Breakdown of من هنوز سوال خجالتآور را نپرسیده بودم که او معذب شد.
من
I
او
he/she
سوالso'âl
question
راrâ
definite direct object marker
پرسیدنporsidan
to ask
کهke
that (conjunction)
شدنshodan
to become
هنوزhanuz
yet / still
خجالتآورkhejâlat-âvar
embarrassing
معذبmo'azzab
uncomfortable / awkward
Questions & Answers about من هنوز سوال خجالتآور را نپرسیده بودم که او معذب شد.
How does hanuz combined with a negative verb mean 'hardly' here?
Literally, the first clause means 'I still had not asked the embarrassing question.' In Farsi, using hanuz (still/yet) with a negative Past Perfect (naporsideh budam) followed by ke (when/that) is the standard way to express 'hardly had X happened when Y happened.' You are saying that the first action wasn't even fully completed before the second one unexpectedly started.
Why does rā come after the adjective xejālat-āvar instead of right after the noun so'āl?
The specific direct object marker rā always goes at the very end of the entire noun phrase. Here, the noun phrase is so'āl-e xejālat-āvar (the embarrassing question), linked by an unseen ezāfe. Therefore, rā must wait until after the adjective to show that the whole descriptive phrase is the direct object.
How is the word xejālat-āvar (embarrassing) formed?
It is a compound adjective made of the noun xejālat (embarrassment or shame) and āvar, which is the present stem of the verb āvardan (to bring). Together, it literally translates to 'embarrassment-bringing.'
Could I use nārāhat instead of mo'azzab for 'uncomfortable'?
You could, but mo'azzab is much more precise here. While nārāhat is a broad word that can mean physically uncomfortable, upset, or sad, mo'azzab specifically describes feeling socially awkward, self-conscious, or uneasy. This perfectly fits the context of someone reacting to a socially embarrassing question.
Learn من هنوز سوال خجالتآور را نپرسیده بودم که او معذب شد 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