Questions & Answers about دو سگ کنار آن مرد است.
Why is it سگ (dog) instead of a plural noun after the number دو (two)?
In Farsi, nouns that come directly after a number are always kept in their singular form. Because the number already tells us there is more than one, you don't need a plural ending. You literally say "two dog" (دو سگ).
The English translation says "There are two dogs," but the Farsi sentence ends with است (is). Why use a singular verb?
This is a very important rule in Farsi: when a plural subject is non-human (like animals, objects, or ideas), it usually takes a singular verb. Since dogs are non-human, we use the singular verb است (is) instead of the plural هستند (are).
How does کنار (next to) connect to the words that follow it?
Prepositions of location like کنار require an Ezafe (a short "e" sound) to connect them to the noun they describe. Even though it is not written in the Persian script, you must pronounce it as kenār-e ān mard (next to that man).
If there were multiple men, would the word آن (that) become plural?
No. Demonstrative words like این (this) and آن (that) never change their form when they come directly before a noun. You would still use آن even if you were saying "those men" (آن مردها).