Breakdown of نزدیک بود که آن زن را زیر بگیرم و از ترس سکته کنم.
و
and
آن
that
زنzan
woman
ازaz
from
راrâ
definite direct object marker
ترسtars
fear (noun)
نزدیک بود کهnazdik bud ke
almost / it was close that
زیر گرفتنzir gereftan
to run over (with a vehicle)
سکته کردنsekte kardan
to have a heart attack
Questions & Answers about نزدیک بود که آن زن را زیر بگیرم و از ترس سکته کنم.
Why are the main verbs in the present subjunctive when the sentence is about a past event ('I almost ran over')?
This is the standard way to say you 'almost did' something in Farsi. You use نزدیک بود که (literally 'it was close that') in the past tense to set the timeframe, and then follow it with the present subjunctive for the averted actions (زیر بگیرم and سکته کنم) to show they did not actually happen.
What is the infinitive for 'to run over', and how is it structured in this sentence?
The infinitive is زیر گرفتن (literally 'to take under'). Because it is a compound verb, the subjunctive prefix is added only to the verbal part (گرفتن becomes بگیرم), while the non-verbal part (زیر) stays at the front.
Do I need to repeat 'ke' or 'nazdik bud' before the second verb ('sekteh konam')?
No, you do not. When linking two averted actions with و (and), the initial نزدیک بود که applies to both. You just have to make sure both verbs are conjugated in the present subjunctive.
Does 'sekteh kardan' literally mean to have a heart attack from fear?
سکته کردن on its own means to have a heart attack (short for سکته قلبی) or a stroke (short for سکته مغزی). In conversational Farsi, just like in English, it is commonly used as a dramatic exaggeration for being scared to death, which fits perfectly with از ترس (from fear).
Learn نزدیک بود که آن زن را زیر بگیرم و از ترس سکته کنم and more in Farsi
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free