Breakdown of بیمهنامه معتبر نیست، مگر اینکه آن را تمدید کنید.
آن
that
بودنbudan
to be
راrâ
definite direct object marker
اینکهin-ke
that (conjunction)
Questions & Answers about بیمهنامه معتبر نیست، مگر اینکه آن را تمدید کنید.
Why doesn't the verb تمدید کنید have the subjunctive بـ (be-) prefix if مگر اینکه requires the subjunctive?
مگر اینکه (unless) does indeed require the present subjunctive here. However, تمدید کردن (to renew) is a compound verb. With compound verbs ending in کردن (to do), Farsi speakers usually drop the subjunctive بـ (be-) prefix. So, تمدید کنید is already in the subjunctive form!
What is the literal translation of بیمهنامه?
It translates to "insurance document". بیمه (bime) means "insurance", and the suffix نامه (name) means "letter" or "document". You might recognize نامه from other words you've learned like روزنامه (newspaper) or گذرنامه (passport).
Why do we need آن را (an ra) in the second half of the sentence?
آن (an) means "it" or "that", referring back to the insurance policy. Because you are renewing it, "it" is the specific direct object of the sentence. In Farsi, specific direct objects must always be followed by the object marker را (ra).
Could I use the regular present tense after مگر اینکه?
No, مگر اینکه (unless) introduces a condition or exception that hasn't happened yet, so it requires the present subjunctive. Using the regular present tense here, like تمدید میکنید (you are renewing), would sound unnatural to a native speaker.