Breakdown of کارابین را برایش بستم مبادا بیفتد.
او
he/she
برایbarâye
for
راrâ
definite direct object marker
بستنbastan
to close / to fasten/tie
Questions & Answers about کارابین را برایش بستم مبادا بیفتد.
The translation says "lest he fall", which implies a negative ("so he doesn't fall"). Why isn't the verb biyoftad negative?
The negative meaning is already built right into the word mabâdâ. Because mabâdâ itself carries the idea of preventing an outcome, the verb that follows it (biyoftad) is kept in the affirmative form. If you made it negative, it would awkwardly mean "lest he not fall".
Why is the verb biyoftad in the subjunctive mood here?
Mabâdâ deals with a hypothetical, uncertain future event that you want to avoid. Just like other Farsi structures expressing doubt, hope, or purpose, it requires the subjunctive mood. Biyoftad is the present subjunctive of oftâdan (to fall).
How does the word barâyash break down?
It is the preposition barây-e (for) merged with the pronoun suffix -ash (him/her). Attaching pronoun suffixes directly to prepositions is very common in Farsi and means exactly the same thing as writing out barây-e u ("for him").
I've mostly seen bastan used to mean "closing" a door or window. Why does bastam mean "I tied" here?
The verb bastan is very versatile. While it does mean "to close", it is also the standard verb for tying, fastening, or attaching things. Since you are fastening a carabiner to something, bastam is the most natural verb to use.