Speculating on the Past
To express doubt or speculate about actions that might not have happened in the past, Farsi uses the negative present perfect subjunctive.
Form it by adding the negative prefix نـ to the past participle of the main verb, followed by the present subjunctive of بودن.
| Person | Form (مردن) |
|---|---|
| 1st Person Singular | نمرده باشم |
| 2nd Person Singular | نمرده باشی |
| 3rd Person Singular | نمرده باشد |
| 1st Person Plural | نمرده باشیم |
| 2nd Person Plural | نمرده باشید |
| 3rd Person Plural | نمرده باشند |
Expressing Doubt
The word شاید (perhaps/maybe) is a common trigger for the subjunctive. Paired with this negative structure, it describes a past event that possibly did not occur.
| Maybe the missing man has not died. | شاید مرد ناپدید نمرده باشد.shâyad mard nâpadid namorde bâshad. |
Compound Verbs
For compound verbs, the negative prefix نـ attaches directly to the verbal component, leaving the preceding part unchanged.
| Perhaps the detective has not forgotten this unsolved crime. | شاید کارآگاه این جنایت حلنشده را فراموش نکرده باشد.shâyad kârâgâh in jenâyat hal-nashode râ farâmush nakarde bâshad |
| The detective suspects that the murderer might not have killed the victim near the grave. | کارآگاه گمان میکند که شاید قاتل قربانی را نزدیک گور به قتل نرسانده باشد.kârâgâh gomân mikonad ke shâyad qâtel qorbâni râ nazdik gur be qatl naresânde bâshad. |
Hopes and Conditions
The perfect subjunctive is also required after expressions of desire like امیدوارم که (I hope that), and in conditional clauses starting with اگر (if) to propose a negative scenario.
| I hope that they have not abducted the missing boy. | امیدوارم که آنها پسرک گمشده را نربوده باشند.omidvâram ke ânhâ pesarak gomshode râ narobude bâshand. |
| If they have not murdered the hostage, this case might not be closed. | اگر آنها گروگان را به قتل نرسانده باشند، این پرونده شاید مختومه نشود.agar ânhâ gerowgân râ be qatl naresânde bâshand, in parvande shâyad makhtume nashavad. |
Spoken Farsi
In colloquial Farsi, the auxiliary verb is often shortened. For example, باشند becomes باشن, and the direct object marker را becomes رو.
| The detectives might not have found the missing kids of these unsolved cases. | کارآگاها شاید بچههای گمشدهی این پروندههای حلنشده رو پیدا نکرده باشن.kârâgâhâ shâyad bache-hâye gomshode-ye in parvande-hâye hal-nashode ro peydâ nakarde bâshan. |