Breakdown of ای کاش ارزش زمان را دانسته بودیم.
راrâ
definite direct object marker
دانستنdânestan
to know (facts)
زمانzamân
time (concept, duration, era)
ای کاشey kâsh
Questions & Answers about ای کاش ارزش زمان را دانسته بودیم.
How does this sentence express a regret about the past?
It uses ey kâsh (I wish or if only) followed by the past perfect tense verb dânesteh budim (we had known). In Farsi, combining kâsh or ey kâsh with the past perfect shows that you are wishing for something that did not actually happen in the past.
What is the difference between using kâsh and ey kâsh?
They mean exactly the same thing. Adding ey before kâsh just makes the wish sound a little more emotional, poetic, or emphatic, similar to saying Oh, if only in English.
Why does râ come after zamân instead of directly after arzesh (value)?
Because râ marks the entire phrase as the specific direct object of the verb. The object we are wishing we had known is the whole phrase arzesh-e zamân (the value of time). The rule is that râ must be placed at the very end of the noun phrase it marks.
How is the past perfect verb dânesteh budim built in this sentence?
The past perfect is made using the past participle of the main verb plus the simple past tense of budan (to be). Here, we take dânesteh (known) and add budim (we were) to create the meaning we had known.