ساختن sâkhtan means “make, build, create” when an agent brings an object, structure, or designed product into existence. Its past stem is ساختـ sâkht- and its present stem is سازـ sâz-: ساختم “I made,” میسازم “I make,” and بساز “make!”
The present stem also appears throughout the vocabulary of production: سازنده “maker, builder; constructive,” فیلمساز “filmmaker,” ماشینسازی “machine manufacturing.” A second current frame, با چیزی ساختن, means “agree with, be compatible with, adapt to, put up with.” It has no direct creation object and must be learned separately.
Principal parts and core paradigm
| Item | Persian | Reading | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | ساختن | sâkhtan | to make, build; get along |
| past stem | ساختـ | sâkht- | ساختم، میساختم |
| present stem | سازـ | sâz- | میسازم، بسازم |
| past participle | ساخته | sâkhte | perfect, passive, adjective |
| imperative | بساز؛ بسازید | be-sâz; be-sâzid | make, build |
| negative imperative | نساز؛ نسازید | na-sâz; na-sâzid | do not make/build |
| Person | Present indicative | Simple past | Present perfect | Present subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | میسازم | ساختم | ساختهام | بسازم |
| you (sg.) | میسازی | ساختی | ساختهای | بسازی |
| he/she/it | میسازد | ساخت | ساخته است | بسازد |
| we | میسازیم | ساختیم | ساختهایم | بسازیم |
| you (pl./polite) | میسازید | ساختید | ساختهاید | بسازید |
| they | میسازند | ساختند | ساختهاند | بسازند |
Negatives are نمیسازم، نساختم، نساختهام، نسازم. Command بساز uses the present stem; negative نساز replaces affirmative بـ with نـ.
این کارگاه برای آزمایشگاهها ابزار دقیق میسازد.
in kârgâh barâ-ye âzmâyeshgâh-hâ abzâr-e daqiq mi-sâzad.
This workshop makes precision instruments for laboratories. (neutral standard; present stem ساز)
پدربزرگم این میز را سالها پیش با دست ساخت.
pedar-bozorg-am in miz râ sâl-hâ pish bâ dast sâkht.
My grandfather made this table by hand years ago. (neutral standard; simple past)
میخواهیم برای حیاط یک نیمکت کوچک بسازیم.
mi-khâhim barâ-ye hayât yek nimkat-e kuchek be-sâzim.
We want to build a small bench for the yard. (neutral; present subjunctive)
Creating and building
In the central transitive frame, the maker is subject and the created thing is object. An identified product normally takes را. Material can be introduced by از, an instrument by با, and intended user or purpose by برای.
نجار قفسهها را از چوب بازیافتی ساخته است.
najjâr qafase-hâ râ az chub-e bâzyâfti sâkhte ast.
The carpenter has made the shelves from recycled wood. (neutral standard; material with از)
برای نمایشگاه یک نمونهی ساده بساز و روش کار را نشان بده.
barâ-ye namâyeshgâh yek nemune-ye sâde be-sâz-o ravesh-e kâr râ neshân be-deh.
Make a simple model for the exhibition and demonstrate how it works. (neutral singular command)
فیلم ساختن، برنامه ساختن، پل ساختن، خانه ساختن are productive combinations because their nouns name things genuinely created. That does not make ساختن a universal translation of English make/do. Persian uses غذا درست کردن/پختن, تصمیم گرفتن, اشتباه کردن, and تماس گرفتن in their respective lexical frames.
این کارگردان فیلم تازهاش را در جنوب ایران ساخته است.
in kârgardân film-e tâze-ash râ dar jonub-e irân sâkhte ast.
This director has made her new film in southern Iran. (neutral standard; creative production)
ساز in compounds and derived nouns
Present stem ساز is highly productive outside finite conjugation. It appears after a noun in agent and industry terms: فیلمساز، ساعتساز، ابزارساز، ماشینسازی. سازنده means “maker/builder” as a noun and “constructive” as an adjective. Noun ساخت refers to construction, structure, or manufacture.
These are lexical words, not shortened clauses. In فیلمساز جوان, ساز carries no person ending; in فیلم میسازد, it is a present verb and takes می plus ـد. Derived nouns can themselves enter light-verb constructions: بازسازی کردن “reconstruct/renovate” and ساختوساز کردن “carry out construction.”
شرکت قصد دارد ساختمان قدیمی را بازسازی کند.
sherkat qasd dârad sâkhtemân-e qadimi râ bâz-sâzi konad.
The company intends to renovate the old building. (formal-neutral; derived noun plus کردن)
Compatibility and accommodation with با
In the frame X با Y ساختن, the meaning is “X agrees with/suits Y” or “X gets along with/accommodates Y.” Climate, food, or medicine can be the subject; the affected person follows با. With human subjects, با هم ساختن can mean “get along, reach an accommodation.” This use is current but somewhat more idiomatic and context-bound than concrete “make.”
این داروی جدید با معدهام نمیسازد.
in dâru-ye jadid bâ me'de-am nemi-sâzad.
This new medicine does not agree with my stomach. (neutral standard; compatibility with با)
با وجود اختلافنظر، دو شریک چند سال با هم ساختند.
bâ vojud-e ekhtelâf-nazar, do sharik chand sâl bâ ham sâkhtand.
Despite their disagreements, the two partners managed to get along for several years. (neutral/formal narrative)
Passive ساخته شدن
The regular passive combines participle ساخته with شدن. The created object becomes subject; an agent phrase with توسط or از سوی is possible in formal prose but often unnecessary.
این پل در کمتر از دو سال ساخته شد.
in pol dar kamtar az do sâl sâkhte shod.
This bridge was built in less than two years. (neutral written standard; passive)
قطعات اصلی دستگاه در ایران ساخته میشوند.
qet'ât-e asli-ye dastgâh dar irân sâkhte mi-shavand.
The device’s main parts are manufactured in Iran. (formal-neutral; present passive)
The general passive system is covered on Passive in Present and Past.
Tehran speech
Everyday Tehran keeps سازـ but reduces endings: میسازه، میسازین، میسازن (informal, regional: Tehran). Third-plural past ساختند becomes ساختن. In the compatibility frame, clitic ـت readily attaches inside the با phrase.
این رنگ خیلی بهت میاد؛ انگار برای تو ساختنش.
in rang kheyli be-het miyâd; engâr barâ-ye to sâkhtan-esh.
This color really suits you; it’s as if they made it for you. (informal, regional: Tehran; ساختن is third-plural past plus object clitic)
Notice that ordinary clothing suitability uses به کسی آمدن, not compatibility ساختن با. English suit therefore splits again according to what kind of compatibility is meant.
Common Mistakes
1. Building the present from ساخت
❌ این کارخانه قطعات خودرو میساختد.
Incorrect — present ‘makes’ uses ساز plus third-singular ـد.
✅ این کارخانه قطعات موتورهای برقی میسازد.
in kârkhâne qet'ât-e motor-hâ-ye barqi mi-sâzad.
This factory makes parts for electric motors.
2. Translating “make food” word for word
❌ امشب برای مهمانها غذا میسازم.
Incorrect for ordinary food preparation — Persian uses غذا درست کردن or غذا پختن.
✅ امشب برای مهمانها یک غذای محلی درست میکنم.
emshab barâ-ye mehmân-hâ yek ghazâ-ye mahalli dorost mi-konam.
Tonight I’m making a local dish for the guests.
3. Making the affected person a direct object in the compatibility frame
❌ هوای مرطوب من را نمیسازد.
Incorrect for ‘humid weather does not agree with me’ — compatibility requires با.
✅ هوای مرطوب با من نمیسازد.
havâ-ye martub bâ man nemi-sâzad.
Humid weather does not agree with me.
4. Omitting ـه in the passive
❌ این مدرسه ده سال پیش ساخت شد.
Incorrect — the passive requires participle ساخته before شدن.
✅ این مدرسهی روستایی ده سال پیش ساخته شد.
in madrese-ye rustâyi dah sâl pish sâkhte shod.
This village school was built ten years ago.
Key Takeaways
- Memorize ساختن — ساخت — ساز — ساخته, with بساز and نساز.
- Creation ساختن takes the thing made as its object; material commonly takes از.
- Do not copy English make into lexical combinations: say غذا درست کردن، تصمیم گرفتن، اشتباه کردن.
- Compatibility uses با ... ساختن, while the regular passive is ساخته شدن.
- Present stem ساز also builds productive nouns such as فیلمساز، سازنده، ماشینسازی.
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