Questions & Answers about دختر من شانزده ساله است.
Why does دختر من mean "my daughter" when من means "I"?
In Farsi, possession is shown using a hidden linking sound called the ezāfe, which is pronounced as a short e. Even though it is not written out in the Farsi script, you pronounce it as dokhtar-e man. It literally means daughter of me.
Why is there an ه at the end of ساله instead of just using سال (year)?
Adding the suffix ه to the word سال turns the noun into an adjective meaning -year-old. Because of this, شانزده ساله means sixteen-year-old, directly describing the daughter. In Farsi, you are literally saying that your daughter is a sixteen-year-old.
Why does است (is) come at the very end of the sentence?
Farsi word order almost always puts the main verb at the very end of the sentence. The literal order here is my daughter (Subject) sixteen-year-old (Description) is (Verb).
Would a native speaker say it exactly like this in everyday conversation?
This exact sentence is formal and used mostly in books or writing. In casual spoken Farsi, people usually change the structure and say دختر من شانزده سالشه which translates closer to my daughter, her year is sixteen. However, learning this formal written version first is the best way to build your grammar foundation.