Breakdown of اگر زنبورها عصبانی شوند، شما را نیش میزنند.
شما
you (plural)
راrâ
definite direct object marker
عصبانیasabâni
angry
شدنshodan
to become
اگرagar
if
زنبورzanbur
bee
نیش زدنnish zadan
to sting
Questions & Answers about اگر زنبورها عصبانی شوند، شما را نیش میزنند.
Why do we use the subjunctive شوند in this sentence instead of the normal present tense?
Just like the expressions of necessity you are currently learning, the word اگر (if) sets up a situation that isn't a reality yet. When talking about a likely condition ('If the bees get angry...'), Farsi uses the present subjunctive for the verb in the 'if' clause.
I thought present subjunctive verbs usually start with the prefix بـ (be-). Why doesn't شوند have it?
The verb شوند is the present subjunctive of شدن (to become). While you will sometimes hear people say بشوند (beshavand) in casual speech, the verb شدن is one of a few common verbs that frequently drops the بـ prefix in the subjunctive form, especially in written Farsi.
How does the word order work with شما را and the compound verb نیش میزنند?
را (râ) marks the specific direct object, which is the person receiving the action. Here, 'you' (شما) are receiving the sting. In Farsi, the object and its را marker usually come before the verb. Even though نیش زدن (to sting) is a compound verb, شما را sits right in front of its noun part.
The English translation says 'they will sting', but isn't نیش میزنند in the present tense?
Yes, نیش میزنند is the present indicative form. In Farsi conditional sentences (If X happens, Y will happen), the result clause is very often written in the simple present tense to express a future outcome. You do not need a specific future tense verb here.
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