Breakdown of آیا شما شک دارید که پلیس یک سرنخ جدید پیدا کرده باشد؟
شما
you (plural)
جدیدjadid
new
آیاâyâ
whether (question particle)
یکyek
one / a, an
Questions & Answers about آیا شما شک دارید که پلیس یک سرنخ جدید پیدا کرده باشد؟
Why is the verb at the end peydâ karde bâshad and not just the regular present perfect peydâ karde ast?
Because the first part of the sentence expresses doubt (shak dârid, meaning "you doubt"). When we talk about an action that might have happened in the past but introduce it with a phrase showing doubt, hope, or condition, we must use the Present Perfect Subjunctive. This is formed by using the past participle peydâ karde (found) plus the subjunctive forms of the verb "to be", which here is bâshad.
In English we usually say "the police have", treating it as plural. Why is bâshad in the singular form here?
In Farsi, collective nouns representing a group of people, like polis (police) or mardom (people), are treated grammatically as singular nouns. Because of this, the verb takes the 3rd-person singular ending (bâshad instead of the plural bâshand).
Could I use the indefinite suffix -i to say "a new clue" instead of using the word yek?
Absolutely! Instead of yek sarnakh-e jadid, you could attach the indefinite -i to the end of the phrase and say sarnakh-e jadid-i. Both perfectly mean "a new clue." Using yek at the start of the noun phrase just sounds slightly more formal or puts a tiny bit more emphasis on it being one single clue.
What is the literal translation of the word sarnakh?
Sarnakh is a compound noun made of two words: (head, top, or end) and (thread or string). Literally, it translates to "the end of the thread." It's a very visual way to describe a clue that a detective can pull on to unravel a mystery!