Where and where to: dar, to and ezafe instead of a preposition
Where something stands is said with a preposition plus ezafe: roo-ye sandali — on the chair, literally "the face of the chair". Poosht-e sakhteman — behind the building; konaare cheragh — by the lamp; moghabel-e bank — opposite the bank. Movement to a point takes be; the limit takes ta. mostaghim ta aakhare khiaaban bero — go straight to the end of the street. From is az: az inja door — far from here. For example…
How it works
Where something stands is said with a preposition plus ezafe: roo-ye sandali — on the chair, literally "the face of the chair". Poosht-e sakhteman — behind the building; konaare cheragh — by the lamp; moghabel-e bank — opposite the bank. Movement to a point takes be; the limit takes ta. mostaghim ta aakhare khiaaban bero — go straight to the end of the street. From is az: az inja door — far from here.
Table
| word | reading | meaning | example | reading of the example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| در | dar | where | در تهران | dar Tehraan |
| به | be | where to | به مرکز شهر | be markaz-e shahr |
| روی | roo-ye | on | روی نیمکت | roo-ye nemkat |
| پشت | pooshte | behind | پشت ساختمان | poosht-e sakhteman |
| کنار | konaare | beside | کنار چراغ | konaare cheragh |
| مقابل | moghaabele | opposite | مقابل بانک | moghaabele bank |
| تا | ta | until | تا آخر خیابان | ta aakhare khiaaban |
| از | az | from | از اینجا دور | az inja door |
By example
- داروخانه مقابل بانک استdârukhâne mâgâbele bânk astThe pharmacy is opposite the bank
- آنطرف خیابان فروشگاه استân-tarfe khiyabân fârushgâh astAcross the road is the shop
- مستقیم تا آخر خیابان بروmâstaghim tâ âkhare khiyabân bârâGo straight to the end of the street
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
Where and where to: how does it work in Persian?
Where something stands is said with a preposition plus ezafe: roo-ye sandali — on the chair, literally "the face of the chair". Poosht-e sakhteman — behind the building; konaare cheragh — by the lamp; moghabel-e bank — opposite the bank. Movement to a point takes be; the limit takes ta. mostaghim…
What does it look like in a Persian example sentence?
“داروخانه مقابل بانک است” (dârukhâne mâgâbele bânk ast) — The pharmacy is opposite the bank. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.