Formal abstract plurals (-ât)

While conversational Farsi relies heavily on ها to pluralize nouns, and formal Farsi uses ان for animate nouns, there is a third plural marker you will encounter constantly in the news, business, and official documents: ات.

The Abstract and Administrative Plural: ات

Farsi adopted the plural suffix ات from Arabic. In modern Farsi, this suffix is attached to specific nouns to create plurals for abstract concepts, administrative categories, and official actions.

Official Protocols and Directives

When you read formal correspondence, corporate protocols, or government directives, words ending in ات are everywhere. You will see this suffix used for terms like decisions, changes, documentation, and violations. Notice how this suffix instantly gives a sentence a formal, bureaucratic, or legal tone:

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