To describe a continuous physical or emotional state—like doing something "smiling," "weeping," or "trembling"—Farsi uses a specific present participle.
Form it by adding the suffix ان to the present stem of a verb:
- خندیدن (to smile) → present stem: خند → خندان (smiling)
- لرزیدن (to tremble) → present stem: لرز → لرزان (trembling)
- گریستن (to weep) → present stem: گری → گریان (weeping)
Participles as Adjectives
These participles often act as adjectives to describe a noun's state. They can be used with the verb بودن (to be) as a predicate, or they can modify a noun directly.
| Her face was smiling, but she was shedding tears. | چهرهی او خندان بود، اما اشک میریخت.chehre-ye u khandân bud, ammâ ashk mirikht. |
| Nobody wiped the tears of the weeping child. | هیچکس اشک بچهی گریان را پاک نکرد.hich-kas ashk-e bache-ye geryân râ pâk nakard. |
Participles as Adverbs of Manner
These words frequently act as adverbs of manner, describing how a main action is performed. When someone is doing two things at once, you can link multiple participles with و.
| Tears were on her face, and she was leaving the house weeping. | اشک روی چهرهی او بود و گریان خانه را ترک میکرد.ashk ruye chehre-ye u bud va geryân khâne râ tark mikard. |
| Because she was afraid of the dark, she arrived in terror, crying and running. | چون از تاریکی میترسید، با وحشت گریان و دوان رسید.chun az târiki mitarsid, bâ vahshat geryân o davân resid. |
Forces of Nature and Animals
This structure is excellent for vividly narrating events, such as describing a roaring (غریدن) bear or a blowing (وزیدن) wind.
| The roaring bear frightened the tourists in the forest. | خرس غران گردشگرها را در جنگل ترساند.khers ghorrân gardeshgarhâ râ dar jangal tarsând. |
| The cold blowing wind closed the open window. | باد وزان سرد پنجرهی باز را بست.bâd-e vazân-e sard panjere-ye bâz râ bast. |
Action and Distress
When narrating urgent action or distress, verbs like شتافتن (to hurry), لنگیدن (to limp), and نالیدن (to groan) frequently take the ان suffix to describe the manner of movement.
| The doctor went to the hospital hastily. | دکتر شتابان به بیمارستان رفت.doktor shetâbân be bimârestân raft. |
| The old man was walking in the street limping and groaning. | مرد پیر لنگان و نالان در خیابان قدم میزد.mard-e pir langân o nâlân dar khiyâbân qadam mizad. |