Saying Yes to a No-Question
You just learned to seek confirmation with مگر نه؟ and اینطور نیست؟. Now flip the roles: someone asks you a negative question — مگر نمیآیی؟ (aren't you coming?). English answers "yes" whether the question was positive or negative. Persian splits the two: بله answers ordinary questions, but after a negative question Persian contradicts with a different word — چرا.
Contradicting with چرا
چرا here means on the contrary, yes — it cancels the نمی/نیست in the question:
| Aren't you coming? Yes, I am coming! | مگر نمیآیی؟ چرا، میآیم!magar nemi-âyi? cherâ, mi-âyam! |
| Don't you want tea? Yes, I do want it. | تو چای نمیخواهی؟ چرا، میخواهم.to châi nemikhâhi? cherâ, mikhâham. |
| Isn't he Iranian? Yes, he is. | مگر او ایرانی نیست؟ چرا، ایرانی است.magar oo irâni nist? cherâ, irâni ast. |
| Don't you know Persian? Yes, I know Persian. | مگر فارسی نمیدانی؟ چرا، فارسی میدانم.magar fârsi nemidâni? cherâ, fârsi midânam. |
The pattern is always the same: چرا + the affirmative verb.
Agreeing with نه
If the negative guess was right, agree with plain نه and keep the verb negative:
| Aren't you hungry? No, I'm not hungry. | گرسنه نیستی؟ نه، گرسنه نیستم.gorosne nisti? na, gorosne nistam. |
Answering a negative question with bare بله sounds ambiguous — did you confirm the question or the fact? Persian speakers avoid it: contradict with چرا, agree with نه.
The Two Jobs of چرا
You met چرا long ago as why. This is its second, unrelated job:
| use | example |
|---|---|
| why | چرا کار میکنی؟ |
| on the contrary, yes | —مگر کار نمیکنی؟ —چرا، کار میکنم |
| Aren't you working today? Yes, I am working today. | مگر امروز کار نمیکنی؟ چرا، امروز کار میکنم.magar emruz kâr nemikoni? cherâ, emruz kâr mikonam. |
| Isn't your sister here? Yes, she is here. | خواهرت اینجا نیست؟ چرا، اینجا است.khâharat injâ nist? cherâ, injâ ast. |
| Aren't you tired? Yes, I'm very tired. | خسته نیستی؟ چرا، خیلی خستهام.khaste nisti? cherâ, kheyli khaste-am. |
