Breakdown of یک عنکبوت سیاه سیاه روی قندیل نشسته است.
رویruye
on
یکyek
one / a, an
سیاهsiyâh
black
نشستنneshastan
to sit
قندیلqandil
stalactite
عنکبوتankabut
spider
Questions & Answers about یک عنکبوت سیاه سیاه روی قندیل نشسته است.
The translation says completely black, but the Farsi just repeats the word for black. How is سیاه سیاه connected and pronounced?
It is pronounced siyâh-e siyâh. An unwritten Ezafe (-e) links the adjective to itself. As covered in this lesson, this identical reduplication with the Ezafe acts as a strong intensifier, taking a basic adjective and pushing it to the absolute extreme, which is why it translates to completely black or pitch black.
Does this mean there are two unwritten Ezafe sounds in the first part of the sentence?
Yes! The entire subject is pronounced ankabut-e siyâh-e siyâh. The first Ezafe links the noun (ankabut, spider) to its describing adjective, and the second Ezafe connects the repeated adjective to itself for the intensifying effect.
Why does the Farsi use the present perfect نشسته است (has sat) when the English translation says is sitting?
For verbs of posture or bodily state, such as sitting (نشستن), standing (ایستادن), or sleeping (خوابیدن), Farsi uses the present perfect to describe an ongoing condition. The spider sat down in the past and is still in that state, so neshaste ast is the grammatically correct way to express is sitting.
I've seen قندیل translated as icicle before. How do we know it means stalactite here?
The word qandil broadly refers to hanging, pointed formations. While it is most commonly used for icicles, it is also the standard term for stalactites in a cave, and can even refer to hanging ornamental lamps or chandeliers. Context tells us which one makes the most sense.
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