Linking verbal nouns to objects (Ezafe)

The Ezafe with Verbal Nouns

Persian infinitives can act as nouns, similar to English "-ing" words (gerunds). When this action involves an object—like "cutting wood" or "pounding a nail"—you link the verbal noun to its object using the Ezafe.

This linking vowel attaches to the end of the infinitive and functions like the English word "of" (literally "the cutting of the wood").

For compound verbs, the Ezafe attaches to the end of the infinitive part (such as کردن or گرفتن).

Verbal Noun Phrases as Direct Objects

Sometimes, the entire phrase (the verbal noun + its object) acts as the direct object of another verb.

When this happens, the phrase is treated as a single block. The verbal noun and its object are linked with the Ezafe as usual, and the specific direct object marker را is placed at the very end.