Breakdown of ما باید برای سلامتی شاکر باشیم، زیرا قادر به کار کردن هستیم.
ما
we
بودنbudan
to be
بهbe
to
برایbarâye
for
بایدbâyad
must
کار کردنkâr kardan
to work
سلامتیsalâmati
health
زیراzirâ
because (formal)
قادرqâder
capable
شاکرshâker
thankful
Questions & Answers about ما باید برای سلامتی شاکر باشیم، زیرا قادر به کار کردن هستیم.
I see the word قادر (qâder) here. Does it follow the Arabic active participle pattern we are learning?
Yes! قادر (qâder) follows the Fâ'el (C1-â-C2-e-C3) pattern. Its three-letter Arabic root is q-d-r, which relates to power, destiny, or ability. You likely already know this root from the word قدرت (qodrat), meaning "power" or "strength". As an active participle, قادر literally means "one who has power," which we translate as "capable" or "able."
What about شاکر (šâker)? Is that also an active participle?
Spot on. شاکر (šâker) uses the exact same Fâ'el pattern, but with the root š-k-r, which relates to thanking or gratitude. You have definitely seen this root in everyday words like تشکر (tašakkor, "thanking") and شکر (šokr, "thanks"). By applying the Fâ'el pattern, شاکر becomes the agent: "one who is thankful" or "grateful."
Why do we use the preposition به (be) after قادر (qâder) to say "capable of working"?
In Farsi, the adjective قادر requires the preposition به (be, "to") to connect to the action or thing you are capable of. While in English we say "capable of", in Farsi you are literally "capable to [a task]". When talking about an action, like working (کار کردن), you simply place the full infinitive right after به.
Why is the first "to be" verb subjunctive (باشیم) but the second one is indicative (هستیم)?
The first clause starts with the modal verb باید (bâyad, "must"), which always forces the verb that follows it into the subjunctive mood—hence باشیم (bâšim). The second clause starts with زیرا (zirâ, "because") and states a plain fact: "we are capable". Since this second clause is just a factual statement and is no longer being controlled by باید, it uses the regular present indicative verb هستیم (hastim).
Learn ما باید برای سلامتی شاکر باشیم، زیرا قادر به کار کردن هستیم and more in Farsi
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