Breakdown of شما باید دربارهی فاکتور شکایت میکردید.
شما
you (plural)
بایدbâyad
must
دربارهdarbâre
about / concerning
فاکتورfâktor
invoice
Questions & Answers about شما باید دربارهی فاکتور شکایت میکردید.
How does this sentence express "should have complained" when bâyad just means "must" or "should"?
To talk about a past obligation (something you should have done but didn't), Farsi uses the invariant word bâyad followed by the verb in the Past Continuous tense. Even though bâyad doesn't change, combining it with the Past Continuous shekâyat mi-kardid creates the meaning "should have complained".
Where exactly does the mi- prefix go in the verb shekâyat kardan?
shekâyat kardan is a compound verb made of the noun shekâyat (complaint) and the light verb kardan (to do). When making the Past Continuous tense, the mi- prefix always attaches directly to the light verb. That is why it is shekâyat mi-kardid and never mi-shekâyat kardid.
Why does darbâre have a -ye added to it to make darbâre-ye?
The preposition darbâre (about) requires an ezafe connector to link it to the noun that follows it, just like how you link possessed nouns to their owners. Because darbâre ends in a vowel sound, the ezafe connector takes the form of a -ye sound to make pronunciation smooth.
Is the word fâktor related to the English word "factor"?
It sounds like it, but fâktor actually comes from the French word "facture", meaning "invoice" or "receipt". Farsi borrowed many modern administrative, business, and everyday terms from French in the early 20th century.