Breakdown of آنها از این که قطار تاخیر داشت تعجب کردند.
آنها
they
ازaz
from
داشتنdâshtan
to have
قطارghatâr
train
تاخیرta'khir
delay
اینکهin-ke
that (conjunction)
تعجب کردنta'ajjob kardan
to be surprised
Questions & Answers about آنها از این که قطار تاخیر داشت تعجب کردند.
Why do we use az in ke instead of just az or ke before the second part of the sentence?
The verb ta'ajjob kardan (to be surprised) requires the preposition az. However, in Farsi, you cannot attach a preposition directly to a full clause (like qatar takhir dasht). You must use in ke (literally 'this that' or 'the fact that') as a bridge between the preposition and the clause.
Does ta'ajjob kardan always take the preposition az?
Yes. While in English you might be surprised 'at' or 'by' something, in Farsi you are always surprised 'from' something (az). When followed by a simple noun, it is just az; when followed by an entire clause, it becomes az in ke.
Why is the second verb dasht in the regular past tense rather than the subjunctive?
Even though sentences with ke often trigger the subjunctive mood, we use the regular indicative past tense here because the train's delay is a real, completed fact. The speakers are reacting to something that definitely happened, so the indicative mood is required.
How does the phrase takhir dasht translate directly?
While the English translation says 'was delayed', Farsi uses the compound verb takhir dashtan (to have a delay). It translates literally to 'the train had a delay', which is the most natural way to talk about transportation running late in Farsi.
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