Learn Farsi: من شنیدم که این بی‌سیم نه باتری دارد و نه سیگنال قوی. - I heard that this two-way radio had neither a battery nor a strong signal.

This is the core rule of reported speech in Farsi! Unlike English, which shifts the reported verb back in time (I heard that it had), Farsi keeps the exact tense the original speaker used. The original statement was "This radio has..." (این بی‌سیم... دارد). So, even after the past tense من شنیدم که (I heard that), the reported part stays in the present tense.

How does the "neither... nor" structure work here, and why is the verb positive?

The structure is formed by placing نه (neither) before the first item, and و نه (and nor) before the second. Because نه already carries a negative meaning, the verb دارد remains in its affirmative form. Using a negative verb like ندارد here would create an awkward double negative in formal or written Farsi.

The word for two-way radio is بی‌سیم. Does that literally translate to "wireless"?

Exactly! بی means "without" and سیم means "wire". While it literally means "wireless", as a standalone noun بی‌سیم is specifically used for a walkie-talkie or two-way police radio. If you want to talk about a wireless internet connection, you would normally just say وای‌فای (Wi-Fi) or use the word as an adjective, like اینترنت بی‌سیم (wireless internet).

Can I leave out the word که (that) in this sentence?

Yes, you can. Just like in English where you can say "I heard this radio had..." instead of "I heard ...", Farsi speakers frequently drop in everyday spoken language. However, keeping it helps clearly signal the start of the reported statement to the listener.