The Direct Object Suffix
In everyday conversational Persian, speakers often skip using separate direct object pronouns (like او را for him/her or آن را for it). Instead, they attach a short pronominal enclitic directly to the verb.
Here are the most common singular object suffixes:
- ـَم (me)
- ـَت (you)
- ـَش (him / her / it)
Since we are talking about photography, you will see ـَش used constantly to mean "it." Instead of saying آن را دیدم (I saw it), you simply say دیدمش (I saw-it).
| When you printed the photo, I saw it. | وقتی عکس را چاپ کردی، دیدمش.vaqti aks râ châp kardi, didamesh. |
| The camera was excellent; I bought it. | دوربین عالی بود؛ خریدمش.dorbin âli bud; kharidamash. |
Suffixes with Compound Verbs
Persian relies heavily on compound verbs, which pair a noun or adjective with a light verb (usually کردن).
When you add a direct object suffix to a compound verb, it does not go at the very end. Instead, it attaches to the noun or adjective right before the light verb. For example, to say "I captured it" (ثبت کردن), the suffix attaches to ثبت, making ثبتش کردم.
| This moment is important; I want to capture it. | این لحظه مهم است؛ میخواهم ثبتش کنم.in lahze mohem ast; mikhâham sabtash konam. |
| The picture was blurry; therefore, I edited it. | عکس تار بود، بنابراین ویرایشش کردم.aks târ bud, banâbarin virâyeshesh kardam. |
| I did not like the photo, therefore I deleted it. | از عکس خوشم نیامد، بنابراین حذفش کردم.az aks khosham nayâmad, banâbarin hazfash kardam. |
Summary
Notice how the suffix placement changes depending on whether the verb is simple or compound:
| Verb Type | Base Phrase | With Suffix (ـَش) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | دیدم | دیدمش | I saw it |
| Simple | خریدم | خریدمش | I bought it |
| Compound | تنظیم کردم | تنظیمش کردم | I adjusted it |
| Compound | ثبت کردم | ثبتش کردم | I captured it |
Using these suffixes makes your Persian sound natural, especially when describing a sequence of actions.
| The image was blurry, so I took the camera and adjusted it. | تصویر تار بود، پس دوربین را گرفتم و تنظیمش کردم.tasvir târ bud, pas durbin râ gereftam o tanzimash kardam. |
| I wanted to buy the new camera, but I did not buy it. | میخواستم دوربین جدید را بخرم، ولی نخریدمش.mikhâstam dorbin-e jadid râ bekharam, vali nakharidamash. |
