To describe places and complex locations, you often need to link a noun to a descriptive clause using a preposition.
Prepositional Relative Clauses and Resumptive Pronouns
In English, a preposition can precede a relative pronoun ("the palace in which we walk") or sit at the end of the clause ("the palace that we walk in"). Farsi uses the standard relative connector که (that) to start the clause, but absolutely requires a resumptive pronoun to follow the preposition later in the sentence.
Literally, you must say "the palace that we walk in it."
For inanimate nouns like buildings, this pronoun is almost always آن (that/it). The main noun usually takes the restricting suffix ی to show it is specified by the following clause.
| The palace in which we are walking has many columns. | کاخی که در آن قدم میزنیم، ستونهای زیادی دارد.kâkhi ke dar ân qadam mizanim, sotun-hâye ziyâdi dârad. |
| The mosque we stood next to has a tall tower. | مسجدی که کنار آن ایستادیم، یک برج بلند دارد.masjedi ke kenâr ân istâdim, yek borj boland dârad. |
Notice the strict sequence:
- The main noun (e.g., مسجدی)
- The connector که
- The preposition inside the clause (e.g., برای)
- The compulsory resumptive pronoun (e.g., آن)
| The mosque we bought a carpet for has a large dome. | مسجدی که برای آن فرش خریدیم، یک گنبد بزرگ دارد.masjedi ke barâye ân farsh kharidim, yek gonbad-e bozorg dârad. |
Spoken vs. Written Forms
The grammar remains exactly the same in spoken Farsi, but the formal pronoun آن changes to its spoken equivalent اون.
| The tomb whose courtyard we are in is very big. | آرامگاهی که ما تو محوطهی اون هستیم خیلی بزرگه.ârâmgâhi ke mâ tu mahvate-ye un hastim kheyli bozorge. |
Using Compound Prepositions
This structure works identically with spatial prepositions (such as جلوی "in front of", روی "on", or پشت "behind"). The resumptive pronoun attaches to the preposition just like a regular possessor.
| We saw a palace in front of which there was a fountain. | ما کاخی را دیدیم که جلوی آن یک فواره بود.mâ kâkhi râ didim ke jelooye ân yek favvâre bud. |
| If you see the monument that has a large dome on it, you will be happy. | اگر بنایی را ببینی که یک گنبد بزرگ روی آن است، خوشحال میشوی.agar banâ'i râ bebini ke yek gonbad bozorg ruye ân ast, khoshhâl mishavi. |
| While walking, we saw a monument behind which the tower is. | در حالی که قدم میزدیم، بنایی را دیدیم که برج پشت آن است.dar hâli ke qadam mizadim, banâyi râ didim ke borj posht-e ân ast. |