Question 1

How is the word tavânmand (capable) formed?

Accepted Answer

It uses the suffix -mand, which means "possessing" or "having." It is added to the noun tavân (power, ability, or strength). So, tavânmand literally means "possessing ability," which translates to "capable" or "empowered."

Question 2

I see the same -mand ending in kârmand (employee). Is that the exact same suffix?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Kârmand is made of kâr (work) plus -mand (possessing). Literally, it means "one who has work" or "one who holds a job," which gives us the everyday word for "employee" or "staff member."

Question 3

How does be nazar mi-resad translate to "it seems"?

Accepted Answer

This is a very common fixed phrase. Nazar means "view" or "opinion," and mi-resad is the present form of residan (to arrive). Literally, it translates to "it arrives to the view," which Farsi speakers use exactly like "it seems" or "it appears" in English.

Question 4

Why is there a -ye sound at the end of hame (all) in hame-ye kârmand-hâ?

Accepted Answer

When you say "all of [something]" in Farsi, you need an ezâfe to link hame (all) to the noun that follows it. Since hame ends in a vowel, the ezâfe takes the form of a -ye (همه‌ی). So, hame-ye kârmand-hâ means "all of the employees."

Question 5

Could we use the singular verb ast (is) at the end, since "all the employees" is a single group?

Accepted Answer

No, because kârmand-hâ (employees) are people (animate subjects). In Farsi, when the plural subject is human, the verb must also be plural (hastand). If the subject were inanimate (like "all the computers"), you could use the singular verb ast.

به نظر می‌رسد که همه‌ی کارمندها توانمند هستند.

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