Question 1

What exactly does gheyr az mean and why is the word az used here?

Accepted Answer

The phrase gheyr az translates to "other than", "except", or "besides". The word gheyr means "other" or "different", and it naturally pairs with the preposition az (from/of) to form this standard phrase. You will see this combination very often in Farsi when excluding someone or something from a group.

Question 2

The word kasi usually means "someone". Why is it translated as "no one" in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

In Farsi, you do not use a standalone negative pronoun like the English word "nobody". Instead, you use kasi (someone/anyone) and make the verb at the end of the sentence negative. Because the verb here is nist (is not), the combination of kasi and nist translates to "there is no one".

Question 3

Could I change the word order and put kasi nist closer to the beginning of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you could say kasi gheyr az to nist, which feels a bit more like standard order. However, bringing gheyr az to to the front, as it is in this sentence, puts special emotional emphasis on "besides YOU". Farsi word order is very flexible and often moves phrases to the front of a sentence simply to highlight them.

Question 4

Is this sentence considered formal or informal?

Accepted Answer

It is informal and intimate because it uses to (informal singular "you"). If you wanted to express this same sentiment to someone you address formally or respectfully, you would simply swap to for shoma, making the sentence gheyr az shoma kasi nist.

غیر از تو کسی نیست.

Breakdown of غیر از تو کسی نیست.

Questions & Answers about غیر از تو کسی نیست.

Learn غیر از تو کسی نیست and more in Farsi