Breakdown of آیا مرغ کبابی را به مرغ آبپز ترجیح میدهی؟
آیاâyâ
whether (question particle)
بهbe
to
راrâ
definite direct object marker
مرغmorgh
chicken
آبپزâb-paz
boiled
ترجیح دادنtarjih dâdan
to prefer
کبابیkababi
grilled / barbecued
Questions & Answers about آیا مرغ کبابی را به مرغ آبپز ترجیح میدهی؟
How do we structure "preferring one thing to another" in this sentence?
The verb is tarjih dâdan (to prefer). The thing you prefer (morgh-e kabâbi, grilled chicken) acts as the direct object and takes the marker râ. The thing you like less (morgh-e âb-paz, boiled chicken) is introduced by the preposition be (to). The structure is: [Preferred Item] + râ + be + [Less Preferred Item] + tarjih dâdan.
Why is râ placed after the adjective kabâbi rather than right after the noun morgh?
The specific direct object marker râ always follows the entire noun phrase. Because "grilled chicken" is a single concept linked by the ezafe vowel (pronounced morgh-e kabâbi), râ must wait until the very end of that phrase to mark the whole thing.
How is the word for "boiled" (âb-paz) formed?
It is a compound word made of âb (water) and paz (the present stem of pokhtan, to cook). So, it literally translates to "water-cooked".
Is âyâ necessary to make this a question?
No. âyâ is a question particle mostly used in formal speech or writing. In everyday spoken Farsi, you can drop âyâ entirely and just use a rising intonation at the end of the sentence to show it's a question. (In casual speech, you would also likely hear ro instead of râ, and midi instead of midahi).
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