Breakdown of جناب مدیر، شما باید از این کارمند حمایت کنید، زیرا ایشان بیگناه هستند.
کارمند
employee
شما
you (plural)
ایشان
they (formal)
این
this
Questions & Answers about جناب مدیر، شما باید از این کارمند حمایت کنید، زیرا ایشان بیگناه هستند.
Why do we use شما (shomâ) and the plural verb کنید (konid) when speaking to just one manager?
This is the deferential "you" you're learning about in this lesson. Even though the speaker is addressing a single person, they use the plural pronoun شما and its matching plural verb کنید to show respect in a professional setting. If they were speaking to an intimate friend, they would use the singular تو (to) and کنی (koni).
The translation says "he is innocent," but the Farsi uses the plural pronoun ایشان (ishân) and the plural verb هستند (hastand). Why?
Just like with the second person, Farsi uses the plural to show respect to a third person. Instead of using the singular او (ou) and است (ast), the speaker elevates the employee's status by using the respectful plural pronoun ایشان (ishân) and matching it with the plural verb هستند (hastand). This is extremely common in professional or formal speech when referring to colleagues or clients.
Why is the preposition از (az) used right before "this employee"?
In Farsi, the compound verb for "to support" is حمایت کردن از (hemâyat kardan az). Literally, it translates closer to "to do support from." You must always include از to introduce the person or thing being supported, which can sometimes trip up English speakers.
What exactly does جناب (jenâb) mean at the start of the sentence?
(jenâb) is a formal honorific. While historically meaning "Excellency," in everyday business Farsi it functions like a highly respectful "Mr." or "Sir." It is typically placed before a person's title (like , manager) or their last name, connected with an (). It sets the deferential tone for the rest of the sentence.