Breakdown of به جز این آفتکش ضد بید، هیچچیز در انبار نیست.
این
this
بودنbudan
to be
درdar
in
هیچچیزhich chiz
nothing
به جزbe joz
except
انبارanbâr
warehouse
ضدzedd
anti- / counter-
بیدbid
moth
آفتکشâfat-kosh
pesticide
Questions & Answers about به جز این آفتکش ضد بید، هیچچیز در انبار نیست.
How is the compound adjective ضد بید formed and pronounced in this sentence?
To express opposition or resistance (meaning "anti-"), Farsi pairs the word ضد (zed) with a noun using the ezafe linker (-e). Here, it links to بید (bid), meaning "moth". It is pronounced zed-e bid (anti-moth).
Do I need another ezafe between آفتکش and ضد بید?
Yes. Because ضد بید (anti-moth) functions as a compound adjective describing the noun آفتکش (pesticide), they must be connected by an ezafe. The entire noun phrase is pronounced in âfat-kosh-e zed-e bid.
What is the literal breakdown of the word آفتکش (pesticide)?
It is a compound built from آفت (âfat), meaning "pest" or "blight", and کش (kosh), which is the present stem of کشتن (koshtan - to kill). It literally translates to "pest-killer". Combining a noun with a present stem is a very common Farsi pattern for creating functional nouns and adjectives.
Why does the sentence use the negative verb نیست when it already contains هیچچیز (nothing)?
Farsi strictly requires negative concord (double negatives). Any sentence using هیچ (none) or its compounds like هیچچیز (nothing) must take a negative verb. Therefore, هیچچیز ... نیست is required to say "there is nothing", even though it literally translates to "nothing isn't".
Could I use مگر instead of به جز to say "except for" in this context?
It is much more natural to use به جز (be joz) or simply جز (joz) here, as they act as prepositions meaning "excluding" or "besides" immediately before a noun phrase. مگر (magar) usually functions as a conjunction meaning "unless" and is typically followed by a full clause with a verb.
Learn به جز این آفتکش ضد بید، هیچچیز در انبار نیست 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