Question 1

Why is the verb خراب نشده بود in the singular form when the subject چرخدنده‌ها (gears) is plural?

Accepted Answer

In Farsi, when a subject is plural but inanimate (not a person or animal), the verb is almost always conjugated in the third-person singular. Since gears are objects, they take the singular verb بود instead of the plural بودند.

Question 2

What tense is خراب نشده بود in the first part of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

This is the past perfect tense. It is formed using the negative past participle of the main verb (نشده) plus the past tense of بودن (بود). It translates exactly to the English past perfect: 'had not broken' or 'had not become ruined.'

Question 3

The English translation says 'would not have stopped working,' but the Farsi verb نمی‌افتاد looks like the past continuous tense. Is that right?

Accepted Answer

Yes! To express an unreal condition in the past (like 'would have done' or 'would not have happened'), Farsi uses the past continuous tense in the result clause. So, نمی‌افتاد literally means 'was not falling,' but in this conditional sentence it means 'would not have fallen.'

Question 4

What is the literal meaning of از کار نمی‌افتاد?

Accepted Answer

The infinitive here is از کار افتادن, which literally translates to 'to fall from work.' It is the standard Farsi idiom for machines, mechanisms, or systems breaking down and stopping.

Question 5

How is the noun چرخدنده‌ها formed?

Accepted Answer

It is a compound noun made of چرخ (wheel) and دنده (tooth or gear), followed by the plural suffix ها. Together, they literally mean 'toothed wheels.'

اگر چرخدنده‌ها خراب نشده بود، مکانیزم از کار نمی‌افتاد.

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