Plural Pronouns
Now let's expand our sentences to talk about groups of people.
- ما : We
- شما : You (plural, or singular formal)
- آنها : They (informal)
- ایشان : They (formal)
The Plural Verb "To Be"
Just like the singular forms, the plural present tense of "to be" attaches directly to the end of a noun or adjective as a suffix.
| Pronoun | Verb Suffix | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ما | ـیم | We are |
| شما | ـید | You (all) are |
| آنها / ایشان | ـند | They are |
When attaching to words ending in consonants, the suffix connects directly. If a word ends in a silent ه or the vowel ی (common in nationality words), we add an Alef (ا) before the suffix so the sounds remain distinct.
Let's see these rules in action:
| We are Iranian. | ما ایرانیایم.mâ irâni-im. |
| You all are French. | شما فرانسویاید.shomâ farânsavi-id. |
For "they", you can use آنها for everyday speech:
| They are German. | آنها آلمانیاند.ânhâ âlmâni-and. |
For a more respectful or formal "they", use ایشان:
| They are Canadian. (formal) | ایشان کاناداییاند.ishân kânâdâyiyand. |
You can link sentences together with و (and) to talk about multiple subjects at once:
| We are employees and they are drivers. | ما کارمندیم و آنها رانندهاند.mâ kârmandim va ânhâ rânande-and. |
| They are Iranian and you all are German. | آنها ایرانیاند و شما آلمانیاید.ânhâ irâni'and va shomâ âlmâni'id. |
| She is Canadian and we are American. | او کانادایی است و ما آمریکاییایم.u kânâdâyi ast va mâ âmrikâyi-im. |
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