Breakdown of مربی به آنها گفت که در مسیر شروع کنند به دویدن.
آنها
they
درdar
in
بهbe
to
گفتنgoftan
to say / to tell
شروع کردنshoru' kardan
to start
دویدنdavidan
to run
کهke
that (conjunction)
مسیرmasir
route
مربیmorabbi
coach / trainer
Questions & Answers about مربی به آنها گفت که در مسیر شروع کنند به دویدن.
Since the coach 'told' them in the past (گفت), why is the second verb شروع کنند in the present subjunctive?
In Farsi, indirect commands (telling someone to do something) require the subjunctive. Even though the main verb گفت (told) is in the past tense, the action they are supposed to do (شروع کنند, "start") uses the present subjunctive because it's a desired or requested action, not a completed fact.
How does the phrase شروع کنند به دویدن connect the verbs to mean "start running"?
To say you "start doing" something, Farsi uses the verb شروع کردن (to start) followed by the preposition به (to) and then the infinitive of the action verb. Here, دویدن (to run) is the infinitive. Think of it literally as "start to the act of running".
If شروع کنند is in the subjunctive, why isn't دویدن also conjugated in the subjunctive?
That is the specific rule for this grammar structure! While Farsi usually loves to string verbs together using the subjunctive (like saying "I want that I go"), شروع کردن is different. When you link the next action using the preposition به, the verb that follows it must be an infinitive (like دویدن), not a conjugated subjunctive verb.
Why do we use به آنها گفت instead of just using the direct object marker را with them?
The verb گفتن (to say/tell) always needs the preposition به (to) to indicate who is being spoken to. You cannot use the direct object marker را because you are saying words to the people, rather than "saying" the people themselves.
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