Learn Farsi: من بوی یاس را حس نمی‌کنم، تو می‌بایست آن بطری را باز می‌کردی. - I do not sense the smell of jasmine; you should have opened that bottle.

من بوی یاس را حس نمی‌کنم، تو می‌بایست آن بطری را باز می‌کردی.man buye yâs râ hess nemikonam, to mibâyest ân botri râ bâz mikardi.

I do not sense the smell of jasmine; you should have opened that bottle.

Breakdown of من بوی یاس را حس نمی‌کنم، تو می‌بایست آن بطری را باز می‌کردی.

definite direct object marker

Questions & Answers about من بوی یاس را حس نمی‌کنم، تو می‌بایست آن بطری را باز می‌کردی.

Why is bâz mi-kardi (Past Continuous) used here instead of a past perfect form for 'should have opened'?

To express an unfulfilled past obligation ('should have done something'), Farsi often pairs mi-bâyast with the Past Continuous tense. Even though it translates to 'should have opened', the structure feels a bit like 'it was necessary that you were opening'.

Could we use the Present Subjunctive instead of the Past Continuous in the second half of this sentence?

Yes! After mi-bâyast, you can use either the Past Continuous (bâz mi-kardi) or the Present Subjunctive (bâz koni). Both are perfectly correct and commonly used to mean 'you should have opened'.

Why is râ placed after yâs (jasmine) instead of bu (smell)? Isn't the smell the direct object?

The direct object is the entire noun phrase 'the smell of jasmine' (bu-ye yâs). The object marker râ always goes at the very end of the whole phrase, attaching to the final word in the ezâfe chain.

Is hes kardan (to feel/sense) the standard way to talk about smelling things?

It is very common! While you can use bu kardan (to smell) for the active action of sniffing something, hes kardan is often used when talking about passively noticing or sensing an odor in the air.

What difference does the mi- prefix make in compared to just ?