Breakdown of ما گاهی ساعت هشت صبح چای میخوریم.
ما
we
چایchâi
tea
ساعتsâ'at
o'clock (the hour)
هشتhasht
eight
Questions & Answers about ما گاهی ساعت هشت صبح چای میخوریم.
How does the verb میخوریم follow the rule for the present tense?
It uses the regular present tense formula! It starts with the prefix می to show it is a habitual action. Next is the present stem خور from the verb for eating or drinking. Finally, we add the ending یم because the subject is ما (we).
Wait, doesn't the verb stem خور usually mean "eat"? Why is it used for tea?
Yes, it does! While there is a specific verb for drinking, Farsi speakers almost always use the verb for "eat" when talking about everyday beverages like water or tea. So, چای میخوریم literally means "we eat tea", but it is the most natural way to say "we drink tea".
Where is the word for "at" in the phrase ساعت هشت صبح?
Farsi does not use a preposition like "at" before times of day. You simply state the time directly in the sentence. So instead of saying "at hour eight", you just say ساعت هشت.
How are the words in ساعت هشت صبح linked together if there are no connecting words written?
They are linked by the ezafe, which is a short "e" sound added to the end of a word to connect it to the next one. Even though it usually is not written in the Farsi script, you pronounce it as "sa'at-e hasht-e sobh", which works a bit like saying "hour of eight of morning".