Past Regrets: کاش and ای کاش
To talk about things you wish had happened differently in the past—expressing regret about missed opportunities or mistakes—pair کاش or ای کاش (I wish / if only) with the Past Perfect tense.
In English, we say "I wish I had done that." Farsi uses the exact same logic.
Form the Past Perfect with the past participle (Past Stem + ه) followed by the simple past of بودن (to be): بودم، بودی، بود، بودیم، بودید، بودند.
| I wish I had accepted that opportunity. | کاش آن فرصت را قبول کرده بودم.kâsh ân forsat râ qabul karde budam. |
| I wish I had saved money. | ای کاش پول پسانداز کرده بودم.ey kâsh pul pas-andâz karde budam. |
Negating the Past Perfect
To say "I wish I had not done that", add the negative prefix نـ to the main verb's participle. For compound verbs, the prefix attaches to the verbal part.
| I wish you had not rejected his suggestion. | ای کاش پیشنهاد او را رد نکرده بودی.ey kâsh pishnahâd-e u râ radd nakarde budi. |
Regrets and Faults
When discussing missed opportunities, you will often use adjectives like پشیمان (regretful), بیدقت (careless), or مقصر (at fault) to explain why you are making the wish.
| I was at fault, I wish I had listened to you. | من مقصر بودم، کاش به تو گوش داده بودم.man moghasser budam, kâsh be to gush dâde budam. |
| You were careless and you lost the opportunity. | تو بیدقت بودی و فرصت را از دست دادی.to bi-deqqat budi o forsat râ az dast dâdi. |
In Spoken Farsi
Like other tenses, the Past Perfect is shortened in casual conversation. The final د in third-person plural verbs is frequently dropped, turning بودند into بودن.
| I wish the kids had acted wisely. | کاش بچهها عاقلانه رفتار کرده بودن.kâsh bachehâ âghelâne raftâr karde budan. |