Breakdown of شما میدانید که تنبلی یک مشکل بزرگ است.
است
is
شما
you (plural)
بزرگbozorg
big / large
یکyek
one / a, an
مشکلmoshkel
problem
کهke
that (conjunction)
دانستنdânestan
to know (facts)
تنبلیtanbali
laziness
Questions & Answers about شما میدانید که تنبلی یک مشکل بزرگ است.
How does the word tanbali demonstrate this lesson's rule about abstract nouns?
It takes the adjective tanbal (lazy) and adds the suffix -i to create the noun tanbali (laziness). This works exactly like adding '-ness' to an adjective in English.
Since the -i suffix can also mean 'you are' in spoken Farsi, how can I tell that tanbali means 'laziness' here instead of 'you are lazy'?
Context is key! If it meant 'you are lazy', the clause would already have a verb. But here, tanbali acts as the subject of the second clause, and the actual verb is ast (is) at the very end. Therefore, it has to be the abstract noun.
Do I have to include ke (that) to connect the two parts of this sentence, or can I drop it like in English?
You can absolutely drop it in everyday spoken Farsi. Saying shomâ midânid tanbali yek moshkel-e bozorg ast (You know laziness is a big problem) is very natural. Keeping ke just makes the sentence slightly more formal or structured.
Where does the hidden ezâfe vowel go in the phrase yek moshkel bozorg?
It links the noun to its adjective, so it is pronounced yek moshkel-e bozorg. Notice that yek (a/one) sits at the front of the phrase and does not take an ezâfe itself.
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