این شهر بزرگ است، اما من آن روستا را دوست دارم.

Here is a word-by-word breakdown:

• این = this
• شهر = city
• بزرگ = big / large
• است = is
• اما = but / however
• من = I
• آن = that
• روستا = village
• را = a marker used for a specific direct object
• دوست دارم = I like / I love

So the structure is literally something like:

• This city big is, but I that village like.

Natural English is:

• This city is big, but I like that village.

Because in this sentence بزرگ is not directly part of the noun phrase big city. It is the predicate: the city is big.

So Persian is doing this:

• این شهر بزرگ است = This city is big

If you wanted to say the big city as a noun phrase, you would normally use ezafe:

• شهرِ بزرگ = the big city / a big city

So:

• شهر بزرگ است = the city is big
• شهرِ بزرگ = the big city

That is an important difference.

Because بزرگ is acting as the complement of است, not as an adjective inside the noun phrase.

Compare these:

• این شهر بزرگ است = This city is big
• این شهرِ بزرگ = this big city

In the first one, big describes the city through the verb is, so no ezafe appears between شهر and بزرگ.

In the second one, big is attached directly to city, so you need ezafe: شهرِ بزرگ.

را marks a specific direct object.

In this sentence:

• من آن روستا را دوست دارم
• I like that village

The thing being liked is that village, which is a specific object, so Persian uses را.

A very rough way to think about it is:

• it tells you this is the object of the verb

Without را, the sentence may sound incomplete, less natural, or change in feel depending on context.

So:

• آن روستا را = that village as the direct object

Because را is the formal written form, but in everyday spoken Persian it is very often pronounced ro.

So:

• written: را
• spoken: رو

That means this part:

• آن روستا را دوست دارم

is often said more like:

• اون روستا رو دوست دارم

This is very common in normal conversation.

They are demonstratives:

• این = this
• آن = that

Usually:

• این refers to something near the speaker
• آن refers to something farther away, or just something being contrasted

In everyday speech, آن is often replaced by اون.

So you may see or hear:

• این شهر = this city
• آن روستا = that village
• spoken: اون روستا

Yes, it could often be left out.

Persian verbs usually show the person, so دارم already tells you the subject is I.

So both of these can work:

• من آن روستا را دوست دارم
• آن روستا را دوست دارم

Both mean I like that village.

Why include من here? Usually for emphasis or contrast. In this sentence there is a contrast:

• This city is big, but I like that village

The من helps highlight I after but.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Literally, دوست means friend and دارم means I have, but as an expression دوست داشتن means to like / to love.

With places and things, it often translates naturally as:

• I like

So here:

• آن روستا را دوست دارم
• most naturally: I like that village

In other contexts, especially with people, it can be stronger and mean love.

است means is.

So:

• بزرگ است = is big

In formal written Persian, است is standard.

In everyday speech, people often shorten it or drop it, depending on the sentence. So:

• formal: این شهر بزرگ است
• spoken: این شهر بزرگه

You may also hear the whole sentence pronounced more casually than it is written.

Persian often uses Subject–Object–Verb order.

Look at the second clause:

• من آن روستا را دوست دارم
• literally: I that village like

That is very normal Persian structure:

• subject: من
• object: آن روستا را
• verb: دوست دارم

In the first clause:

• این شهر بزرگ است

this is a copular sentence:

• subject: این شهر
• complement: بزرگ
• verb: است

So the verb still comes at the end.

A natural colloquial pronunciation would often sound something like:

• in shahr bozorge, ama man un rustâ ro dust dâram

A more careful/formal reading is closer to:

• in shahr bozorg ast, ammâ man ân rustâ râ dust dâram

Some common spoken changes are:

• آن → اون / un
• را → رو / ro
• است → ـه / e

So learners should recognize both the written form and the spoken form.

No. Persian nouns do not have grammatical gender.

So:

• شهر is not masculine or feminine
• روستا is not masculine or feminine

That makes things simpler than in many languages. You do not need to change the adjective or article based on gender.

The comma separates the two clauses, just like in English:

• This city is big, but I like that village.

In Persian writing, punctuation is often similar in this kind of sentence, so the comma before اما is normal and helps readability.

Even if punctuation style can vary a little, this usage is very natural.