Breakdown of اگر مواظب نباشید، فریب آن کلاهبردار را میخورید.
آن
that
راrâ
definite direct object marker
مواظب بودنmovâzeb budan
to be careful
اگرagar
if
فریبfarib
deception
کلاهبردارkolâhbardâr
scammer
خوردنkhordan
to suffer / to undergo (passive light verb)
Questions & Answers about اگر مواظب نباشید، فریب آن کلاهبردار را میخورید.
How does the passive verb work in this sentence, since I don't see the usual passive structure with shodan?
In Farsi, some compound verbs form their passive not by using shodan (to become), but by swapping their light verb. The active verb for 'to deceive' is farib dâdan (literally 'to give deception'). To make it passive ('to be deceived'), we replace dâdan with khordan (to eat/suffer), creating farib khordan.
If the verb is translated as passive ('to be deceived'), why is the direct object marker râ used after the scammer?
Even though the English translation is passive, the Farsi structure is technically active. You are literally saying 'you will eat/suffer the deception of that scammer'. Because 'the deception of that scammer' (farib-e ân kolâhbardâr) is a specific, defined thing that you are 'eating', it requires the specific direct object marker râ.
How is the word 'by' expressed in 'deceived by that scammer'?
It isn't expressed with a preposition like az (from/by) in this specific structure. Instead, Farsi uses the ezafe (the invisible 'e' linking words). farib-e ân kolâhbardâr means 'the deception of that scammer'. By 'suffering the deception OF the scammer', you are effectively being deceived BY them.
Why is the first verb subjunctive (nabâshid) but the second verb present indicative (mikhorid)?
This is a standard 'Type 1' conditional sentence, which talks about a realistic possibility. The 'if' clause with agar requires the subjunctive (nabâshid) because the condition hasn't happened yet and is hypothetical. The result clause uses the present indicative (mikhorid) to confidently state what will happen, which is very common for near-future results in Farsi.
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