ELONIO

Evidential past continuous (mi-rafte ast)

When discussing rumors or inferred past habits—things you didn't witness yourself—Farsi uses the Evidential Past Continuous. This tense is often translated using phrases like "they say he used to..." or "apparently, he would...".

Forming the Evidential Past Continuous

To build this tense, combine three parts:

  1. The continuous prefix: می
  2. The past participle (Past stem + ه)
  3. The short copula (ام, ای, است, ایم, اید, اند)

Here is the conjugation for رفتن (to go):

PersonVerb Form
Iمی‌رفته‌ام
You (singular)می‌رفته‌ای
He/She/Itمی‌رفته است
Weمی‌رفته‌ایم
You (plural)می‌رفته‌اید
Theyمی‌رفته‌اند

Note: In the third person singular, the copula است is written as a separate word.

Spreading Rumors

This tense is frequently paired with introductory words like می‌گویند (they say) or ظاهراً (apparently).

They say this legend used to compose classical music in his villa every night.
می‌گویند این اسطوره هر شب در ویلای خود موسیقی کلاسیک می‌ساخته است.migooyand in ostooreh har shab dar vilâ-ye khod musiqi klâsik misâkhte ast.
Apparently, when the paparazzi arrived, he used to escape through the window.
ظاهراً وقتی که پاپاراتزی‌ها می‌رسیدند، او از پنجره فرار می‌کرده است.zâheran vaghti ke pâpârâtzi-hâ mirasidand, u az panjere farâr mikarde ast.

Even without introductory words, the verb form itself implies that the speaker is reporting hearsay or an inferred habit.

The neighbors say he reportedly used to walk in the yard like a ghost.
همسایه‌ها می‌گویند او مثل یک شبح در حیاط قدم می‌زده است.hamsâye-hâ miguyand u mesle yek shabah dar hayât qadam mizade ast.

The Negative Form

To describe things someone reportedly never used to do, add the negative prefix ن to می to create نمی. The rest of the structure remains exactly the same.

Is it true that this reclusive actor reportedly never used to come out of the house?
آیا حقیقت دارد که این بازیگر گوشه‌گیر هرگز از خانه بیرون نمی‌آمده است؟âyâ haghighat dârad ke in bâzigar gushe-gir hargez az khâne birun nemi-âmade ast?
He was so obsessed that he reportedly wouldn't let anyone into the basement.
او آن‌قدر وسواس داشت که کسی را به زیرزمین راه نمی‌داده است.u ânqadr vasvâs dâsht ke kasi râ be zirzamin râh nemidâde ast.
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