Word
سراب نه تشنگی را کم میکند نه گرسنگی را.
Meaning
A mirage reduces neither thirst nor hunger.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of سراب نه تشنگی را کم میکند نه گرسنگی را.
راrâ
definite direct object marker
کم کردنkam kardan
to decrease / to lose (weight)
نهna
nor
سرابsarâb
mirage
Questions & Answers about سراب نه تشنگی را کم میکند نه گرسنگی را.
Why is the verb کم میکند in the affirmative (positive) form if the sentence is negative?
In standard Farsi, when you use نه ... نه ... (neither ... nor ...) to connect nouns, the verb remains positive. The negative meaning is already fully carried by the conjunctions. While you might hear native speakers use a negative verb in casual speech, keeping it positive is the correct rule for standard and written Farsi.
Why is the direct object marker را used twice here?
Because both تشنگی (thirst) and گرسنگی (hunger) are specific direct objects being reduced. When balancing two objects with نه ... نه ..., it is standard and much clearer to repeat را after each noun rather than just putting it at the very end.
How are the nouns تشنگی and گرسنگی formed?
They are built from the adjectives تشنه (thirsty) and گرسنه (hungry). To turn them into abstract nouns, you add the suffix -ی. When a word ends in that silent 'h' sound, it changes to a گ (g) before the suffix to bridge the vowels together smoothly.
Can I put both objects before the verb instead of splitting them up?
Yes, you could structurally say سراب نه تشنگی را و نه گرسنگی را کم میکند. However, placing the second object after the verb, as this sentence does, is a very natural stylistic choice in Farsi that feels less clunky and places strong, equal emphasis on both words.