Expressing Duration with است که
In English, when you want to describe how long an ongoing action has been happening, you use the perfect tense: "I have been living here for five years."
Farsi approaches this differently. Instead of using a past or perfect tense, Farsi uses a structure that literally translates to "It is [amount of time] that [action happens]."
The formula is: [Time expression] + است که + [Present tense verb]
Because the action is still happening right now, Farsi simply uses the regular present continuous or simple present tense for the main verb.
| I have been living with my close friend for five years. | پنج سال است که با رفیق خود زندگی میکنم.panj sâl ast ke bâ rafiq khod zendegi mikonam. |
Notice how the Farsi sentence literally says: "It is five years that I live with my close friend."
Ongoing States and Relationships
This structure works exactly the same way for ongoing states, feelings, or bonds. If a situation has existed for a certain amount of time, you use the time expression followed by است که and the present tense of verbs like "to exist" (وجود دارد) or "to have" (دارد / داریم).
| Intimacy has existed between us for ten years. | ده سال است که بین ما صمیمیت وجود دارد.dah sâl ast ke beyn mâ samimiyyat vojud dârad. |
| We have had this acquaintance for two years. | دو سال است که ما این آشنایی را داریم.do sâl ast ke mâ in âshenâyi râ dârim. |
| We have had mutual understanding for several months. | چند ماه است که ما تفاهم داریم.chand mâh ast ke mâ tafâhom dârim. |
Describing Long-Term Traits
You can also use this structure with the simple present tense of the verb "to be" to describe how long people have shared a certain trait or status. The logic remains exactly the same: "It is [time] that we are [adjective]."
| We have been inseparable for four years. | چهار سال است که ما جداییناپذیر هستیم.chahâr sâl ast ke mâ jodâyi-nâpazir hastim. |
| This enduring love has existed for seven years. | هفت سال است که این عشق ماندگار وجود دارد.haft sâl ast ke in eshgh mândegâr vojud dârad. |