Breakdown of لطفاً در این رستوران سیگار نکشید.
این
this
لطفاًlotfan
please
رستورانresturân
restaurant
درdar
in
Questions & Answers about لطفاً در این رستوران سیگار نکشید.
How is the negative command نکشید formed in this sentence?
The verb for "to smoke" is سیگار کشیدن. To make a negative command (telling someone not to do something), you take the present stem of the verb, which is کش, and add the negative prefix نـ (na-) to the front. Finally, add the ending ـید (-id) for the formal "you". So, نـ + کش + ـید makes نکشید.
Why is the word for "smoke" translated as two words: سیگار نکشید?
Farsi uses many "compound verbs," which combine a noun with a basic verb to create a new meaning. "To smoke" is literally "to drag a cigarette" (سیگار کشیدن). When conjugating or making a command, only the verb part (کشیدن) changes to نکشید, while the noun (سیگار) just sits right in front of it.
If I am talking to one person, why does the verb end in ـید (-id) which is the plural "you" ending?
In Farsi, the plural "you" and its matching verb ending ـید (-id) are also used to speak politely and formally to a single person. Since this is a public notice or a polite request to a customer in a restaurant, it uses the formal "you". If you were telling a close friend not to smoke, you would drop the ending and use the informal singular command: سیگار نکش.
What is the symbol at the end of لطفاً?