To identify something in Persian, place its identity before the copula: این کلید انبار است “This is the storeroom key.” To locate it, place a prepositional phrase before the copula: کلید روی میز است “The key is on the table.” In both patterns, the information the listener needs comes before the final “be” form.
This page builds complete, useful sentences. The full forms are taught in Copular Sentence Order; here the goal is to ask and answer “What is it?” and “Where is it?” safely.
Two central patterns
| Meaning | Persian pattern | Model | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| identity or category | subject + noun/adjective + copula | این کلید است | این چیست؟ |
| location | subject + prepositional phrase + copula | کلید روی میز است | کلید کجاست؟ |
| negative identity | subject + noun/adjective + نیست | این کلید نیست | — |
| negative location | subject + prepositional phrase + نیست | کلید روی میز نیست | — |
English places is before its complement: “The key is on the table.” Persian normally finishes with the copula: کلید روی میز است. This predicate-final order is the main transferable pattern.
Asking and saying what something is
این means “this” and آن means “that.” They can stand alone as pronouns or come before a noun as demonstratives. In این چیست؟, این stands alone. In این کیف, it points to and modifies کیف “bag.”
این چیست؟ این کلید انبار است.
in chist? in kelid-e anbâr ast.
What is this? This is the storeroom key. (neutral standard)
آن ساختمان کتابخانهی محله است.
ân sâkhtemân ketâbkhâne-ye mahalle ast.
That building is the neighborhood library. (neutral standard)
این کیف من است؛ آن یکی مال سارا است.
in kif-e man ast; ân yeki mâl-e Sârâ ast.
This is my bag; that other one belongs to Sara. (neutral conversation)
In the first answer, کلید انبار is one ezâfe chain: “the key of the storeroom.” The audible -e after کلید is normally not written. Learners do not need to add an equivalent of English a in a simple identification.
In everyday Tehran speech, این چیه؟ is the common counterpart of standard این چیست؟ (informal, regional: Tehran):
این چیه؟ فکر کنم شارژر گوشیه.
in chi-ye? fekr konam shârzher-e gushi-ye.
What's this? I think it's a phone charger. (informal, regional: Tehran)
Keep the whole exchange in one register. Standard این چیست؟ این شارژر تلفن است works in careful instruction; colloquial چیه؟ ... گوشیه works in casual talk.
Locating one thing
A location phrase begins with a preposition or relational expression. Common beginner choices are در “in,” روی “on,” زیر “under,” کنار “beside,” داخل “inside,” and جلوی “in front of.” Put the whole phrase before است.
کلید روی میز کنار پنجره است.
kelid ru-ye miz-e kenâr-e panjare ast.
The key is on the table by the window. (neutral standard)
داروخانه روبهروی بانک است.
dârukhâne ru-be-ru-ye bânk ast.
The pharmacy is opposite the bank. (neutral standard)
گربه زیر صندلی است، نه داخل جعبه.
gorbe zir-e sandali ast, na dâkhel-e ja'be.
The cat is under the chair, not inside the box. (neutral conversation)
Expressions such as روی and کنار connect to the following noun with ezâfe: رویِ میز، کنارِ پنجره. In ordinary unpointed writing that vowel is invisible, but it must be pronounced.
است, هست, and presence
For a known subject plus a location, است is the neutral standard copula: بانک کنار مترو است. هست can also locate something, especially when its presence or availability matters: نزدیک مترو بانک هست “There is a bank near the metro.” Everyday speakers do not apply a perfectly sharp boundary, so beginners should learn the following useful contrast rather than an absolute ban.
ایستگاه اتوبوس جلوی بیمارستان است.
istgâh-e otobus jelow-ye bimârestân ast.
The bus stop is in front of the hospital. (neutral standard; known subject located)
نزدیک هتل یک خودپرداز هست.
nazdik-e hotel yek khod-pardâz hast.
There is an ATM near the hotel. (neutral conversation; presence of a new item)
English uses there is as a special dummy-subject construction. Persian commonly begins with the location and then introduces the item: نزدیک هتل + یک خودپرداز + هست. The word آنجا “there” is not required.
Plural subjects and agreement
With human plurals, use هستند in neutral standard Persian. With inanimate plurals, both singular and plural agreement occur depending on style and interpretation, but beginners can safely use plural هستند when literally locating several countable objects.
کتابها روی قفسهی بالا هستند.
ketâb-hâ ru-ye qafase-ye bâlâ hastand.
The books are on the top shelf. (neutral standard)
مهمانها در حیاط هستند و بچهها داخل خانهاند.
mehmân-hâ dar hayât hastand va bachche-hâ dâkhel-e khâne-and.
The guests are in the courtyard, and the children are inside the house. (neutral standard)
The ending ـاند in خانهاند is a written-standard attached copula. هستند is often clearer for A1 production and works with both groups above.
Negation with نیست
نیست replaces است/هست in a third-person singular negative sentence. Do not add a separate word equivalent to English not, and do not keep است as well.
کلید روی میز نیست؛ داخل کشوی اول است.
kelid ru-ye miz nist; dâkhel-e keshov-e avval ast.
The key isn't on the table; it's inside the first drawer. (neutral standard)
این ورودی اصلی نیست؛ ورودی اصلی آن طرف ساختمان است.
in vorudi-ye asli nist; vorudi-ye asli ân taraf-e sâkhtemân ast.
This isn't the main entrance; the main entrance is on the other side of the building. (neutral standard)
A useful location exchange
— ببخشید، دستشویی کجاست؟ — انتهای راهرو، سمت راست است.
— be-bakhshid, dastshuyi kojâ-st? — entehâ-ye râhro, samt-e râst ast.
— Excuse me, where is the restroom? — At the end of the corridor, on the right. (polite neutral conversation)
The answer omits دستشویی because the topic is already clear. Persian, like English in this short answer, does not need to repeat every known element.
Common Mistakes
1. Copying English copula placement and doubling the predicate
❌ کلید است روی میز است.
Incorrect — the English-like first است interrupts the location phrase; Persian uses one final copula.
✅ کلید روی میز است.
kelid ru-ye miz ast.
The key is on the table.
2. Putting the preposition after its noun
❌ کتاب میز روی است.
Incorrect — روی precedes its noun phrase: روی میز.
✅ کتاب روی میز کنار در است.
ketâb ru-ye miz-e kenâr-e dar ast.
The book is on the table by the door.
3. Keeping است after negative نیست
❌ داروخانه اینجا نیست است.
Incorrect — نیست is already the complete negative copula.
✅ داروخانه اینجا نیست.
dârukhâne injâ nist.
The pharmacy isn't here.
4. Using first-person هستم with a third-person plural
❌ مهمانها در حیاط هستم.
Incorrect — first-person هستم cannot agree with third-person plural مهمانها; use هستند.
✅ مهمانها در حیاط هستند.
mehmân-hâ dar hayât hastand.
The guests are in the courtyard.
Key Takeaways
- Identity: subject + noun/adjective + copula.
- Location: subject + place phrase + copula.
- Put این/آن before a noun, or use either alone to mean “this/that one.”
- Put در، روی، زیر، کنار before their noun phrase and pronounce the connecting ezâfe.
- Use نیست by itself for third-person singular negation; do not add است.
Now practice Farsi
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Farsi →Related Topics
- The Enclitic Present CopulaA1 — Attach the six present copula forms to noun and adjective predicates with correct agreement, spacing, and standard or colloquial pronunciation.
- Negative Copula نیستA1 — Negate Persian noun, adjective, and locative predicates with the inflected نیست series rather than prefixing the positive copula.
- Demonstratives این and آنA1 — Use invariant این and آن before singular and plural nouns, and distinguish their determiner and standalone pronoun functions.
- Movement versus Location: به and درA2 — Choose به for a destination and در for a static setting, while recognizing motion verbs that omit به and colloquial توی for location.
- Copular Sentence OrderA1 — Build Persian noun and adjective predicates in subject–predicate–copula order, including attached forms, negation, and coherent Tehran variants.