Breakdown of یک لیوان آب سرد، لطفاً.
یکyek
one / a, an
لطفاًlotfan
please
لیوانlivân
glass, cup
آبâb
water
سردsard
cold
Questions & Answers about یک لیوان آب سرد، لطفاً.
Does yek mean "one" or "a" in this sentence?
It means both! In Farsi, the number one (yek) is frequently used as the indefinite article "a" or "an" when talking about something general. So yek livān can translate to "one glass" or just "a glass".
Where is the word for "of" in "a glass of cold water"?
There isn't one! When you use a container or measurement word in Farsi, you just put it directly before the noun it holds. yek livān āb literally translates to "a glass water". You don't even use the linking "e" sound (the Ezafe) between the container and the liquid.
How are the words for "water" (āb) and "cold" (sard) connected here?
They are connected by the Ezafe, a short "e" sound that links nouns to their adjectives. Even though it's usually not written in the Farsi script, you pronounce "cold water" as āb-e sard. Remember that in Farsi, the noun comes before the adjective!
Why is لطفاً pronounced "lotfan" when it ends with an Alef?
The two little diagonal lines on top of the last letter are called a tanvin. It's a symbol borrowed from Arabic that adds an "an" sound to the end of a word. It's very common in polite adverbs like lotfan (please).
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