Learn Farsi: به محض اینکه معلم کلاس را شروع کند، این دانشجو به اندازه‌ی من کم‌حرف می‌شود. - As soon as the teacher starts the class, this student becomes as quiet as me.

به محض اینکه معلم کلاس را شروع کند، این دانشجو به اندازه‌ی من کم‌حرف می‌شود.be mahze inke mo'allem kelâs râ shoru' konad, in dâneshju be andâze-ye man kam-harf mishavad.

As soon as the teacher starts the class, this student becomes as quiet as me.

Breakdown of به محض اینکه معلم کلاس را شروع کند، این دانشجو به اندازه‌ی من کم‌حرف می‌شود.

Questions & Answers about به محض اینکه معلم کلاس را شروع کند، این دانشجو به اندازه‌ی من کم‌حرف می‌شود.

How exactly does به اندازه‌ی من translate, and why is there a ی in it?

The phrase به اندازه means "to the extent" or "as much". To link it to the pronoun من (me), you need the connecting vowel called the ezâfe. Because اندازه ends in a silent 'h' (which makes an 'e' sound), the ezâfe is written as ی and pronounced 'ye', giving us به اندازه‌ی من (to the extent of me).

In English, we say "as quiet as me." Why does Farsi put the "quiet" (کم‌حرف) after به اندازه‌ی من?

In Farsi, the comparison phrase comes before the adjective. The structure is "[subject] + به اندازه‌ی + [noun/pronoun] + [adjective] + [verb]". You are literally saying "This student, to the extent of me, quiet becomes."

Why do we use the subjunctive verb شروع کند in the first half of the sentence?

The phrase به محض اینکه (as soon as) refers to an action that hasn't happened yet. When it points to an anticipated or future event, the verb following it must be in the subjunctive mood.

What is the literal translation of the word کم‌حرف?

It is a compound adjective made of کم (little or few) and حرف (talk, word, or speech). A کم‌حرف person is someone who speaks very little, which is how Farsi expresses "quiet" or "untalkative" for a person.