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Questions & Answers about عالی است.
Where is the word for 'it' in this sentence?
Farsi is a 'pro-drop' language, which means you can drop subject pronouns like 'it', 'he', or 'she' because the sentence makes sense without them. Here, ast means 'is', and the 'it' is just understood. You do not need to add a word like aan (that/it) unless you want to emphasize it.
Could this sentence also mean 'He is excellent' or 'She is excellent'?
Yes! Because the subject pronoun is dropped and ast just means 'is' (for he, she, or it), the exact meaning depends entirely on the context. If you were talking about a person, this exact sentence could mean 'He is excellent' or 'She is excellent'.
Why is the verb ast at the very end?
Farsi sentences normally follow a Subject-Object-Verb order. Even though the subject 'it' is dropped in this sentence, the verb ast (is) still takes its usual spot at the very end of the sentence.
Is ast used exactly like this in everyday speaking?
Usually, no. In casual spoken Farsi, ast is often shortened to an -e sound attached to the previous word. So in everyday conversation, you will most likely hear aali-e instead of the formal aali ast.