Breakdown of آیا کیسهها خوب بسته میشوند؟
آیاâyâ
whether (question particle)
بستنbastan
to close / to fasten/tie
خوبkhub
well / good
کیسهkise
bag (sack, plastic bag)
Questions & Answers about آیا کیسهها خوب بسته میشوند؟
How do we form the present passive 'are closed' in this sentence?
We use the past participle of the main verb, baste (closed), followed by the present tense of shodan (to become). Because kise-hâ (the bags) is plural, we use the 3rd person plural verb mi-shavand. Literally, this translates to 'become closed.'
Since 'bags' are inanimate objects, shouldn't the passive verb be in the singular form?
You have a good memory! Inanimate plural subjects usually take a singular verb in everyday spoken Farsi. However, using the plural verb mi-shavand is also perfectly correct. It often sounds slightly more formal or puts more emphasis on the individual bags. You could just as easily hear baste mi-shavad here.
I know khub means 'good,' but here it translates to 'well.' Does it work as an adverb too?
Yes. In Farsi, you do not need to add special endings to turn adjectives into adverbs. The word khub stays exactly the same whether it describes a noun (like 'a good bag') or an action (like 'closed well').
Is the word âyâ at the beginning strictly necessary?
No, âyâ is simply a question marker used for yes/no questions, mostly in formal speech or writing. In conversational Farsi, people usually drop it and just use a rising tone of voice at the end of the sentence to show they are asking a question.