Questions & Answers about شما باید به اندازهی ببر شجاع باشید.
How does be andâze-ye work to mean 'as brave as' in this sentence?
Be andâze-ye literally means 'to the size of' or 'to the extent of'. In Farsi, to say you are 'as brave as a tiger', you say you are brave 'to the extent of a tiger'.
Why does andâze have a -ye sound at the end here?
That is the Ezafe linking vowel! Because the word andâze (size or extent) ends in an unwritten 'e' vowel sound, we add the -ye sound to connect it to the next word, babr (tiger). It links them to mean 'extent of a tiger'.
Why is the adjective shojâ' (brave) placed after babr (tiger)?
Farsi groups the comparison differently than English. While English says 'as brave as a tiger', Farsi places the adjective after the comparison phrase, saying 'to the extent of a tiger, brave'. The adjective typically sits right before the verb at the end of the sentence.
Why does the sentence use bâshid instead of hastid for the verb 'to be'?
Because of the word bâyad (must). Whenever you use bâyad, the verb that follows must be in the subjunctive mood. Bâshid is the subjunctive form of 'to be' for shomâ (you formal/plural).