Breakdown of وقتی در غار گیر افتادیم، نزدیک بود که خفه بشویم.
درdar
in
وقتیvaqti
when
غارghâr
cave
نزدیک بود کهnazdik bud ke
almost / it was close that
خفه شدنkhafe shodan
to choke / to suffocate
گیر افتادنgir oftâdan
to be trapped
Questions & Answers about وقتی در غار گیر افتادیم، نزدیک بود که خفه بشویم.
Why is beshavim in the present subjunctive if this event happened in the past?
This is the core rule for nazdik bud ke (almost). In Farsi, to say you almost did something, you literally say it was close that followed by the present subjunctive of the action. The past context is already set by nazdik bud, so the second verb describes the potential action that might have happened, hence xafe beshavim.
What is the literal meaning of gir oftādim?
The compound verb gir oftādan means to get trapped or stuck. The word gir refers to a catch, snag, or hitch, and oftādan means to fall. So, you are literally saying we fell into a snag.
Is the word ke mandatory after nazdik bud?
No, it is optional. Just like dropping that in English, native speakers frequently drop ke in everyday conversation, simply saying nazdik bud xafe beshavim.
How would this sentence sound in everyday, casual spoken Farsi?
Native speakers would likely change dar to tu (in) and use the shortened spoken form of the final verb, changing beshavim to beshim. Along with dropping ke, the casual version is: vaqti tu ghār gir oftādim, nazdik bud xafe beshim.
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