Learn Farsi: این دالان تاریک تاریک است و باید از مشعل استفاده کنیم. - This passage is pitch black, and we must use the torch.

This sentence uses identical reduplication linked by the Ezafe (-e) to intensify the adjective. târik means "dark", so târik-e târik (literally "dark of dark") is used to express absolute extremity. This is a very common Farsi structure to mean "absolutely dark" or "pitch black".

Why do we use the preposition az before mash'al (torch)?

In Farsi, the compound verb for "to use" is estefâde kardan (literally "to do use"). This verb requires the preposition az (from) to connect it to the object being used. Therefore, "to use the torch" is expressed as az mash'al estefâde konim (literally "to make use from the torch").

Why is the verb konim used here instead of mikonim, and why doesn't it have a be- prefix?

The verb must be in the subjunctive mood because it follows the modal verb bâyad (must). While the subjunctive usually requires a be- prefix (which would be bekonim), Farsi speakers frequently drop this prefix in compound verbs like estefâde kardan, leaving just konim.

Is dâlân the everyday word for a hallway?

Not exactly. dâlân refers to an enclosed corridor, passageway, or tunnel, often implying something older, structural, or underground like a castle or cave passage. For a standard hallway in a modern house or apartment, the word râhro is much more common.