Worth and Capability Adjectives (-i)
In Farsi, you can create adjectives that express capability (like English words ending in "-able") or worthiness ("worth doing") directly from verbs. Simply take the full infinitive of the verb (which always ends in دن or تن) and attach the suffix ی.
For example, the infinitive for "to eat" is خوردن. By adding ی, you get the adjective خوردنی (edible, or worth eating). Similarly, نوشیدن (to drink) becomes نوشیدنی (drinkable).
These adjectives are especially useful when foraging for wild food.
| Are the berries of this bush edible? | آیا توتهای این بوته خوردنی هستند؟âyâ tut-hâ-ye in bote khordani hastand? |
| The water of this spring is safe and drinkable. | آب این چشمه امن و نوشیدنی است.âb-e in cheshme amn o nushidani ast. |
| We cannot eat the roots of this plant because they are not edible. | ما نمیتوانیم ریشههای این گیاه را بخوریم زیرا خوردنی نیستند.mâ nemitavânim rishehâ-ye in giyâh râ bekhorim zirâ khordani nistand. |
Worth Picking and Cookable
You can apply this same pattern to other foraging actions. For instance, چیدن (to pick) becomes چیدنی (worth picking), and پختن (to cook) becomes پختنی (cookable).
| Only the mushrooms and berries of this forest are worth picking. | فقط قارچها و توتهای این جنگل چیدنی هستند.faqat qârch-hâ va tut-hâ-ye in jangal chidani hastand. |
| The root of this plant is cookable, but it is not edible raw. | ریشهی این گیاه پختنی است، ولی خام خوردنی نیست.rishe-ye in giyâh pokhtani ast, vali khâm khordani nist. |
| The leaves and stems of this wild plant are not worth picking. | برگها و ساقههای این گیاه وحشی چیدنی نیستند.barg-hâ va sâghe-hâye in giâh-e vahshi chidani nistand. |
Lasting and Worth Keeping
Another helpful adjective when gathering plants is ماندنی (lasting, or worth keeping), formed from the infinitive ماندن (to stay or remain).
| These wild flowers are worth picking, but they are not lasting. | این گلهای وحشی چیدنی هستند، اما ماندنی نیستند.in golhâ-ye vahshi chidani hastand, ammâ mândani nistand. |
| The stem of this plant is not worth keeping, but its leaf is edible. | ساقهی این گیاه ماندنی نیست، ولی برگ آن خوردنی است.sâghe-ye in giâh mândani nist, vali barg-e ân khordani ast. |
