Breakdown of آیا دندانهایت را به همدیگر فشار میدهی؟
آیاâyâ
whether (question particle)
دندانdandân
tooth
بهbe
to
راrâ
definite direct object marker
Questions & Answers about آیا دندانهایت را به همدیگر فشار میدهی؟
Why are the suffixes attached in this specific order in دندانهایت را?
When a noun takes multiple attachments, Farsi follows a strict order. First comes the plural suffix ـها (-hā), then the possessive pronoun ـَت (-at) for 'your'. Finally, the specific direct object marker را (rā) follows the entire noun phrase as a separate word.
Why do we use the preposition به before همدیگر?
The word همدیگر (hamdigar) means 'each other'. While English says 'press your teeth together', Farsi phrasing is often more literal about direction. The compound verb فشار دادن (to press / literally 'to give pressure') requires the preposition به (to) to show what the pressure is being applied to.
How is the verb فشار میدهی formed?
This comes from the compound verb فشار دادن (feshār dādan), meaning 'to press'. The non-verbal part is فشار (pressure). The verbal part دادن (to give) is conjugated in the present tense for 'you' (singular): it takes the continuous prefix میـ (mi-), the present stem ده (dah), and the personal ending ـی (i).
How would I change this to say 'without pressing your teeth together' to practice this lesson's grammar?
To use بدون اینکه (bedun-e inke) meaning 'without [doing something]', you must change the verb to the present subjunctive. You drop the continuous prefix میـ (mi-) and replace it with the subjunctive prefix بـ (be-), turning فشار میدهی into . The phrase becomes: .