Question 1

Why does râ come right after motaharrek-i instead of at the very end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

When a direct object is described by a relative clause starting with ke, the definite object marker râ is placed immediately after the noun phrase, before the ke. It attaches to the antecedent (the thing being described) rather than waiting until the end of the whole clause. This shows us early on that mâshin-e motaharrek-i is the direct object of the main verb forukhtand.

Question 2

The translation says "the moving machine," so why is there an -i suffix on motaharrek-i? Doesn't that mean "a"?

Accepted Answer

This is a classic tricky spot! While -i often acts as the indefinite article ("a" or "an"), here it is the "relative -i". Farsi uses this suffix as a bridge to link a noun phrase to a descriptive relative clause (ke...). It is required even when the noun is definite, as it is here. The presence of râ right next to it is what confirms the machine is specific and definite ("the").

Question 3

Why do both the -i and râ attach to the adjective motaharrek instead of the noun mâshin?

Accepted Answer

Suffixes like the relative -i and grammatical markers like râ attach to the very end of a complete noun phrase. Because "moving machine" is a noun-adjective combination linked by an unseen Ezafe (mâshin-e motaharrek), these markers must go on the adjective rather than the noun itself.

Question 4

The first verb is sâkht (he built), but the final verb is forukhtand (they sold). Who is the subject of forukhtand?

Accepted Answer

The subject of sâkht is clearly barâdar-ash (his brother). However, forukhtand is third-person plural ("they sold"). Since no plural subject is named, "they" refers to an unnamed group from context. This "generic they" is also frequently used in Farsi to express passive concepts, smoothly functioning as "The moving machine... was sold."

ماشین متحرکی را که برادرش ساخت، فروختند.

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