Question 1

How does the question tag مگر نه work at the end of this sentence?

Accepted Answer

مگر نه (magar na) is a fixed phrase used to seek confirmation, exactly like "isn't it?", "right?", or "aren't they?" in English. Literally, مگر means "unless" or "is it that", and نه means "no". You just add it to the end of a statement when you expect the listener to agree with you about the expensive keyboard.

Question 2

Could I use اینطور نیست instead of مگر نه here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely! اینطور نیست (in-tor nist) literally means "is it not this way?". Both مگر نه and اینطور نیست are interchangeable in this sentence for saying "isn't it?". مگر نه is just a bit shorter and very common in casual everyday speech.

Question 3

Why isn't there a written letter connecting کیبورد (keyboard) and جدید (new)?

Accepted Answer

In Farsi, the adjective comes after the noun and is linked by an "e" sound called the ezâfe. So, you pronounce it کیبوردِ جدید (kibord-e jadid). This short "e" vowel is almost never written in the Persian alphabet, which is normal. As an A2 learner, you have to remember to pronounce it whenever a noun is followed by its adjective.

Question 4

How would a native speaker pronounce گران است in casual conversation?

Accepted Answer

In spoken Farsi, the formal word for "is", است (ast), often attaches to the end of the previous word. Because گران (gerân) ends in a consonant, است drops its "a" and just becomes an "e" sound. So, گران است is pronounced as گرانه (gerâne). The whole sentence in conversational Farsi sounds like: Kibord-e jadid kheyli gerâne, magar na?

کیبورد جدید خیلی گران است، مگر نه؟

Breakdown of کیبورد جدید خیلی گران است، مگر نه؟

Questions & Answers about کیبورد جدید خیلی گران است، مگر نه؟

Learn کیبورد جدید خیلی گران است، مگر نه؟ and more in Farsi