Breakdown of اگر دروغگو نبودی، حرف تو را باور میکردم.
تو
you (singular)
بودنbudan
to be
راrâ
definite direct object marker
باور کردنbâvar kardan
to believe
حرفharf
word, talk
اگرagar
if
دروغگوdorugh-gu
liar
Questions & Answers about اگر دروغگو نبودی، حرف تو را باور میکردم.
How does the grammar of this unreal conditional sentence work?
For a second conditional (an imaginary situation in the present), Farsi uses the simple past tense in the if-clause and the past continuous tense in the result clause. Here, nabudi is the simple past (you were not), and bâvar mi-kardam is the past continuous (I would believe).
Why don't we use the subjunctive mood for the if-clause since it is a hypothetical situation?
In Farsi, the subjunctive is used for first conditionals (situations that are possible). For second conditionals (unreal situations), you use the past tense to distance the condition from reality. This is just like English, where we use the past tense in 'If you were'.
How is the word dorugh-gu (liar) constructed?
It is formed by combining dorugh (lie) with -gu, which is the present stem of the verb goftan (to say or tell). Adding -gu to a noun is a common pattern to describe someone who speaks or tells that thing.
Why is the direct object marker râ used after harf-e to?
The compound verb bâvar kardan (to believe) acts on a direct object. Because the object being believed is a specific, possessed noun phrase (harf-e to, meaning your word or what you say), it requires the specific object marker râ.
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