Subjunctive in Non-Specific Relative Clauses
When describing a specific object that you know exists, use the indicative mood. But when dreaming up an invention, searching for something you haven't found, or stating design criteria, you are talking about a non-specific or hypothetical noun.
In Farsi, when a relative clause (starting with که) describes a non-specific noun, the verb inside that clause must take the subjunctive mood.
| prototype | پیشنمونهpishnemune |
The non-specific noun takes the indefinite suffix ـی ("a" or "some"). Because the object is hypothetical, the verb in its relative clause—often a form of "to be"—must be in the subjunctive. For a singular object, this is باشد.
| We need a prototype that is portable. | ما به پیشنمونهای نیاز داریم که قابل حمل باشد.mâ be pish-nemune-i niyâz dârim ke qâbel-e haml bâshad. |
| I want a metallic part that is flexible. | من قطعهای فلزی میخواهم که انعطافپذیر باشد.man qet'e-i felezi mikhâham ke en'etâf-pazir bâshad. |
Use this pattern when searching for components or outlining requirements:
| I am looking for an automatic device that is waterproof. | من دنبال وسیلهای اتوماتیک میگردم که ضدآب باشد.man donbâl-e vasile-i otomâtik migardam ke zeddâb bâshad. |
The same rule applies to action verbs. If you describe an action intended for this non-specific object, the verb takes the subjunctive (like بگذاریم for "we put").
| We are looking for a prototype in which we put a durable battery. | ما دنبال پیشنمونهای میگردیم که در آن باتری بادوام بگذاریم.mâ donbâl-e pish-namune-i migardim ke dar ân bâtri-ye bâdavâm begozârim |
Even when the main sentence uses an imperative or a modal (like "must" or "let's"), the relative clause remains in the subjunctive:
| Let's assemble a metallic prototype that is flexible. | بیایید پیشنمونهای فلزی سرهم کنیم که انعطافپذیر باشد.beyâyid pish-nemune-i felezi sarham konim ke en'etâf-pazir bâshad. |
| You must assemble a prototype that is automatic. | شما باید پیشنمونهای سرهم کنید که اتوماتیک باشد.shomâ bâyad pish-nemune-i sarham konid ke otomâtik bâshad. |
