Indefinite Pronouns
To talk about an unspecified person, object, or place, Persian uses indefinite pronouns. You can form these by adding the suffix ی to the base nouns for person (کس), thing (چیز), and place (جا).
- کسی (someone / anyone)
- چیزی (something / anything)
- جایی (somewhere / anywhere)
Using Indefinite Pronouns
In positive sentences, these behave exactly like "someone", "something", and "somewhere" in English.
| Someone must search his pocket. | کسی باید جیب او را بگردد.kasi bâyad jib-e u râ begardad. |
| I found something in this box. | من چیزی در این جعبه پیدا کردم.man chizi dar in ja'be peydâ kardam. |
| He must stay somewhere safe. | او باید در جایی امن بماند.u bâyad dar jâyi amn bemânad. |
Questions and Negative Sentences
Persian does not use separate words for "anyone", "anything", or "anywhere". Instead, you use the exact same indefinite pronouns.
In questions, they translate naturally based on context:
| Is someone looking for this strange box? | آیا کسی دنبال این جعبهی عجیب میگردد؟âyâ kasi donbâl-e in ja'be-ye ajib migardad? |
In negative sentences, you simply negate the verb, and the pronoun translates to "anyone", "anything", or "anywhere".
| I searched the drawer, but I did not find anything. | من کشو را گشتم، اما چیزی پیدا نکردم.man keshu râ gashtam, ammâ chizi peydâ nakardam. |
| You must not hide anything in the drawer. | شما نباید چیزی را در کشو پنهان کنید.shomâ nabâyad chizi râ dar keshu penhân konid. |
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