Learn Farsi: من دارم سگ را تربیت می‌کنم و از او می‌خواهم که بنشیند. - I am training the dog, and I want him to sit.

من دارم سگ را تربیت می‌کنم و از او می‌خواهم که بنشیند.man dâram sag râ tarbiyat mikonam va az u mikhâham ke beneshinad.

I am training the dog, and I want him to sit.

Breakdown of من دارم سگ را تربیت می‌کنم و از او می‌خواهم که بنشیند.

Questions & Answers about من دارم سگ را تربیت می‌کنم و از او می‌خواهم که بنشیند.

Why do we say az u mi'xâham (I want from him) instead of just wanting him directly?

In Farsi, when you want someone else to do something (an indirect command or desire), the structure translates literally as "I want from [person] that they do [action]." That's why we use the verb khâstan (to want) followed by az (from) before introducing the person or animal we are directing.

Why is the verb benshinad (sit) in the present subjunctive form here?

Because it follows the indirect desire structure! When you use khâstan (to want) + az + [person] + ke (that), the verb that follows must be in the subjunctive. It describes a desired or hypothetical action (the dog sitting) rather than a stated fact, so we add the be- prefix to the present stem.

Why are the verbs dâram and tarbiyat mikonam separated by sag râ?

To express an action happening right now ("I am training"), Farsi uses the present continuous tense. This is built using the helper verb dâshtan (here, dâram) and the main verb (tarbiyat mikonam). The helper verb is usually placed before the object (sag râ), while the main verb stays at the very end of the clause, creating a frame around the object.

The sentence uses u for the dog. Can we use the human pronoun for animals in Farsi?

Yes! While ân (it/that) is traditionally the pronoun for objects and non-human animals, Farsi speakers frequently use (he/she) for pets or familiar animals. Because the speaker is training the dog and interacting with it directly, treating it as an active participant, using feels completely natural here.