Questions & Answers about من از تاریکی این اتاق میترسم.
How is the word târiki (darkness) formed in this sentence?
It comes from the adjective târik (dark). By adding the suffix -i to the end of many adjectives, you can create an abstract noun. So, târik (dark) becomes târiki (darkness). This is exactly like adding '-ness' to a word in English.
Why do we use the preposition az (from) here instead of a word for 'of'?
In Farsi, the verb tarsidan (to fear / to be afraid) always takes the preposition az. While in English you say you are afraid of something, in Farsi you are afraid from it (az). This is a common pattern to memorize for this verb.
Where is the Ezafe that connects 'darkness' to 'this room', and how is it pronounced?
The Ezafe links târiki (darkness) and in otâgh (this room). Because the abstract noun târiki ends in a vowel sound (the -i suffix), the Ezafe is pronounced as a -ye sound to make it flow easier. So you say târiki-ye in otâgh. In standard written Farsi, this Ezafe is usually invisible.
What is the infinitive for mitarsam, and how is it conjugated here?
The infinitive is tarsidan (to fear). To say 'I am afraid', we take the present stem tars, add the continuous prefix mi- to show it is a general state, and finish with the 'I' ending -am. This gives us mi-tars-am.