Questions & Answers about کارمندیم و گرسنهایم.
Where is the Farsi word for "we" in this sentence?
Farsi is a "pro-drop" language, which means it often drops the subject pronoun when it is obvious. Here, the word for "we" (ما) is left out entirely because the endings on کارمندیم and گرسنهایم already tell us exactly who we are talking about!
Why isn't there a separate verb word for "are"?
In present tense Farsi, the verb "to be" often attaches directly to the end of a noun or adjective. The ending ـیم means "we are". So, Farsi attaches ـیم right onto the end of کارمند (employee) to make کارمندیم (we are employees).
Why does گرسنهایم look a bit different from کارمندیم when they use the same ending?
It is about smooth pronunciation! The word for hungry, گرسنه, ends in a silent letter that makes an "e" vowel sound. When you add the ending ـیم (which also starts with a vowel), Farsi adds a bridging letter (the "alef" you see in the middle) to separate them so they don't blend together awkwardly.
The English translation says "employees", but isn't کارمند singular?
Yes, کارمند is singular! In Farsi, when you attach a plural "to be" ending like ـیم (we are) directly to a noun, you often do not need to make the noun itself plural. It is perfectly natural in Farsi to say what literally translates as "we are employee".
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