Question 1

How does the word اکیداً get its "-an" ending, and what does it do?

Accepted Answer

The word اکیداً (akidan) comes from the Arabic adjective اکید (akid), meaning "strict" or "firm." By adding the Arabic suffix ـاً (pronounced "-an"), it changes from an adjective into an adverb of manner meaning "strictly." You will see this suffix a lot in Farsi to create adverbs from Arabic loanwords, just like in لطفاً (lotfan - please) or حتماً (hatman - certainly).

Question 2

Why is the ending of اکیداً written with an "alef" if it is pronounced as "-an"?

Accepted Answer

The symbol at the end of اکیداً is an Arabic spelling feature called "tanvin" (or tanween), which looks like two small diagonal strokes over an alef (ـاً). Even though there is no letter "nun" (ن) written here, Farsi speakers always pronounce this specific suffix as "-an". It is a fixed spelling rule kept from the original Arabic.

Question 3

Why is the infinitive کشیدن (to pull) used here for "smoking"?

Accepted Answer

In Farsi, the infinitive form of a verb (ending in ـدن or ـتن) functions just like an English gerund (a verb ending in "-ing" that acts as a noun). So سیگار کشیدن, which literally means "to pull a cigarette," is used here as the noun phrase "smoking" to act as the subject of the sentence.

Question 4

Does دفتر always mean "office", and how is it different from اداره?

Accepted Answer

The word دفتر (daftar) can mean "notebook," but it is also very commonly used for a physical office room, a private workspace, or a small agency. Another common word for office is اداره (edareh), but that usually refers to an administrative department, an institution, or a larger company building. In this sentence, دفتر refers to the physical workspace where people are working.

سیگار کشیدن در دفتر اکیداً ممنوع است.

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