Q: Where is the word for 'he' in the second part of the sentence?

It is built right into the verb. The ending ـَد on میگیرد tells us the subject is third-person singular ('he' or 'she'). Farsi regularly drops subject pronouns like او unless you want to add extra emphasis, so the verb ending does all the work here.

Question 1

Why is the second verb می‌گیرد in the present tense when the main verb گفت is in the past?

Accepted Answer

In English, we often shift tenses backward in reported speech. In Farsi, you preserve the exact tense the speaker originally used! Since the colleague originally said 'I get a bonus' in the present tense, Farsi keeps می‌گیرد in the present tense after the word که (that).

Question 2

Where is the word for 'he' in the second part of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

It is built right into the verb. The ending ـَد on می‌گیرد tells us the subject is third-person singular ('he' or 'she'). Farsi regularly drops subject pronouns like او unless you want to add extra emphasis, so the verb ending does all the work here.

Question 3

What makes مخفیانه mean 'secretly'?

Accepted Answer

It is formed by taking the adjective مخفی (secret or hidden) and adding the suffix ـانه. Adding ـانه is a very common way to turn an adjective or a noun into an adverb describing how something is done, very much like adding '-ly' in English.

Question 4

Does پاداش می‌گیرد work as a single phrase here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it is a compound verb. پاداش means 'reward' or 'bonus', and گرفتن means 'to get' or 'to take'. Together, پاداش گرفتن means 'to get a bonus'. In this sentence, the verb part is conjugated for the third person to become می‌گیرد.

همکار من گفت که مخفیانه پاداش می‌گیرد.

Breakdown of همکار من گفت که مخفیانه پاداش می‌گیرد.

Questions & Answers about همکار من گفت که مخفیانه پاداش می‌گیرد.

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