Learn Farsi: خیابان لغزنده است، مرد پیر احتیاط می‌کند مبادا لیز بخورد. - The street is slippery; the old man is careful lest he slip.

خیابان لغزنده است، مرد پیر احتیاط می‌کند مبادا لیز بخورد.khiyâbân loghzande ast, mard-e pir ehtiyât mikonad mabâdâ liz bokhorad.

The street is slippery; the old man is careful lest he slip.

Breakdown of خیابان لغزنده است، مرد پیر احتیاط می‌کند مبادا لیز بخورد.

Questions & Answers about خیابان لغزنده است، مرد پیر احتیاط می‌کند مبادا لیز بخورد.

Why is لیز بخورد positive when the English translation involves a negative meaning like 'so that he doesn't slip'?

The word مبادا (lest / so that not) already contains the negative meaning. Because the negativity is built into مبادا, the following verb لیز بخورد remains in the positive form.

Why do we use the subjunctive form لیز بخورد after مبادا?

مبادا expresses a purpose or a fear of something that might happen. Since slipping is a potential future possibility rather than a certain fact, Farsi requires the present subjunctive mood here.

Could I say this without using the new word مبادا?

Yes, you could replace مبادا لیز بخورد with که لیز نخورد (so that he doesn't slip). Using مبادا is just a slightly more emphatic way to express caution or fear that an unwanted event might happen.

Are لغزنده and لیز خوردن related since they both deal with slipping?

They describe similar concepts but come from different roots. لغزنده is an adjective meaning slippery, formed from the verb لغزیدن (to slip). لیز خوردن is a common compound verb meaning to slip or slide. You will often see them used together in sentences about wet or icy conditions.

Is there a difference between مرد پیر and the compound word ?