Breakdown of نگهبان سختگیر اجازه نداده بود که آنها در حیاط بازی کنند.
آنها
they
حیاط
yard
درdar
in
بازی کردنbâzi kardan
to play
Questions & Answers about نگهبان سختگیر اجازه نداده بود که آنها در حیاط بازی کنند.
Why is bâzi konand in the present subjunctive, even though the main verb 'had not allowed' is in the past?
When using verbs of permission like ejâze dâdan (to allow), the second verb always takes the present subjunctive, no matter what tense the main verb is in. Here, the guard didn't allow them 'that they play', so bâzi kardan (to play) becomes the subjunctive bâzi konand.
What tense is ejâze nadâde bud and how is it formed?
This is the past perfect tense, meaning 'had not allowed.' It is formed using the negative past participle of the main verb (nadâde) followed by the past tense of budan (to be), which is bud for the third-person singular guard.
How does the adjective saxt-gir (strict) break down?
It is a combination of saxt (hard or difficult) and gir, which is the present stem of gereftan (to take or catch). Someone who is saxt-gir is literally 'hard-taking', which translates perfectly to strict or demanding.
Could we drop the word ânhâ (them/they) from the second part of the sentence?
Yes, you could just say ...ke dar hayât bâzi konand. In Farsi, the verb ending -and already shows that the subject is 'they'. Using ânhâ is optional but helps make it very clear who the guard was stopping.