The infinitive is both an action and a thing
The -an form of the verb does double duty: it is the action named, and a noun you can put anywhere. Aks gereftan dar namaayeshgaah aazaad nist — photographing at the exhibition is not allowed: the infinitive is the subject. Didan-e in tasvir pool mikhahaad — seeing this picture wants money. Khandidan ham varzesh ast! — laughing is exercise too. Where English juggles "to do" and "doing", this language uses one form…
How it works
The -an form of the verb does double duty: it is the action named, and a noun you can put anywhere. Aks gereftan dar namaayeshgaah aazaad nist — photographing at the exhibition is not allowed: the infinitive is the subject. Didan-e in tasvir pool mikhahaad — seeing this picture wants money. Khandidan ham varzesh ast! — laughing is exercise too. Where English juggles "to do" and "doing", this language uses one form for both.
Table
| infinitive | as an action | as a thing |
|---|---|---|
| خواندن | mi-khaanam — I read | sher khaandan — the reading of poems |
| دیدن | mi-binam — I see | didan-e nemaayesh — watching the play |
| گرفتن | mi-giram — I take | aks gereftan — photographing |
| دادن | mi-deham — I give | gozaaresh daadan — reporting |
| کردن | mikonam — I do | varzesh kardan — doing sport |
By example
- عکس گرفتن در نمایشگاه آزاد نیست.aks gereftan dar nemâishgâh âzâd nist.Photographing at the exhibition is not allowed.
- دیدن این تصویر پول میخواهد.didane in tasvir pul mikhahad.Seeing this picture wants money.
- خندیدن هم ورزش است!khandidan ham varzesh ast!Laughter is exercise too!
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
The infinitive is both an action and a thing: how does it work in Persian?
The -an form of the verb does double duty: it is the action named, and a noun you can put anywhere. Aks gereftan dar namaayeshgaah aazaad nist — photographing at the exhibition is not allowed: the infinitive is the subject. Didan-e in tasvir pool mikhahaad — seeing this picture wants money.…
What does it look like in a Persian example sentence?
“عکس گرفتن در نمایشگاه آزاد نیست.” (aks gereftan dar nemâishgâh âzâd nist.) — Photographing at the exhibition is not allowed. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.