Breakdown of من نه مار میخوام نه عقرب!
من
I
خواستنkhâstan
to want / to ask (request from someone)
نهna
nor
مارmâr
snake
عقربaghrab
scorpion
Questions & Answers about من نه مار میخوام نه عقرب!
Why is the verb میخوام (I want) in the positive form instead of the negative نمیخوام (I don't want)?
In Farsi, when you use the نه ... نه ... (neither ... nor ...) structure, the verb is usually positive. The negative meaning is fully carried by the نه, so you literally say 'I neither a snake want nor a scorpion.' This is an exception to the usual Farsi rule where negative sentences require a negative verb.
Why is the verb میخوام placed in the middle of the sentence instead of at the very end?
In formal written Farsi, the verb usually goes at the very end, like من نه مار و نه عقرب میخوام. However, in spoken Farsi, it is very common to place the verb between the two items being compared. This flows better in conversation and puts extra emphasis on the final word, عقرب (scorpion).
Is میخوام the standard written form of the verb?
No, میخوام is the casual, spoken form. In standard written Farsi, it would be میخواهم. The spoken form drops the ه sound to make it faster and easier to say.
In English we say 'neither X nor Y'. Do we ever need to use the word for 'and' (و) between the two items in Farsi?
You can, but it is optional. You could say نه مار و نه عقرب (literally: neither snake and nor scorpion) or just نه مار نه عقرب as shown in this sentence. Dropping the و is especially common in spoken, everyday Farsi.
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