one
The chain of nouns builds with one little sound: the unstressed -e called ezafe, written nowhere and heard everywhere. Ketaab-e taarikh — a book of history; ketaab-e taarikh-e jadid — a new history book. The chain grows link by link, each link taking its own -e. Khoone-ye maadar — the mother’s house; doost-e man — my friend; zabaan-e khaareji — a foreign language; madrese-ye shahr — the town’s school. Ownership…
How it works
The chain of nouns builds with one little sound: the unstressed -e called ezafe, written nowhere and heard everywhere. Ketaab-e taarikh — a book of history; ketaab-e taarikh-e jadid — a new history book. The chain grows link by link, each link taking its own -e. Khoone-ye maadar — the mother’s house; doost-e man — my friend; zabaan-e khaareji — a foreign language; madrese-ye shahr — the town’s school. Ownership, material, topic — ezafe carries them all, and no preposition is invited.
Table
| pair of words | sounds | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| کتاب + تاریخ | ketaab-e taarikh | a book of history |
| خانه + مادر | khoone-ye maadar | the mother’s house |
| دوست + من | doost-e man | my friend |
| زبان + خارجی | zabaan-e khaareji | a foreign language |
| مدرسه + شهر | madrese-ye shahr | the town’s school |
| رزومه + من | rezoome-ye man | my resume |
By example
- کتاب درسی جدیدketâbe darsie dzhadidThe new textbook
- دوست من از شیرازduste man az ShirazMy friend is from Shiraz
- شعبه بانک آنجاستshâbbe bânk ândzhâstThe bank branch is over there
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
How to say history book in persian?
The chain of nouns builds with one little sound: the unstressed -e called ezafe, written nowhere and heard everywhere. Ketaab-e taarikh — a book of history; ketaab-e taarikh-e jadid — a new history book. The chain grows link by link, each link taking its own -e. Khoone-ye maadar — the mother’s…
Ezafe chain of three nouns?
The chain of nouns builds with one little sound: the unstressed -e called ezafe, written nowhere and heard everywhere. Ketaab-e taarikh — a book of history; ketaab-e taarikh-e jadid — a new history book. The chain grows link by link, each link taking its own -e. Khoone-ye maadar — the mother’s…
How to say the towns school in persian?
The chain of nouns builds with one little sound: the unstressed -e called ezafe, written nowhere and heard everywhere. Ketaab-e taarikh — a book of history; ketaab-e taarikh-e jadid — a new history book. The chain grows link by link, each link taking its own -e. Khoone-ye maadar — the mother’s…
How two nouns are joined in persian?
The chain of nouns builds with one little sound: the unstressed -e called ezafe, written nowhere and heard everywhere. Ketaab-e taarikh — a book of history; ketaab-e taarikh-e jadid — a new history book. The chain grows link by link, each link taking its own -e. Khoone-ye maadar — the mother’s…
What does it look like in a Persian example sentence?
“کتاب درسی جدید” (ketâbe darsie dzhadid) — The new textbook. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.