The Location Suffix: ستان
In Farsi, you can form the names of regions, groves, or estates by adding the suffix ستان to a noun. This indicates a place abundant in that specific thing.
For example, adding it to نخل (palm tree) creates نخلستان (palm grove), and adding it to گل (flower) creates گلستان (flower garden):
| The palm grove is in the south of the desert. | نخلستان در جنوب بیابان است.nakhlestân dar jonub-e biyâbân ast. |
| The king built a beautiful flower garden. | پادشاه گلستان زیبایی ساخت.pâdeshâh golestân-e zibâyi sâkht |
| We got lost in the vineyard! | ما در تاکستان گم شدیم!mâ dar tâkestân gom shodim! |
The Terrain Suffix: زار
Similarly, the suffix زار describes an expanse, field, or terrain covered with the root noun.
If grass is علف, a grassland is علفزار. Notice how this sentence contrasts both of our new suffixes:
| This is not a vineyard, but rather a grassland. | اینجا تاکستان نیست، بلکه علفزار است.injâ tâkestân nist, balke alafzâr ast. |
You can create names for many different landscapes by attaching زار to elements of nature like sand (شن), salt (نمک), and ice (یخ):
| The sandy terrain is in the east of this map. | شنزار در شرق این نقشه است.shenzâr dar shargh-e in naghshe ast. |
| There is a vast salt flat in the center of the desert. | در مرکز بیابان یک نمکزار وسیع وجود دارد.dar markaz-e biyâbân yek namakzâr-e vasi' vojud dârad |
| This is not a lake, but rather a dangerous ice field. | این دریاچه نیست، بلکه یک یخزار خطرناک است.in daryâche nist, balke yek yakhzâr khatarnâk ast. |
Mapping Terrains
These location suffixes are essential vocabulary in cartography (نقشهکشی).
| Nobody ever learns cartography without practice. | هیچکس هرگز بدون تمرین نقشهکشی را یاد نمیگیرد.hich-kas hargez bedun tamrin naghshe-keshi râ yâd nemigirad. |
Whether plotting a rice paddy (شالیزار) or a large orchard (باغستان), you now have the tools to describe exactly what kind of land you are mapping:
| Every rice paddy needs a lot of water. | هر شالیزار به آب زیاد نیاز دارد.har shâlizâr be âb-e ziâd niâz dârad. |
| In cartography, we show the orchard and the paddy field on the map. | در نقشهکشی، ما باغستان و شالیزار را روی نقشه نشان میدهیم.dar naghshe-keshi, mâ bâghestân va shâlizâr râ ruye naghshe neshân midahim. |