Log inSign up

این خانه بزرگ است.

این خانه بزرگ است.
This house is big.

Breakdown of این خانه بزرگ است.

این
this
خانه
house
بزرگ
big
بودن
to be
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Farsi grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Farsi now

Questions & Answers about این خانه بزرگ است.

What does each word mean and how do they work together?
  • این = this (a demonstrative, like this/that)
  • خانه = house
  • بزرگ = big/large (an adjective)
  • است = is (the verb to be, 3rd person singular)

So the structure is literally: This house big is.

Why is the adjective (بزرگ) after the noun (خانه)?

In Persian, adjectives typically come after the noun they describe:

  • خانه بزرگ = a big house / the big house (depending on context) This is different from English, where adjectives come before the noun (big house).
Do I need something like a or the in Persian?

Persian doesn’t have separate words for a/an or the. Whether it means a big house or the big house depends on context.

If you specifically want to mark indefinite “a”, you can use یک:

  • این خانه بزرگ است = This house is big (definite because of this)
  • یک خانه بزرگ است = It is a big house / (It’s) a big house (context-dependent)
Is است always required? Can it be dropped?

In formal/written Persian, است is commonly used and sounds complete.

In everyday spoken Persian, است is often dropped or shortened:

  • Formal: این خانه بزرگ است.
  • Colloquial: این خونه بزرگه.
    (Here خانه → خونه and است → ـه)

So yes, it can be omitted/contracted in speech, but keeping it is safer for formal style.

How do you pronounce this sentence?

A common pronunciation (Tehrani-style, fairly careful) is:

  • in khâne bozorg ast

Notes:

  • این is usually in (not “een” as in English spelling instincts).
  • خانه is khâ-ne (two syllables).
  • است is often pronounced ast, but in faster speech it may reduce.
Why don’t I see short vowels written in خانه / بزرگ / است?

Persian writing usually omits most short vowels. You learn them from vocabulary and context.

For example:

  • خانه is written without the short vowel marks, but read as khâne.
  • بزرگ is read as bozorg.
  • است is read as ast.

Beginner materials may sometimes add vowel marks, but normal Persian text usually doesn’t.

Is there an ezâfe here? Should it be خانهٔ بزرگ?

In این خانه بزرگ است, you’re using a full sentence: This house is big. No ezâfe is required.

If you want a noun phrase meaning the big house (not a full sentence), you typically use ezâfe:

  • خانهٔ بزرگ = the big house

So:

  • خانهٔ بزرگ است = (It) is the big house (context needed)
  • این خانه بزرگ است = This house is big (clear sentence)
How do I make it negative (“This house is not big”)?

Negation is done on the verb to be:

  • این خانه بزرگ نیست. = This house is not big.

Colloquial:

  • این خونه بزرگ نیست. / این خونه بزرگ نیس. (spoken reduction)
How do I turn it into a yes/no question?

You can use rising intonation (in speech), or add آیا in more formal style:

  • With intonation (common): این خانه بزرگ است؟ = Is this house big?
  • More formal: آیا این خانه بزرگ است؟
Can I change word order, like putting بزرگ earlier?

The normal neutral order is:

  • این خانه بزرگ است.

Moving بزرگ earlier is generally not the default and can sound unnatural or become a different construction. Persian typically keeps noun + adjective, then the verb.

What’s the difference between این خانه بزرگ است and این یک خانهٔ بزرگ است?
  • این خانه بزرگ است. = This house is big. (describing size)
  • این یک خانهٔ بزرگ است. = This is a big house. (identifying/classifying it as “a big house”)

In the second one:

  • یک explicitly marks a
  • خانهٔ بزرگ is a noun phrase with ezâfe meaning big house.