The Formal Pronoun for "He" and "She"
In everyday Farsi, you use او for both "he" and "she". In formal writing, literature, and news, you will frequently encounter the literary pronoun وی.
وی is also completely gender-neutral.
| he / she (formal) | ویvey |
| He was a prominent thinker. | وی یک اندیشمند سرشناس بود.vay yek andishmand sarshenâs bud. |
| She authored many literary books. | وی کتابهای ادبی زیادی تالیف کرد.vey ketâb-hâ-ye adabi-ye ziyâdi ta'lif kard. |
Reading Biographies
In biographies, وی often appears alongside respectful, formal vocabulary like درگذشتن (to pass away).
| He passed away in the year two thousand. | وی در سال دو هزار درگذشت.vey dar sâl-e do hezâr dargozasht. |
| She is a well-known writer and started her literary activity in Tehran. | وی یک نویسندهی سرشناس است و فعالیت ادبی خود را در تهران شروع کرد.vey yek nevisande-ye sarshenâs ast va fa'âliyat-e adabi khod râ dar tehrân shoru' kard |
Possession and Objects
Just like standard pronouns, وی can act as an object after a preposition, or it can follow a noun to indicate possession ("his" or "her").
When showing possession, remember to connect the noun to وی using the ezafe vowel.
| His actions and activities were influential. | اقدامات و فعالیتهای وی تاثیرگذار بود.eqdâmât va fa'âliyat-hâ-ye vey tâsirgozâr bud. |
| This literary movement was expanded by him. | این جنبش ادبی توسط وی گسترش یافت.in jonbesh-e adabi tavassot-e vey gostaresh yâft. |
| Many young authors were inspired by his literary works. | نویسندگان جوان زیادی از آثار ادبی وی الهام گرفتند.nevisandegân-e javân-e ziyâdi az âsâr-e adabi-ye vey elhâm gereftand |
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