Breakdown of در خیابان باید به تابلوها توجه کرد.
خیابانkhiâbân
street
درdar
in
بهbe
to
بایدbâyad
must
تابلوtâblo
sign (signboard)
توجه کردنtavajjoh kardan
to pay attention
Questions & Answers about در خیابان باید به تابلوها توجه کرد.
Why does the sentence use توجه کرد instead of a subjunctive verb like توجه کند after باید?
This is the impersonal construction taught in this lesson! When you use the invariant باید (one must) followed by a short infinitive like کرد, it gives a general instruction meant for everyone. If it used the subjunctive توجه کند, it would specifically mean 'he or she must pay attention'.
Wait, isn't کرد the past tense meaning 'he or she did'?
It looks exactly the same! The short infinitive is formed by dropping the final -an from the full infinitive کردن (to do), which leaves you with the exact same word as the 3rd person past stem. Because it comes after the modal باید in this structure, you can tell it is acting as a short infinitive rather than a past tense verb.
Why is the preposition به used before تابلوها?
In Farsi, the compound verb توجه کردن (to pay attention) requires the preposition به (to) to indicate what you are paying attention to. It works just like the English phrase 'pay attention to'.
I learned that تابلو means a painting or picture. Does it mean 'signs' here?
Yes, تابلو is a versatile word. While it does mean a painting or framed picture, it is also the standard word for a street sign, traffic sign, or a shop's signboard. With the plural suffix ها, تابلوها here refers to the street signs.
Learn در خیابان باید به تابلوها توجه کرد and more in Farsi
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free