Breakdown of آیا پدربزرگشان یک نویسندهی پیر است؟
است
is
پیر
old
آیاâyâ
whether (question particle)
نویسندهnevisandeh
writer
Questions & Answers about آیا پدربزرگشان یک نویسندهی پیر است؟
How is "their grandfather" formed in this sentence?
It is made by combining پدربزرگ (grandfather) with the plural possessive ending -شان (-eshân), which means "their". So پدربزرگشان literally means "grandfather-their".
Why is there an extra letter ی at the end of نویسنده (writer)?
In Farsi, when a noun is followed by an adjective (like "writer" followed by "old"), they are connected by a short "e" sound called the ezâfe. Because نویسنده ends in a silent "h" (the letter ه), we have to add a written ی (y) to support that linking sound. So it is pronounced "nevisandeh-ye".
Could I use پیر (pir) to say "an old book"?
No, پیر is only used for people or animals that are elderly. For objects like a book or a building, you would use a different word like قدیمی (ghadimi) instead.
What is the purpose of آیا at the beginning of the sentence?
آیا (âyâ) is a question word used to turn a statement into a yes/no question. It does not translate directly to "is" or "does", but rather signals that a question is coming. You could actually drop it and just use a questioning tone of voice, but using it makes the question very clear in writing.