Enclitic Objects of Prepositions

Persian can replace an unstressed pronominal complement of certain prepositions with one of the six enclitics: بهش “to him/her/it,” ازشان “from them,” برایم “for me.” The clitic and its host form one phonological and written unit, but the available combinations are partly lexical. You cannot attach every clitic to every preposition by a single mechanical rule.

This B2 page focuses on host selection, standard spelling, formal expansion, and ambiguity. The core six forms and their basic meanings are reviewed on Clitics on Prepositions.

The same six forms, licensed by a host

The first form in each table cell is the standard compact form; the second is everyday (informal: Tehran). With از, the singular spellings coincide, while colloquial plural clitics use ـمون، ـتون، ـشون. The compact برای series is standard in speech and writing, while Tehran conversation usually shortens its host to براـ (and also uses واسه). Formal prose often expands third-person reference to از او، از آن‌ها, or respectful از ایشان.

به and با have special colloquial shapes

With به, everyday speech commonly uses بهم، بهت، بهش، بهمون، بهتون، بهشون. In بهش beh-esh, the normally silent written ه of به is pronounced before the clitic and its linking vowel. Formal writing generally favors full phrases such as به من، به او، به ما, or respectful به ایشان, especially when dignity or reference clarity matters.

ایشان is an independent respectful pronoun, not an enclitic. It normally triggers plural agreement even when it respectfully refers to one person. Thus به ایشان گفتیم is an expansion, while *به ایشانش incorrectly attempts to express the same complement twice.

The ordinary (informal: Tehran) forms with با are باهام، باهات، باهاش، باهامون، باهاتون، باهاشون. Standard prose uses با من، با تو، با او, and so forth.

Complex and relational hosts

Many complex prepositions end in a noun-like element that can host the clitic: کنارش “beside him/her/it,” پشتشان “behind them,” درباره‌اش “about him/her/it.” The clitic replaces the independent complement that would otherwise follow through ezâfe.

After silent ه, درباره‌اش uses a ZWNJ before the clitic. It does not use the visible ezâfe spelling ه‌ی, because the following element is an enclitic rather than an independent noun phrase. Compare درباره‌ی طرح with درباره‌اش.

Review the spelling contrast on possessive enclitics after vowels and ه.

Not every preposition accepts direct attachment

The system has lexical gaps. Standard modern Persian does not freely make *درم for “in me” or *تایش for “until it.” Use an independent complement: در آن، تا آن زمان. For concrete “in it,” (informal: Tehran) Persian normally uses توش, built on colloquial تو rather than formal در.

Controlled formal phrasing would use کلید در آن کیف است and rephrase the request as لطف می‌کنید داخل آن دنبال کلید بگردید؟

There is no contradiction between a clitic attaching broadly and particular hosts rejecting it. Clitics require both a phonological host and a lexically licensed construction.

Formal expansion and contrastive focus

Because clitics are unstressed, full pronouns are better for contrast, coordination, and highly formal reference. برای من، نه برای او cannot be reduced without losing the contrast. از ایشان may respectfully refer to a senior individual or a group and remains a separate phrase.

In informal speech, ازش خواستیم would be natural if the referent were accessible and no contrast intended. Register, discourse prominence, and potential ambiguity all influence the choice.

Ambiguity comes from the host

The same suffixes mark possession and prepositional objects. کنارش in کنارش نشستم means “beside him/her,” but in a sufficiently noun-like context it can mean “his/her side.” پشتش can mean “behind him/her” or “his/her back.” Sentence structure normally resolves the ambiguity.

This ambiguity is structural, not gender-related: ـش never distinguishes “his,” “her,” or “its.” Expand the phrase if two third-person antecedents compete.

Common Mistakes

1. Separating the enclitic from its host

2. Doubling an independent pronoun and clitic

3. Adding را after a prepositional clitic

4. Extending attachment to an unlicensed host

Key Takeaways

• Preposition–clitic combinations are lexically licensed; learn complete forms rather than attaching endings blindly.
• برایم/برایشان are standard, while بهش is strongest in speech and باهات/باهاش are (informal: Tehran).
• از ایشان، به او, and other full forms serve formality, respect, contrast, and disambiguation.
• After silent ه, write درباره‌اش with ZWNJ; with an independent complement, write درباره‌ی موضوع.
• Forms such as کنارش and پشتش can be spatial or possessive; context and expansion resolve ambiguity.