Independent copula (hastam, hast)

The Independent "To Be" Verb

In Farsi, the verb بودن (to be) has a set of standalone, independent forms in the present tense. We use these independent forms primarily to express existence or location—stating that something exists or telling someone where it is.

Here are the independent forms:

PronounVerbMeaning
منهستمI am
توهستیYou are (singular/informal)
او / آنهستHe / she / it is
ماهستیمWe are
شماهستیدYou are (plural/formal)
آنهاهستندThey are

Describing Location

To describe where someone or something is, pair these verbs with location words like اینجا (here) and آنجا (there). Remember that the verb always goes at the very end of the sentence.

More Specific Locations

You can also use prepositions like داخل (inside), بیرون (outside), and روی (on) to be more precise. Notice how the preposition comes right before the noun it describes.