Breakdown of نه تنها کبوتر درنمیرود، بلکه کارتها را هم برمیچیند!
کارتkârt
card
راrâ
definite direct object marker
همham
also, too / both ... and / together / each other
کبوترkabutar
dove / pigeon
تنهاtanhâ
only (alone)
بلکهbalke
but also / but rather
نهna
nor
دررفتنdar raftan
to escape (informal, to slip away)
برچیدنbarchidan
to remove / to clear away
Questions & Answers about نه تنها کبوتر درنمیرود، بلکه کارتها را هم برمیچیند!
Why are the negative and continuous markers (نمی) stuck in the middle of درنمیرود?
در رفتن (to escape) is a separable prefix verb. It is built from the spatial prefix در plus the simple verb رفتن. When you conjugate these verbs, inflectional markers like می (for present/continuous) or ن (for negative) must slot exactly between the prefix and the verb stem. That is why it is در-نمی-رود rather than putting the markers at the very beginning.
Is برمیچیند using the same prefix rule?
Exactly. The infinitive is برچیدن (to remove, pick up, or dismantle), made of the prefix بر and the stem چیدن (to pick/arrange). Just like the previous verb, the می is sandwiched between the prefix and the conjugated stem, giving us بر-می-چیند.
How does the "not only... but also" structure work in this sentence?
Farsi uses the paired conjunction نه تنها ... بلکه ... هم to say "not only... but also." The first clause starts with نه تنها (not only). The second clause starts with بلکه (but rather), and the هم (also) is placed right before the second verb to complete the phrase.
I know رفتن means "to go," but how does در رفتن translate to "escape"?
Adding the prefix در to رفتن creates the separable prefix verb در رفتن. This is a very common colloquial way to say "to escape," "to run away," or "to slip out." It is much more conversational in everyday speech than a formal alternative like فرار کردن.
Learn نه تنها کبوتر درنمیرود، بلکه کارتها را هم برمیچیند 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