Breakdown of بچه کامپیوتر را خراب نکرد.
کامپیوترkâmpyuter
computer
بچهbacheh
child
راrâ
definite direct object marker
خراب کردنkharâb kardan
to ruin/break
Questions & Answers about بچه کامپیوتر را خراب نکرد.
How do we form the negative past tense for the verb in this sentence?
The verb here is a compound verb, kharāb kardan (to ruin). To make it negative in the simple past, we add the prefix na- to the past stem of the helper verb kardan (to do). The past stem is kard, so it becomes nakard. Since the subject is the child (third-person singular), we do not add any personal ending.
Does adding na- change where we put the stress on the verb nakard?
Yes! In Farsi, when you make a verb negative by adding the na- prefix, the stress shifts to that negative prefix. So you pronounce it as NA-kard, with the emphasis strongly on the first syllable.
Why does na- only attach to kard and not the whole verb?
kharāb kardan is a compound verb made of two separate words: the adjective kharāb (ruined) and the verb kardan (to make). Prefixes like the negative na- only ever attach to the actual verb part (kard), leaving the first part (kharāb) as a separate word.
Why do we need the word rā after kāmpyūtar?
The word rā is the definite object marker. It tells us that a specific object is receiving the action of the verb. Because the sentence says the child did not ruin THE computer (a specific one, rather than just any computer), we must place rā immediately after kāmpyūtar.
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