Breakdown of ما از سگ مطیع میخواهیم که کف را نلیسد.
ما
we
سگsag
dog
ازaz
from
راrâ
definite direct object marker
خواستنkhâstan
to want / to ask (request from someone)
کهke
that (conjunction)
کفkaf
floor (surface)
مطیعmoti'
obedient
لیسیدنlisidan
to lick
Questions & Answers about ما از سگ مطیع میخواهیم که کف را نلیسد.
Why does the sentence use az before the dog? We don't say "we want from the dog" in English.
This is the standard Farsi structure for indirect commands and desires. When you want someone (or an animal) to do something, you use a form of khâstan (to want) + az (from) + the person/animal + ke (that) + the present subjunctive verb. You are literally saying "We want from the obedient dog that it not lick the floor."
Why is the final verb nalisad instead of using the standard present tense?
The verb mi-khâhim (we want) triggers the subjunctive mood for the second action, because it expresses a desire, not a stated fact. Normally the present subjunctive adds the prefix be-, but because this is negative ("not to lick"), the negative prefix na- replaces it, making it nalisad.
Why is the word râ placed after kaf (floor)?
Even though the main sentence is about wanting something from the dog, kaf is the direct object of the second verb, "to lick". Because we are talking about a specific floor ("the floor" rather than just "some floor"), it requires the specific direct object marker râ.
How are "dog" and "obedient" linked together in sag-e moti'?
They are connected by the ezafe, which is a short "e" sound added to the end of a noun to link it to its adjective. In Farsi, the noun comes first, so sag (dog) + ezafe + moti' (obedient) translates to "the obedient dog".
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