Question 1

I see the words for "phone" (گوشی) and "you" (شما). How does that become "your phone"?

Accepted Answer

Farsi uses a grammatical link called the Ezafe to show possession. Instead of a separate word for "your", you link the noun to the possessor. So, "phone [link] you" (گوشی شما) translates to "your phone".

Question 2

Since گوشی ends in a vowel, how do we pronounce the Ezafe link here?

Accepted Answer

Normally, the Ezafe is pronounced as a short "-e" sound. However, because گوشی (gushi) ends in the vowel "i", we add a "y" sound to make it easier to say. So, the phrase is pronounced gushi-ye shomâ.

Question 3

Is the Ezafe link written down in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

In standard written Farsi, the Ezafe is usually invisible. You won't see a special letter for it between گوشی and شما. Native speakers know it's there from the context. Sometimes learning materials use a small symbol under the word to help you, but here you just have to remember to say it.

Question 4

I noticed the word است (is) is at the very end. Is that normal?

Accepted Answer

Yes! In Farsi, the verb almost always goes at the very end of the sentence. While in English we say "Is this your phone?", the Farsi word order is literally "[Question-word] this phone-of you is?".

Question 5

Do I always have to use آیا to ask a yes/no question?

Accepted Answer

Not always. آیا (âyâ) is used in formal or written Farsi to signal a question is coming. In everyday spoken Farsi, people often drop آیا completely and just use a questioning tone of voice.

آیا این گوشی شما است؟

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