The Present Perfect Subjunctive
When you want to express doubt, possibility, or uncertainty about something that might have happened in the past, Farsi uses the Present Perfect Subjunctive (ماضی التزامی). This is especially useful during a tense tax audit when you are guessing what an accountant or inspector has done!
To form this tense, take the past participle of the main verb (the past stem + ه) and add the subjunctive forms of the verb "to be":
| Person | Subjunctive Copula | Example (کردن - to do) |
|---|---|---|
| I | باشم | کرده باشم |
| You (singular) | باشی | کرده باشی |
| He / She / It | باشد | کرده باشد |
| We | باشیم | کرده باشیم |
| You (plural) | باشید | کرده باشید |
| They | باشند | کرده باشند |
Using شاید (Maybe)
This tense almost always follows a word that introduces doubt. The most common trigger is شاید (maybe / perhaps).
| I might have sent that receipt before the deadline. | شاید من آن رسید را قبل از مهلت فرستاده باشم.shâyad man ân rasid râ qabl az mohlat ferestâde bâsham. |
| You might have lost the receipts for the financial expenses. | شاید رسیدهای هزینههای مالی را گم کرده باشی.shâyad residhâye hazinehâye mâli râ gom karde bâshi. |
| Maybe the accountant has hidden the financial documents. | شاید حسابدار سندهای مالی را پنهان کرده باشد.shâyad hesâbdâr sanad-hâye mâli râ penhân karde bâshad. |
Using ممکن است (It is possible)
Another extremely common trigger is ممکن است (it is possible / might). The sentence structure remains exactly the same.
| The inspector might have completely checked the bank accounts. | ممکن است بازرس حسابهای بانک را کاملاً بررسی کرده باشد.momken ast bâzras hesâb-hâye bânk râ kâmelan barresi karde bâshad |
| How many assets might they have sold secretly? | ممکن است چند دارایی را مخفیانه فروخته باشند؟momken ast chand dârâyi râ makhfiyâne forukhte bâshand? |
The Negative Form
To make the present perfect subjunctive negative, simply add the negative prefix نـ to the main verb's past participle (e.g., نکرده). The subjunctive copula at the very end (باشم, باشی, etc.) remains unchanged.
| The inspector is suspicious; maybe you have not paid the tax. | بازرس مشکوک است، شاید مالیات را پرداخت نکرده باشی.bâzras mashkuk ast, shâyad mâliyât râ pardâkht nakarde bâshi. |
| The accountant might not have checked the debt figure exactly. | شاید حسابدار رقم بدهی را دقیقاً بررسی نکرده باشد.shâyad hesâbdâr raqame bedehi râ daqiqan barresi nakarde bâshad. |
