Breakdown of یک ساعت است که دکتر بیمار را معاینه میکند.
دکتر
doctor
بودنbudan
to be
یکyek
one / a, an
ساعتsâ'at
o'clock (the hour)
Questions & Answers about یک ساعت است که دکتر بیمار را معاینه میکند.
Why is this sentence using the present indicative (mikonad) instead of the subjunctive, since we are learning about clauses with ke?
In reported commands, ke introduces an action that should happen, which requires the subjunctive. However, here ke is part of a time expression (yek sâ'at ast ke, meaning "it has been an hour that"). Because the doctor is actually doing the examination in reality right now, we use the normal present tense (mo'âyeneh mikonad), not the subjunctive.
Why doesn't Farsi use a past or perfect tense to say "has been examining"?
In Farsi, if an action started in the past and is still happening right now, you use the present tense. English uses the present perfect continuous ("has been examining"), but Farsi focuses on the fact that the action is currently ongoing: literally, "it is an hour that the doctor is examining."
How does the phrase yek sâ'at ast ke work to mean "for an hour"?
To express how long an ongoing action has been happening, Farsi commonly uses the structure [time period] ast ke (literally "it is [time period] that..."). You will see this very often instead of using a direct preposition like "for" to indicate duration up to the present.
What is the non-verb part of the compound verb mo'âyeneh mikonad?
The compound verb is mo'âyeneh kardan. The noun part, mo'âyeneh, specifically refers to a medical examination or physical inspection. Notice how the direct object bimâr râ (the patient) is placed right before the compound verb block.