Stage Fright
When talking about the nervous energy of performing, you can use words like دلهره to describe general anxiety or trepidation.
| That comedian has anxiety before the stand-up. | آن کمدین قبل از استندآپ دلهره دارد.ân komedin qable az estandâp delhare dârad. |
Subjunctive Complements of Fear
To express that someone fears or is apprehensive that a specific thing might happen, Farsi uses phrases like بیم داشتن (to fear) or واهمه داشتن (to have apprehension).
Link the statement of fear to the feared event using the conjunction که (that). Because the feared event is a possibility and not a guaranteed fact, its verb must be in the subjunctive mood.
| In this stand-up, I have apprehension that I might fluff my lines. | در این استندآپ، واهمه دارم که تپق بزنم.dar in estandâp, vâheme dâram ke tapaq bezanam. |
If you are afraid that something won't happen, use the negative subjunctive (starting with the prefix نـ).
| The comedian fears that the audience will not laugh. | کمدین بیم دارد که حضار نخندند.komedin beem dârad ke hozzâr nakhandand. |
| We have apprehension that the audience might not come. | ما واهمه داریم که حضار نیایند.mâ vâheme dârim ke hozzâr nayâyand. |
When the feared event involves being a certain way, use the subjunctive stem of the verb "to be" (باش) along with the personal endings.
| He is worried that his jokes and material might be unfunny. | او نگران است که جوکها و سوژههایش بیمزه باشند.u negarân ast ke jok-hâ o sowzhe-hâyash bimaze bâshand |
Fear in the Past Tense
In English, if the main verb of fear is in the past tense ("We feared that..."), the secondary verb usually shifts tense as well ("...it would be unfunny"). Farsi is simpler: always use the present subjunctive for the feared event, even when the main verb is in the past tense.
| We were going to use that material, but we feared that it would be unfunny. | ما میخواستیم از آن سوژه استفاده کنیم، ولی بیم داشتیم که بیمزه باشد.mâ mikhâstim az ân sowzhe estefâde konim, vali bim dâshtim ke bimaze bâshad. |
Other Triggers for Anxiety
Expressions of fear pair naturally with other words that also trigger the subjunctive mood, such as شاید (maybe) or conjunctions like تا (until).
| I have anxiety because I might fluff my lines on the first joke. | من دلهره دارم چون شاید روی جوک اول تپق بزنم.man delhoreh dâram chon shâyad ruye jok avval tapaq bezanam. |
| I have anxiety until the audience laughs at the first joke. | تا حضار به جوک اول بخندند، من دلهره دارم.tâ hozzâr be jok-e avval bekhandand, man delhare dâram. |