When judging a cooking competition, a simple "it's good" or "it's bad" rarely suffices. You often need to acknowledge what a chef did right before pointing out a fatal flaw. In English, we might stress a word: "The chicken is crispy, but..." In Farsi, we achieve this nuanced concession using the word که.
Concession with "که"
By placing که directly after the adjective or noun you are conceding, you turn it into a topicalized focal point. It signals to the listener: "I am granting this specific point, but a contrast is coming."
[Adjective/Noun] + که + [Copula/Verb], اما / ولی + [Contrast]
Notice how اما or ولی introduces the contrasting critique in the second half of the sentence.
| The chicken is crispy, but its taste is terrible! | مرغ که ترد است، اما طعم آن افتضاح است!morgh ke tord ast, ammâ ta'm-e ân eftezâh ast! |
| The seasoning is good, but this meat is very salty and I don't eat it. | چاشنی که خوب است، ولی این گوشت خیلی شور است و من آن را نمیخورم.châshni ke khub ast, vali in gusht kheyli shur ast va man ân râ nemikhoram. |
Conceding Actions and Possession
This structure works equally well when conceding that a dish possesses a certain quality, using verbs like داشتن (to have). Simply place که after the quality being conceded.
| The food *does* have creativity, but the saffron flavor is too much. | غذا خلاقیت که دارد، اما طعم زعفران خیلی زیاد است.ghazâ kholâghiyat ke dârad, ammâ ta'm-e za'ferân kheyli ziyâd ast. |
Emphasizing with "هست"
To make the concession even stronger—equivalent to saying "its flavor truly is balanced, but..."—Farsi speakers frequently swap the simple copula است for the emphatic هست. This highlights the reality of the conceded point before the "but" drops.
| The flavor of this kebab IS balanced, but its appearance is not interesting at all. | طعم این کباب متعادل که هست، اما ظاهر آن اصلاً جالب نیست.ta'm-e in kabâb mote'âdel ke hast, ammâ zâher-e ân aslan jâleb nist. |
| The appearance of the food IS excellent, but its meat is raw. | ظاهر غذا عالی که هست، اما گوشت آن خام است.zâher-e ghazâ âli ke hast, ammâ goosht-e ân khâm ast. |
