To refer to people who guard, maintain, or care for a property, Farsi uses a simple and highly productive suffix.
The Guardian Suffix "بان"
To form an occupational noun for someone who guards, watches over, or cares for something, simply attach the suffix بان to the end of a noun. For example, adding it to در (door) or باغ (garden) creates the titles for the people who tend to them:
| The doorman told the master that the guests had arrived. | دربان به ارباب گفت که مهمانها رسیده بودند.darbân be arbâb goft ke mehmân-hâ reside budand. |
| The master asked the gardener to plant new flowers. | ارباب از باغبان خواست که گلهای جدید بکارد.arbâb az bâghbân khâst ke gol-hâ-ye jadid bekârad. |
Expanding the Estate
This suffix is incredibly versatile. Beyond the immediate house and garden, you can attach it to words like دروازه (gate), جنگل (forest), or شکار (hunt/game):
| I like the gatekeeper and the doorman of this mansion. | از دروازهبان و دربان این عمارت خوشم میآید.az darvâzebân o darbân in emârat khosham mi'âyad. |
| The gamekeeper and the forest guard cooperate very well. | شکاربان و جنگلبان خیلی خوب با هم همکاری میکنند.shekârbân o jangalbân kheyli khub bâ ham hamkâri mikonand. |
Watchmen and Protectors
You will also find بان used for roles involving patrolling or observing on a larger scale. Attaching it to words like پاس (watch/guard), دیده (sight/observation), مرز (border), or میراث (heritage) creates titles for guards, lookouts, and defenders:
| Did the lookout see the patrolman from the tower? | آیا دیدهبان پاسبان را از برج دید؟âyâ dide-bân pâsbân râ az borj did? |
| The heritage guardian and the border guard had protected the castle. | میراثبان و مرزبان از قلعه محافظت کرده بودند.mirâs-bân o marzbân az qal'e mohâfezat karde budand. |
