Doubting the Past: شک داشتن که
To express uncertainty or doubt about things that may or may not have happened, use the verb شک داشتن (to doubt) followed by که (that) and a verb in the Present Perfect Subjunctive (ماضی التزامی).
You form the Present Perfect Subjunctive by combining the past participle of the main verb (Past Stem + ه) with the present subjunctive forms of بودن (to be): باشم، باشی، باشد، باشیم، باشید، باشند
For example, the verb "to be" (بودن) becomes بوده باشد (he/she/it might have been) in the third-person singular.
| I doubt that he was the murderer. | من شک دارم که او قاتل بوده باشد.man shak dâram ke u qâtel bude bâshad. |
Investigating Mysteries
This structure is perfect for discussing mysteries, evaluating claims, and talking about crimes. When a کارآگاه (detective) is questioning a مظنون (suspect), they will frequently express doubt about what happened.
| The detective doubts that the suspect has told the truth. | کارآگاه شک دارد که مظنون حقیقت را گفته باشد.kârâgâh shak dârad ke maznun haqiqat râ gofte bâshad. |
| The detective doubts that the suspect has stolen the evidence. | کارآگاه شک دارد که مظنون مدرک را دزدیده باشد.kârâgâh shakk dârad ke maznun madrak râ dozdide bâshad. |
You can also use this tense to question the validity of a سرنخ (clue). If you think something is جعلی (fake), you can express doubt about its authenticity.
| We doubt that this clue was fake. | ما شک داریم که این سرنخ جعلی بوده باشد.mâ shak dârim ke in sarnakh ja'ali bude bâshad. |
Asking Questions and Spoken Farsi
To ask someone if they harbor doubts about a past event, simply turn the sentence into a question, optionally starting with the question word آیا.
| Do you doubt that the police have found a new clue? | آیا شما شک دارید که پلیس یک سرنخ جدید پیدا کرده باشد؟âyâ shomâ shak dârid ke polis yek sarnakh jadid peydâ karde bâshad? |
As with other tenses, spoken Farsi shortens these forms in casual conversation. The verb دارد often becomes داره, the subjunctive ending باشد drops the final letter to become باشه, and the object marker را becomes رو.
| The detective doubts that he has seen that murderer. | کارآگاه شک داره که اون قاتل رو دیده باشه.kârâgâh shak dâre ke un qâtel ro dide bâshe. |