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In Farsi, you can add spatial or directional prefixes to simple verbs to create entirely new meanings. These are known as separable prefix verbs or preverbs.

When conjugating these verbs, the inflectional prefixes that indicate tense or mood—such as the continuous **می-**, the subjunctive **ب-**, and the negative **ن-**—do not go at the very beginning of the word. Instead, they are placed *between* the spatial prefix and the verb stem.

### Down and Into: فرو

The prefix **فرو** typically implies downward or inward movement. When forming the present continuous, place **می-** between **فرو** and the verb stem. For the negative, the **ن-** also slips in exactly after the spatial prefix.

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### Forward and Away: پیش and در

The prefix **پیش** implies forward motion, while **در** often implies moving away, slipping out, or entering a state.

When forming the subjunctive (used after phrases like "must" or "before"), the subjunctive prefix **ب-** is inserted right after the spatial prefix. 

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### Up and Away: بر

The prefix **بر** generally means up, upon, or away. 

When making a separable verb negative in the continuous tense, both the negative **ن-** and the continuous **می-** sit between the spatial prefix and the stem.

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### Towards and Back: فرا and باز

The prefix **فرا** indicates upward or forward motion (often metaphorical, like calling someone forth), and **باز** means back or again.

These follow the exact same rule: whether you need the continuous **می-** or the subjunctive **ب-**, the inflectional prefix is always safely sandwiched between the directional prefix and the core verb.

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Separable prefix verbs (bar-mi-, dar-mi-)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

phrase

prefix

preposition

pronoun

sentence

suffix

verb

Singular pronouns and copula (man, -am)

Plural pronouns and copula (mâ, -im)

Subject pronoun omission

Singular demonstratives (in, ân)

Plural demonstratives (inhâ, ânhâ)

Independent copula (hastam, hast)

Negative present copula (nistam, nist)

Yes/No questions (âyâ)

Regular plurals (-hâ)

Animate plurals (-ân)

Indefiniteness (yek)

Indefinite marker (-i)

Describing nouns (-e / -ye)

Possession (-e / -ye)

Singular possessives (-am, -at, -ash)

Plural possessives (-emân, -etân, -eshân)

Basic prepositions (dar, be, az, bâ)

Spatial prepositions (ru-ye, zir-e...)

Numbers 1 to 10 (yek, do, se...)

Numbers and singular nouns

Numbers 11 to 20 (yâzdah, davâzdah...)

Counting by tens to 100

Telling time (sâ'at)

The verb to have (dâram)

Negative to have (nadâram)

Basic word order (SOV)

Infinitives and present stems (-an)

Present indicative (mi-)

Negative present indicative (nemi-)

Compound verbs

Question words (che, kojâ)

How many (chand)

The definite object marker (râ)

Object pronouns (man râ, to râ)

Singular commands (be-)

Formal and plural commands (be- ... -id)

Negative commands (na-)

The present subjunctive (be-)

The negative present subjunctive (na-)

Must (bâyad)

Might (shâyad)

Wanting to do something (khâstan)

Being able to do something (tavânestan)

Forming the past stem

The simple past of to be (budan)

The simple past tense

Negative simple past (na-)

Attached object pronouns on verbs (-am, -at, -ash)

Comparative adjectives (-tar)

Basic conjunctions (va, ammâ, yâ)

Giving reasons (chon)

Adverbs of frequency and degree (hamishe, hargez, kheyli, kam)

Everyday actions (kâr kardan, bâz kardan)

Non-human plural subjects

Indefinite pronouns (kasi, chizi, jâyi)

Negative indefinite pronouns (hich-kas, hich-chiz, hich-jâ)

Reciprocal pronouns (hamdigar, yekdigar)

Reflexive pronouns (khod-)

Reflexive direct objects (khod râ)

Emphatic pronouns (khod)

The quantifier every (har)

The quantifier all (hame)

The quantifier some (ba'zi)

Another and other (-i digar)

Which (kodâm)

How much (cheghadr)

Comparisons of equality (mesl-e)

Superlative adjectives (-tarin)

Irregular comparatives and superlatives

Ordinal numbers (-om)

Pre-nominal ordinal numbers (-omin)

Fractions and percentages

Prepositions of theme (dar mored-e)

Prepositions of time (ghabl az, ba'd az)

Preposition of exclusion (bedun-e)

Resultative conjunctions (banâbarin, pas)

Hortative construction (biyâ, biyâyid)

The present progressive tense (dâram mi-)

The past continuous tense (mi-)

Negative past continuous (ne-mi-)

Past continuous of to have (dâshtam)

The past progressive tense (dâshtam mi-)

The past participle (-e)

Present perfect tense (-e-am, -e-ast)

Negative present perfect (na-)

Question	Answer
to thrust / to insert	فرو بردنforu bordan
amazed / astounded (bewildered)	متحیرmotehayyer
The illusionist thrusts the swords into the box and everyone is amazed.	شعبده‌باز شمشیرها را در جعبه فرو می‌برد و همه متحیر می‌شوند.sho'badebâz shamshirhâ râ dar ja'be foru mibarad va hame motahayyer mishavand.
to sink / to go in	فرورفتنforu raftan
The swords sink into the box, but the assistant is not hurt.	شمشیرها در جعبه فرو می‌روند، ولی دستیار آسیب نمی‌بیند.shamshirhâ dar ja'be foru mi-ravand, vali dastyâr âsib nemi-binad.
I wish the assistant had not sunk into the box!	ای کاش دستیار در جعبه فرو نرفته بود!ey kâsh dastyâr dar ja'be foru narafte bud!
to bring forward	پیش کشیدنpish keshidan
Before he thrusts the sword, he must bring the box forward.	قبل از اینکه شمشیر را فرو ببرد، باید جعبه را پیش بکشد.qabl az in-ke shamshir râ foru bebarad, bâyad ja'be râ pish bekashad.
to escape (informal, to slip away)	دررفتنdar raftan
He must bring the pigeon forward by himself before it escapes!	او باید خودش کبوتر را پیش بکشد، قبل از اینکه در برود!u bâyad khodash kabutar râ pish bekeshad, qabl az inke dar beravad!
to remove / to clear away	برچیدنbarchidan
Not only does the pigeon not escape, but it also removes the cards!	نه تنها کبوتر درنمی‌رود، بلکه کارت‌ها را هم برمی‌چیند!na tanhâ kabutar dar nemiravad, balke kârt-hâ râ ham bar-michinad!
to summon / to call (e.g., to a meeting, team)	فراخواندنfarâkhândan
The illusionist removes the curtain and summons his assistant.	شعبده‌باز پرده را برمی‌چیند و دستیارش را فرا می‌خواند.sho'bade-bâz parde râ bar-mi-chinad va dastyârash râ farâ mikhânad.
He must summon the rabbit so that it does not escape.	او باید خرگوش را فرا بخواند تا در نرود.u bâyad khargush râ farâ bekhânad tâ dar naravad.
to rise / to stand up	برخاستنbarkhâstan
suspended	معلقmo'allagh
Not only does the woman rise, but she also remains suspended.	نه تنها زن برمی‌خیزد، بلکه معلق هم می‌ماند.na tanhâ zan bar-mikhizad, balke mo'allaq ham mimânad.
The amazed spectators see that the table does not rise.	تماشاگران متحیر می‌بینند که میز برنمی‌خیزد.tamâshâgarân-e motehayyer mibinand ke miz bar-nemikhizad.
to restore / to bring back	بازگرداندنbâzgardândan
Suddenly, the illusionist brings the car back.	ناگهان شعبده‌باز ماشین را بازمی‌گرداند.nâgahân sho'bade-bâz mâshin râ bâz mi-gardânad.
He brings back the bird and keeps it suspended.	او پرنده را بازمی‌گرداند و آن را معلق نگه می‌دارد.u parande râ bâzmigardânad va ân râ mo'allaq negah midârad.

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