Learn Farsi: رئیسِ اداره کجاست؟ - Where is the head of the office?

Suffixes like '-gar' and '-kâr' are added to Persian nouns or verb roots to show someone who does a specific trade (like کارگر for worker). رئیس (ra'is) is an Arabic loanword meaning "head" or "chief." Because it is already a complete noun describing a position of authority, it doesn't take those Persian trade suffixes.

There is no word for "of" in this sentence. How does it translate to "head of the office"?

This is done using the Ezafe, a short "e" sound that connects words to show relationships like possession or belonging. You pronounce it at the end of the first word: رئیسِ اداره (ra'is-e edâre). The Ezafe is usually just spoken, but here it is optionally marked with a small diagonal dash under the last letter of رئیس to help you read it.

Why is کجاست written as a single connected word instead of two separate words?

This is a very common contraction. It combines کجا (kojâ, meaning "where") and است (ast, meaning "is"). The first letter of است is dropped, and the two words join together to form کجاست (kojâst). You will see this attached ending frequently with the "is" verb in both spoken and written Farsi.

Can اداره refer to both the physical office and the administrative department?

Yes! اداره (edâre) translates to "office," "administration," or "department." It can refer to the physical building or workspace, as well as the organizational body itself, much like the word "office" does in English.