Breakdown of ما باید این رسوایی را پنهان میکردیم.
ما
we
این
this
راrâ
definite direct object marker
بایدbâyad
must
پنهان کردنpenhân kardan
to hide
رسواییrosvâyi
scandal
Questions & Answers about ما باید این رسوایی را پنهان میکردیم.
Why is the main verb in the past continuous (میکردیم) instead of the subjunctive, since it follows باید?
When expressing a present obligation ("we must hide"), you use باید followed by the present subjunctive (پنهان کنیم). However, to express a past obligation ("we had to hide"), the word باید does not change form; instead, the main verb takes the past continuous form (میکردیم).
Since this lesson covers compulsion, could we rewrite this sentence using مجبور to say "we were forced to hide this scandal"?
Absolutely. While the current sentence uses باید for simple past obligation, you can emphasize compulsion using مجبور بودیم (we were obliged/forced to). If you do this, the main verb shifts back to the subjunctive: ما مجبور بودیم این رسوایی را پنهان کنیم.
Where exactly does the object marker را go when the sentence ends with a compound verb like پنهان کردن?
It immediately follows the definite direct object it marks (این رسوایی). It must come before the non-verbal part of the compound verb (پنهان), which is why the correct order is این رسوایی را پنهان میکردیم rather than putting را right before the conjugated part (کردیم).
How is the noun رسوایی (scandal) formed?
It is built from the adjective رسوا (disgraced or infamous) plus the common noun-forming suffix ـی (-i). Because رسوا ends in a long vowel, a medial ی (y) is inserted to smoothly connect them, resulting in the pronunciation "rosvâyi".
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