Questions & Answers about سه واژهنامهی بزرگ و دو ماشینحساب روی تخت هست.
Why are the words for dictionary and calculator singular in Farsi when the English translation says 'dictionaries' and 'calculators'?
This is a strict rule in Farsi: anytime you use a number (like سه for three, or دو for two) before a noun, the noun itself must always stay in its singular form. So, you literally say 'three large dictionary' and 'two calculator'.
Why is there an extra ی at the end of واژهنامه (dictionary) in the phrase واژهنامهی بزرگ?
This is the ezāfe, the grammatical 'connector' used to link a noun to its adjective. Because واژهنامه ends in a vowel sound (an invisible 'e' written with the letter ه), we can't just attach the usual 'e' sound. We have to add a ی (ye) to make it smooth to say: vāže-nāme-ye bozorg.
There are five things on the bed. Why does the sentence use the singular verb هست (is) instead of the plural هستند (are)?
In Farsi, when a plural subject is made up of non-living things (like dictionaries and calculators), the verb usually stays singular. Even though there are multiple items, the 'it is' form (هست) sounds much more natural to native speakers.
How does the word ماشینحساب translate to 'calculator'?
It's a compound word! ماشین means 'machine' (or 'car'), and حساب means 'math', 'accounting', or 'calculation'. Put them together, and a calculator is literally a 'math machine'.