Breakdown of بدون مهارت پشتک نزنید!
زدنzadan
to hit / to play (an instrument) / to apply (a coating) / to put on (a tie/accessory)
بدونbedun-e
without
مهارتmahârat
skill
پشتکposhtak
somersault
Questions & Answers about بدون مهارت پشتک نزنید!
This lesson focuses on making adverbs with be + noun + i. Could I say be bi-mahârati instead of bedun-e mahârat?
Yes! You can use the structure from this lesson to say be bi-mahârati (unskillfully). However, using bedun-e (without) followed by a noun is another very natural way to create an adverbial phrase of manner in Farsi. In a direct warning like this, bedun-e mahârat sounds slightly more straightforward than the double-negative feel of be bi-mahârati.
Why does doing a somersault use the verb zadan?
The verb zadan literally means to hit, but it acts as a highly versatile light verb for many sudden, physical, or expressive actions. Just as you hit a smile (labxand zadan) or hit a guess (hadss zadan), acrobatic moves like somersaults pair with zadan to form the compound verb poshtak zadan.
I sometimes mix up negative verb prefixes. Why is it nazanid and not nemizanid here?
The word nazanid is the negative imperative (command) form, meaning don't do it! It uses the negative prefix na- attached to the present stem -zan- and the plural/formal ending -id. If you used nemizanid, you would be making an indicative statement meaning you don't do somersaults or you are not doing somersaults, rather than giving a command.
Does poshtak mean any kind of flip, or a specific one?
The word poshtak specifically refers to a front flip or forward somersault. Interestingly, a backflip is called vâro. You will often hear the phrase poshtak vâro zadan used to describe doing all sorts of acrobatic flips and tumbling!
Learn بدون مهارت پشتک نزنید 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