Breakdown of من کشو را گشتم، اما چیزی پیدا نکردم.
من
I
اماammâ
but
پیدا کردنpeydâ kardan
to find / to get / to develop (a condition)
راrâ
definite direct object marker
چیزیchizi
something
گشتنgashtan
to search
کشوkeshu
drawer
Questions & Answers about من کشو را گشتم، اما چیزی پیدا نکردم.
How does chizi mean 'anything' or 'nothing' in this sentence?
In Farsi, you create the meaning of 'nothing' or 'not anything' by pairing the indefinite pronoun chizi (which literally means 'a thing' or 'something') with a negative verb. Since the verb peydâ nakardam is negative, chizi translates to 'anything' in English. Farsi does not use a separate negative word like 'nothing' in this kind of sentence.
Why doesn't chizi take the object marker râ like kesho does?
The marker râ is only used for definite direct objects, like a specific thing you are talking about. Because kesho (the drawer) is a specific object being searched, it gets râ. However, chizi is indefinite by nature (meaning 'something' or 'anything' in general), so it does not take the definite object marker.
I learned that the verb gashtan means to stroll or to wander. Why does it mean 'searched' here?
The verb gashtan is very versatile. When it is used with a direct object and the marker râ, as in kesho râ gashtam, the meaning changes to physically searching through that place or object. If you just said gashtam without a direct object, it would mean 'I strolled' or 'I wandered'.
What is the literal translation of peydâ nakardam?
It literally means 'I did not make visible' or 'I did not make apparent'. The word peydâ means visible or found, and nakardam is the negative past tense of kardan (to do or to make). Together, peydâ kardan is the standard compound verb for 'to find'.
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