Breakdown of چه معبد قدیمی و تاریکی!
و
and
چهche
what
تاریکtârik
dark
قدیمیqadimi
old (things)
معبدma'bad
temple
Questions & Answers about چه معبد قدیمی و تاریکی!
In this exclamation, why is the indefinite -i suffix attached to تاریک (tarik) instead of the noun معبد (ma'bad)?
When forming a "What a..." exclamation with چه (che), the indefinite -i suffix must go at the very end of the entire noun phrase. Here, the noun phrase includes multiple adjectives joined by "and", so the -i skips the noun and first adjective, landing on the final word to make it تاریکی (tarik-i).
قدیمی (qadimi) ends in an "i" sound. Is that the exclamatory suffix?
No, the "i" in قدیمی is just a permanent part of the adjective itself. If the sentence were only "What an old temple!", the exclamatory suffix would have to attach to the end of it with a linking ye, becoming چه معبد قدیمیای (che ma'bad-e qadimi-i). But because it's not the final word in this longer sentence, it just stays قدیمی.
Where does the ezafe go when there are multiple adjectives joined by و (va)?
The ezafe only connects the noun معبد (ma'bad) to the first adjective, making it pronounced as ma'bad-e qadimi. You do not put an ezafe before the conjunction و (va) or after it.
Can I add a verb to the end of this sentence?
Yes, you could add است (ast) to say literally "What an old and dark temple it is!" However, dropping the "to be" verb is the standard, most natural way to say this type of exclamation in Farsi, exactly as we often drop it in English.
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