Breakdown of آنچه مهم است، امتناع از رای دادن نیست.
است
is
ازaz
from
مهمmohemm
important
رای دادنrâ y dâdan
to vote
آنچهânche
that which / what (relative)
امتناعemtenâ'
abstention / refusal
Questions & Answers about آنچه مهم است، امتناع از رای دادن نیست.
How does امتناع fit the Form VIII pattern we are learning, and what is its root?
امتناع (emtenâ') means 'abstention' or 'refusal'. It follows the e-C1-t-e-C2-â-C3 pattern perfectly. The root letters are م (m), ن (n), and ع (ain). You might recognize this root from words like ممنوع (mamnu' - forbidden). The 't' inserted into this pattern gives the root a reflexive meaning: holding oneself back, hence abstaining.
Why does the sentence begin with آنچه instead of just چه for 'what'?
چه (che) is a question word used to ask 'What?'. آنچه (ânche) is a relative pronoun that means 'that which' or 'the thing that'. Because this sentence is making a declarative statement ('That which is important...') rather than asking a question, you must use آنچه.
Does امتناع always take the preposition از?
Yes, just like in English where we say 'abstain from', the Farsi word امتناع requires the preposition از (az) to introduce the thing being avoided. Here, it links the abstention directly to رای دادن (voting).
Why is the infinitive رای دادن used here instead of a different noun form for 'voting'?
In Farsi, the full infinitive of a verb, like دادن (to give), doubles as a gerund (an -ing noun). Therefore, رای دادن functions perfectly as the noun 'voting' after the preposition از.
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