Learn Farsi: به من نگاه کن!

In English, we say "look at me", but in Farsi, the verb for looking (نگاه کردن) usually pairs with the preposition به, which means "to". So literally, you are telling someone to look to you.

Why is the verb for "look" made up of two words (نگاه کن)?

Farsi uses a lot of "compound verbs," which are made by pairing a noun or adjective with a basic helper verb. Here, the noun نگاه (a look or glance) is paired with کردن (to do). So, the concept of looking is literally expressed as "to do a look".

What form of the verb is کن here?

کن is the command form (imperative) of the verb کردن (to do). You use this form when you are telling someone to do something. Because you are talking to one person informally, it is just کن. If you were speaking formally or to a group, it would be کنید.

Why are the words for "look" at the very end of the sentence?

In Farsi, the verb almost always goes at the end of the sentence. Even in a short command like this, the phrase "to me" (به من) has to come before the action words (نگاه کن).