Questions & Answers about زرافه به اندازهی اسب تند نمیدود.
How does be andâze-ye translate to "as fast as" here?
The phrase be andâze-ye literally means "to the measure of" or "as much as." In English, we split the phrase to say "as fast as," but Farsi groups the comparison first. It literally says the giraffe "to the measure of a horse" (be andâze-ye asb) "fast" (tond) does not run.
Why is there an extra -ye (ی) at the end of andâze?
Because the word andâze ends in a silent 'h' (which makes an 'e' sound), we must use the -ye form of the Ezafe to connect it to the next noun. This linking sound creates the relationship "the measure of a horse."
Why is the word tond (fast) separated from the comparison phrase?
In Farsi, adverbs like tond normally sit right next to the verb they modify. So you state the comparison target first (be andâze-ye asb), and then place the adverb right before the verb (tond nemidavad).
How is the negative verb نمیدود (nemidavad) built?
It comes from the infinitive davidan (to run), which has the present stem dav. To make a present tense verb negative, we attach the negative prefix ne- directly to the continuous prefix mi-. Add this to the stem dav and the third-person "it" ending -ad, and you get nemidavad (does not run).