Question 1

Why does the sentence say barâ-ye ân (for it) if we already used ke (that)?

Accepted Answer

In Farsi relative clauses, ke just links the two parts of the sentence; it doesn't absorb the preposition like "which" can in English. When the described noun is the object of a preposition (like buying a carpet FOR the mosque), you must include a pronoun inside the clause to refer back to it. Farsi literally says "The mosque that we bought a carpet for it" (masjed-i ke barâ-ye ân...).

Question 2

If masjed-i usually means "a mosque", why is the translation "THE mosque"?

Accepted Answer

When a noun is followed by a ke clause, the -i attached to it is the restrictive -i. It points out a specific noun being defined by the clause. Instead of "a random mosque", it signals "the specific mosque (that we bought a carpet for)".

Question 3

Could we leave out ân and just say ke barâ-ye farsh kharidim?

Accepted Answer

No, Farsi prepositions cannot be left hanging without an object. While informal English lets you end a clause with a preposition ("the mosque we bought a carpet for"), Farsi requires a pronoun like ân (it) attached to the preposition to complete the thought.

Question 4

Why is the comma placed after kharidim?

Accepted Answer

The comma visually marks the end of the relative clause (ke barâ-ye ân farsh kharidim) and the return to the main sentence. The core sentence is masjed-i... yek gonbad-e bozorg dârad (The mosque... has a large dome), and the descriptive clause is simply inserted right after the noun it describes.

مسجدی که برای آن فرش خریدیم، یک گنبد بزرگ دارد.

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