Breakdown of وقتی که میوهها را میچینیم، آنها را به دوستان میدهیم.
آنها
they
دوستdust
friend
بهbe
to
دادنdâdan
to give
میوهmive
fruit
راrâ
definite direct object marker
وقتی کهvaqti ke
when (conjunction)
چیدنchidan
to pick / to harvest
Questions & Answers about وقتی که میوهها را میچینیم، آنها را به دوستان میدهیم.
Why does this sentence use the present indicative after وقتی که instead of the subjunctive?
وقتی که (when) is followed by the indicative mood when you are talking about a fact, a general habit, or an ongoing routine. Because this sentence describes a habitual action ("Whenever we pick fruits..."), both verbs—میچینیم and میدهیم—stay in the normal present indicative with the می prefix. You would only use the subjunctive after وقتی که if you were talking about an uncertain or specific event in the future.
Why does the object marker را appear twice in this sentence?
را follows a specific direct object to show what is receiving the action of the verb. Since this sentence has two separate actions (picking and giving), it has two direct objects! First, we pick the specific fruits (میوهها را), and then we give "them" (آنها را). Because both objects are specific and clearly defined, they each need their own را.
Can آنها refer to things like fruits, or is it only used for people?
Yes, آنها can absolutely refer to things! While it is heavily used to mean "they" or "them" for people, it is also the standard plural pronoun for inanimate objects (literally meaning "those"). Notice the difference in plural endings in this sentence, though: the inanimate fruits get the standard ها ending (میوهها), while the animate friends get the traditional plural ending for people, ان (دوستان).
What is the root verb for میچینیم (we pick)?
The infinitive is چیدن (to pick, to pluck, or to arrange). Its present stem is چین. To say "we pick", you combine the continuous prefix می, the stem چین, and the "we" ending یم to get میچینیم. You will often see this same verb used in the context of setting out a meal, like setting a table.
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