Learn Farsi: آیا تو امروز امتحان ریاضی داری؟

The verb داشتن (dâshtan - to have) is an exception! While most present tense verbs need the mi- prefix, the verb "to have" doesn't use it. You just conjugate it directly: dâram, dâri, dârad, etc.

Do I always have to start a yes/no question with آیا (âya)?

No, you don't! آیا (âya) is a formal word used to signal that a yes/no question is coming. In everyday spoken Farsi, people usually drop it entirely and just raise their tone of voice at the end of the sentence to ask the question.

Why are the words for "math exam" flipped to امتحان ریاضی (emtehân-e riyâzi)?

In Farsi, the main noun comes first, followed by the word that describes it. Here, امتحان (emtehân - exam) is described by ریاضی (riyâzi - math). They are connected by a hidden "e" sound (the Ezafe) linking them together, a bit like saying "exam of math".

Can I leave out the word تو (to) since the verb داری (dâri) already means "you have"?

Yes, you can! Because the verb ending in داری (dâri) already tells us the subject is "you" (singular informal), including the pronoun تو (to) is optional. Leaving it in just adds a little extra emphasis on the "you".