Breakdown of جاسوس نه تنها ما را لو داد، بلکه فرار هم کرد.
ما
we
راrâ
definite direct object marker
همham
also, too / both ... and / together / each other
فرار کردنfarâr kardan
to escape
Questions & Answers about جاسوس نه تنها ما را لو داد، بلکه فرار هم کرد.
How do you form the "not only... but also" structure in Farsi?
You use the paired conjunctions نه تنها (not only) and بلکه (but/rather). The first clause introduces the first action, and بلکه introduces the second. To add the "also" part of the meaning, it is very common to include هم (also/too) or نیز (also - more formal) in the second clause. This is why the second half is بلکه فرار هم کرد.
Does the نه in نه تنها make the main verb negative, like the double negations we are studying in this lesson?
No, it works a bit differently. Unlike the double negation structures where you attach negative prefixes to the verbs themselves (like نمیتوانستم نروم), نه here is just an independent particle within the fixed phrase نه تنها (not only). The verbs in this sentence (لو داد and کرد) remain grammatically positive because you are affirming that both of these actions actually happened.
Is لو دادن a formal or informal way to say "to betray"?
It is highly informal and idiomatic. While a formal word like خیانت کردن translates to "to betray" or "to commit treason," لو دادن specifically means "to rat out," "to expose," or "to spill the beans" about a secret or a person.
Why is هم placed right in the middle of the verb فرار کرد?
فرار کردن (to escape) is a compound verb. In Farsi, short adverbs and particles like (also) or (only) are frequently inserted directly between the non-verbal part () and the helper verb (). This makes the flow of the sentence sound much more natural than putting at the very end of the clause.