In Farsi, you can rapidly expand your vocabulary by adding prefixes to nouns and adjectives to create antonyms.
The Prefixes با and بی
Attach با (with/having) and بی (without/lacking) directly to nouns to create adjectives describing a person's character or state. They act as direct opposites.
| Noun | Positive Adjective (با) | Negative Adjective (بی) |
|---|---|---|
| ادب (politeness) | باادب (polite) | بیادب (impolite) |
| حوصله (patience) | باحوصله (patient) | بیحوصله (impatient) |
| The new ambassador is very polite and patient. | سفیر جدید خیلی باادب و باحوصله است.safir-e jadid kheyli bâadab va bâhosele ast |
| It is clear that the impolite guest is always impatient. | معلوم است که مهمان بیادب همیشه بیحوصله است.ma'lum ast ke mehmân bi-adab hamishe bi-hosele ast. |
| Do not do inappropriate things in the embassy, and do not be impolite. | در سفارت کار نامناسب نکن و بیادب نباش.dar sefârat kâr nâmonâseb nakon va bi-adab nabâsh. |
You can also use بی to show a complete lack of feeling or reaction, such as being indifferent (بیتفاوت, literally "without difference"):
| Instead of being indifferent, find an appropriate solution. | به جای بیتفاوت بودن، یک راهحل مناسب پیدا کن.be jâ-ye bi-tafâvot budan, yek râh-hal-e monâseb peydâ kon. |
The Negative Prefix نا
While با and بی attach to nouns, the prefix نا (un-, in-, or im-) typically attaches to existing adjectives to form their direct antonyms.
| Base Adjective | Opposite Adjective (نا) |
|---|---|
| مناسب (appropriate) | نامناسب (inappropriate) |
| آشنا (familiar) | ناآشنا (unfamiliar) |
| معلوم (clear) | نامعلوم (unclear) |
| The polite ambassador is familiar with this issue, and his answer is clear. | سفیر باادب با این موضوع آشنا است و جواب او معلوم است.safir-e bâ-adab bâ in mowzu' âshenâ ast va javâb u ma'lum ast. |
| Because the time of the meeting is unclear, the representative is impatient. | چون وقت جلسه نامعلوم است، نماینده بیحوصله است.chon vaght-e jalase nâma'lum ast, namâyande bi-hosele ast. |
| No one is indifferent to this inappropriate proposal. | هیچکس به این پیشنهاد نامناسب بیتفاوت نیست.hich-kas be in pishnahâd nâmonâseb bi-tafâvot nist. |
These prefixes are highly productive, allowing you to instantly double your descriptive vocabulary once you know the base words.
| He might be patient, but he is indifferent to this unfamiliar country. | شاید او باحوصله باشد، اما به این کشور ناآشنا بیتفاوت است.shâyad u bâhowsele bâshad, ammâ be in keshvar nâ-âshenâ bi-tafâvot ast. |
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