Breakdown of چدن میشکند، مگر اینکه نسبت کروم سه در هزار باشد.
بودنbudan
to be
سهse
three
شکستنshekastan
to break
اینکهin-ke
that (conjunction)
Questions & Answers about چدن میشکند، مگر اینکه نسبت کروم سه در هزار باشد.
How do we form "three in a thousand" in Farsi, and could I use az (from/of) instead of dar (in)?
To express statistical proportions, Farsi uses the pattern [Numeral] + dar + [Numeral], making "three in a thousand" exactly seh dar hezâr. You shouldn't use az here; dar is the strict standard for expressing ratios, probabilities, and proportions in this way (e.g., yek dar sad for "one in a hundred" or "one percent").
Why does the sentence end with the subjunctive bâshad instead of the indicative ast?
The conjunction magar inke (unless) introduces a hypothetical condition or a requirement that hasn't necessarily been met yet. Just like with "if" clauses that state a condition, verbs following magar inke must take the subjunctive mood. That is why we use bâshad (the subjunctive form of "to be") rather than the present indicative ast.
Does the verb shekastan (to break) work both for breaking an object and an object breaking itself?
Yes! In Farsi, shekastan can be used both transitively (where a person breaks an object) and intransitively (where the object itself breaks, as in this sentence). It functions exactly like the English verb "to break" in this regard, so chodan mi-shekanad simply means "cast iron breaks" without needing a passive construction.
What role does nesbat play here, and is it common in statistical contexts?
Nesbat means "proportion," "ratio," or "relation." When talking about statistics, ingredients, or demographics, you will very often pair (the proportion of X) with the structure. It is the most natural word choice here to define the ratio of chromium in the metal.