When tackling a complicated jigsaw puzzle with friends, you need a strategy. You might want to declare, "The corner pieces, I will sort!" To emphasize exactly what is being acted upon, Farsi uses topicalization.
Changing the Word Order
While standard Farsi word order is Subject - Object - Verb (SOV), you can highlight a direct object by moving it to the absolute beginning of the clause, creating an Object - Subject - Verb (OSV) order. Since this fronted object is definite, it is followed by the marker را.
| This challenging puzzle, we start tomorrow. | این پازل چالشبرانگیز را ما فردا شروع میکنیم.in pâzol châlesh-barangiz râ mâ fardâ shoru' mikonim |
| The corner pieces, I sort. | تکههای گوشه را من دستهبندی میکنم.tekke-hâ-ye gushe râ man daste-bandi mikonam. |
Fronting Complex Objects
The fronted object isn't always a single word. It might include adjectives, possessors, or multiple items. The entire noun phrase moves to the front together, with را attached to the very end of the block. Modal verbs like باید (must) stay with the subject.
| The separate border pieces, you must put here. | تکههای مجزای حاشیه را تو باید اینجا بگذاری.tekke-hâ-ye mojazâ-ye hâshiye râ to bâyad injâ begozâri. |
| These distinct pieces, they match up. | این تکههای متمایز را آنها تطبیق میدهند.in tekke-hâ-ye motemâyez râ ânhâ tatbiq midahand. |
| Your own pieces, you must sort. | تکههای خودتان را شما باید دستهبندی کنید.tekke-hâye khodetân râ shomâ bâyad daste-bandi konid. |
Notice how a compound object moves to the front as one unified block before را:
| The border and the background, we match together. | حاشیه و پسزمینه را ما با هم تطبیق میدهیم.hâshiye va pas-zamine râ mâ bâ ham tatbigh midahim. |
