Questions & Answers about آنها همخانههای من هستند.
How does the prefix هم change the meaning of خانه here?
The prefix هم means "same" or "shared." When added to the noun خانه (house), it creates the compound noun همخانه, literally meaning "same house" or "someone who shares the same house." This is how Farsi translates "housemate" or "roommate."
Why is there a ی between the plural ending ها and the pronoun من?
The base plural word is همخانهها (housemates). Because we are saying "my housemates," we need to link it to من (me/my) using the ezâfe. Since ها ends in a vowel sound, the ezâfe requires the consonant ی to bridge the two words, resulting in همخانههای من.
Why is there a small gap between هم and خانه instead of a regular space?
That is a half-space (or zero-width non-joiner). It connects the prefix هم to خانه to show they form a single compound word, while preventing the letters from joining together visually. You might sometimes see it written fully attached as همخانه, but using a half-space is the standard and most readable way in modern Farsi.
Since the subject is plural (آنها), does the verb always have to be plural (هستند)?
Yes, because housemates are people! In Farsi, human plural subjects must take plural verbs. If the subject were plural inanimate objects, you would typically use a singular verb instead, but living people always get proper plural agreement.
Learn آنها همخانههای من هستند and more in Farsi
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free