Questions & Answers about ژاپنی و چینی دو زبان سخت هستند.
How are the words ژاپنی (Japanese) and چینی (Chinese) formed?
They are formed by taking the country names ژاپن (Japan) and چین (China) and adding the suffix -ی (-i). This suffix is used to create adjectives that show nationality, language, or origin.
If the sentence means "two languages", why is the word زبان (language) singular?
In Farsi, whenever a noun follows a number, it must stay in its singular form. So, instead of using a plural marker, you just say دو زبان (literally "two language").
Why does سخت (hard) come after زبان (language) instead of before it?
In Farsi, adjectives almost always come after the noun they describe. When spoken, they are linked to the noun by a short "e" sound called the ezafe. So, this phrase is pronounced zabān-e sakht.
Since زبان (language) is in its singular form, why does the sentence end with the plural verb هستند (are)?
The verb agrees with the subject of the sentence, which is ژاپنی و چینی (Japanese and Chinese). Because the subject consists of two distinct things, it takes the "they" form of the verb, هستند.