Double Negatives in Farsi
In English, double negatives are usually incorrect. In Farsi, they are mandatory. When using negative pronouns or adverbs—like "nobody," "nothing," or "never"—the verb must also be negative.
Nobody and Nothing
To say "nobody" (هیچکس) or "nothing" (هیچچیز), pair the word with a negative verb. You form the negative verb as usual by adding the prefix نـ or نیـ.
| I keep watch here every night, but I see nobody. | من هر شب اینجا کشیک میدهم، اما هیچکس را نمیبینم.man har shab injâ keshik midaham, ammâ hichkas râ nemibinam. |
| When I patrol, the closed-circuit cameras record nothing. | وقتی گشت میزنم، دوربینهای مداربسته هیچچیز را ضبط نمیکنند.vaqti gasht mizanam, durbin-hâ-ye madârbaste hichchiz râ zabt nemikonand. |
Never
The same rule applies to the adverbs for "never": هیچوقت and هرگز. They can be used interchangeably, and both require a negative verb.
| The entrance sensor is broken, so the burglar alarm never rings. | حسگر ورودی خراب است، پس دزدگیر هیچوقت زنگ نمیزند.hessgar-e vorudi kharâb ast, pas dozdgir hich-vaght zang nemizanad. |
| I have a baton, but I never see an intruder. | من باتوم دارم اما هرگز نفوذگر نمیبینم.man bâtom dâram ammâ hargez nofuzgar nemibinam |
Past Tense and the Verb "To Be"
This mandatory negative agreement applies across all tenses. Whether you are using the past tense or the verb "to be," simply use the negative form of the verb (like ندیدیم for "we didn't see" or نبود for "was not").
| We kept watch last night, but we saw nothing. | ما دیشب کشیک دادیم، اما هیچچیز ندیدیم.mâ dishab keshik dâdim, ammâ hich chiz nadidim. |
| Nobody was there and the situation is completely normal. | هیچکس آنجا نبود و اوضاع کاملاً عادی است.hichkas ânjâ nabud va owzâ' kâmelan âdi ast. |
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