Questions & Answers about ما کارمندیم و آنها رانندهاند.
Why is "are" attached to the end of the words kârmand and rânande?
In Farsi, the verb "to be" often attaches directly to the end of a word as an ending (called an enclitic). For "we", we attach the plural ending -im, making kârmandim (we are employees). For "they", we attach -and, making rânande-and (they are drivers).
Why doesn't Farsi use the plural forms of "employee" and "driver" here?
In English, we add an "s" to say "we are employees". But in Farsi, when you are stating people's professions, you leave the noun in its singular form. The plural verb endings (-im and -and) already make it clear that you are talking about more than one person!
Why is there an extra letter (ا) in rânande-and that isn't in kârmandim?
Good eye! The word for driver, rânande, ends in a silent letter (ه) that sounds like "e". Because the "they are" ending (-and) also starts with a vowel sound, Farsi spelling rules require adding an alef (ا) to keep them separate. Since kârmand ends in a consonant (d), the -im ending just attaches directly without needing an extra letter.
Can I leave out the pronouns mâ (we) and ânhâ (they) in this sentence?
Yes, you can! Because the endings -im and -and already tell us who the subject is, you could just say kârmandim va rânande-and. We usually include pronouns like mâ and ânhâ for emphasis or contrast, as in "WE are employees, and THEY are drivers."
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