Breakdown of ماهی کمیابی که دنبال آن میگردم، در این استخر است.
است
is
این
this
آن
that
درdar
in
کهke
that (conjunction)
گشتنgashtan
to search
دنبالdonbâl
after / looking for
ماهیmâhi
fish
استخرestakhr
pool / tank
کمیابkamyâb
rare
Questions & Answers about ماهی کمیابی که دنبال آن میگردم، در این استخر است.
Why is there an ân (it) in the Farsi sentence? The English translation doesn't say "looking for it".
This is the main rule for your current lesson! When a relative clause (starting with ke) describes a noun that acts as the object of a preposition, Farsi requires you to keep both the preposition and a pronoun. In English, you end the phrase with the preposition: "the fish that I am looking for." In Farsi, you must say "the fish that I am looking for ân (it)."
Why does kamyâb have an -i at the end? Doesn't that usually mean "a rare fish" instead of "the rare fish"?
You are right that -i is often the indefinite marker ("a/an"), but here it is the "restrictive -i". In Farsi, when a noun phrase is followed by a relative clause describing exactly which one you mean, we attach an -i to the end of that noun phrase. It highlights the specific noun being described, which is why it translates to "The rare fish" in English. Notice it attaches to the end of the entire phrase (mâhi-ye kamyâb) rather than the noun itself.
How does donbâl-e ân mi-gardam mean "I am looking for it"?
The Farsi verb for "to look for" or "to search" is a compound phrase: donbâl-e (after / following) + [the thing you are looking for] + gashtan (to search / to stroll). mi-gardam is the present tense of gashtan for "I". So, you are literally saying "I am searching after it."
Could I use the attached pronoun -ash instead of the separate word ân here?
Yes, absolutely! In everyday spoken Farsi, it is very common to attach the pronoun suffix directly to the preposition instead of using the independent pronoun. You will frequently hear donbâl-ash mi-gardam instead of donbâl-e ân mi-gardam. Both are correct and mean the exact same thing.
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