شب ها اتاق خواهرم روشن است، اما کامپیوتر من زود خاموش میشود.

Breakdown of شب ها اتاق خواهرم روشن است، اما کامپیوتر من زود خاموش میشود.

من
my / I
بودن
to be
خواهر
sister
شب
night
زود
early
اما
but
اتاق
room
کامپیوتر
computer
روشن
bright
خاموش شدن
to turn off

Questions & Answers about شب ها اتاق خواهرم روشن است، اما کامپیوتر من زود خاموش میشود.

Why is شب‌ها plural when the English meaning is just at night?

In Persian, time words are often made plural to express something that happens regularly or on repeated occasions.

So شب‌ها literally means nights, but in context it works like:

  • at night
  • at nights
  • on nights / every night

It gives the sentence a habitual sense, not just one single night.

Also, the standard spelling is usually شب‌ها with a half-space, although many people type شب ها informally.

Is this sentence talking about one specific night, or about a usual pattern?

It is describing a usual pattern or habitual situation.

That comes from two things:

  • شب‌ها = at night / nights
  • the present-tense forms روشن است and خاموش می‌شود

So the idea is something like:

  • At night, my sister's room is lit, but my computer turns off early.

It sounds general, not like a one-time event.

Why is اتاق خواهرم used for my sister's room?

Persian possession usually works in the order:

thing possessed + possessor

So:

  • اتاق خواهرم = room of my sister = my sister's room

This is different from English, which usually puts the possessor first:

  • my sister's room

In Persian, the head noun comes first: اتاق (room), then the possessor: خواهرم (my sister).

Where is the -e sound between اتاق and خواهرم? I do not see it written.

That is the ezafe construction, one of the most important features of Persian grammar.

In اتاق خواهرم, you pronounce it as:

  • otâq-e khâharam

That -e links the two words together and shows a relationship like possession or description.

A key point for learners: after a consonant, the ezafe is usually pronounced but not written. So even though you do not see it, you still say it.

The same thing happens in:

  • کامپیوتر منkâmpyuter-e man
How does خواهرم mean my sister?

The at the end is a possessive ending meaning my.

So:

  • خواهر = sister
  • خواهرم = my sister

This ending is very common in Persian:

  • برادرم = my brother
  • کتابم = my book
  • خانه‌ام = my house

So in اتاق خواهرم, the word خواهرم already includes the idea of my.

Why do we say روشن است? What is است doing here?

روشن is an adjective meaning lit / روشن / on / bright, but Persian still needs a form of to be to make a full sentence.

So:

  • روشن = lit / on
  • است = is

Together:

  • روشن است = is lit / is on

This is very common with adjectives in Persian:

  • بزرگ است = is big
  • سرد است = is cold
  • آماده است = is ready

So است is simply the verb is.

Could I say روشنه instead of روشن است?

Yes. In everyday spoken Persian, روشن است is often shortened to:

  • روشنه

Both mean the same thing here.

The difference is mostly register:

  • روشن است = more formal, written, careful
  • روشنه = more colloquial, natural in speech

So the written sentence is perfectly normal, but in conversation many people would say:

  • شب‌ها اتاق خواهرم روشنه...
Why is اما used here? Could I use ولی instead?

Yes, you could use ولی.

Both اما and ولی mean but. The difference is mostly style:

  • اما = a bit more formal or written
  • ولی = very common in speech and informal writing

So these are both fine:

  • ... اما کامپیوتر من زود خاموش می‌شود.
  • ... ولی کامپیوتر من زود خاموش می‌شود.

The first one sounds slightly more formal.

Why does it say کامپیوتر من instead of کامپیوترم?

Both are possible.

  • کامپیوترم = my computer
  • کامپیوتر من = my computer

The version with the separate pronoun من can sound a little clearer or more contrastive, especially after اما:

  • ... but my computer...

So here کامپیوتر من feels quite natural because the sentence is contrasting:

  • my sister's room vs. my computer

If you said کامپیوترم, that would also be correct.

What exactly does زود mean here? Is it early or quickly?

Here, زود most naturally means early or too soon, not quickly.

So:

  • زود خاموش می‌شود = it turns off early / it shuts off too soon

That is different from saying the action happens fast. If you wanted to emphasize speed more clearly, سریع often helps:

  • سریع خاموش می‌شود = it turns off quickly

So in this sentence, زود is about timing, not really about speed.

Is خاموش می‌شود passive?

Not exactly. It is better understood as a change of state expression.

  • خاموش = off / extinguished
  • شدن = to become

So خاموش می‌شود literally means something like:

  • becomes off
  • goes off
  • turns off

This is a very common Persian pattern.

Compare:

  • کامپیوتر را خاموش می‌کنم = I turn off the computer
  • کامپیوتر خاموش می‌شود = the computer turns off / gets turned off

So it is not just a simple passive form in the English sense; it is a very natural Persian way to express that something ends up off.

Why is it written میشود here? I thought it was می‌شود.

Your instinct is right: the standard spelling is:

  • می‌شود

with a half-space between می and شود.

Likewise, many style guides prefer:

  • شب‌ها

with a half-space.

However, in everyday typing, many people write:

  • میشود
  • شب ها

So the sentence you saw is understandable and common in informal writing, but the more standard written forms are:

  • شب‌ها اتاق خواهرم روشن است، اما کامپیوتر من زود خاموش می‌شود.
How would a learner pronounce the whole sentence?

A careful pronunciation would be approximately:

shabhâ otâq-e khâharam roshan ast, ammâ kâmpyuter-e man zud khâmush mishavad

In more natural speech, it may sound closer to:

shabhâ otâqe khâharam roshane, ammâ kâmpyutere man zud khâmush mishe

A few useful pronunciation notes:

  • شب‌هاshabhâ
  • اتاقِotâq-e
  • خواهرمkhâharam
  • روشنroshan
  • خاموشkhâmush
  • می‌شود → formal mishavad, colloquial mishe

The important hidden feature is the ezafe sound in اتاقِ خواهرم and کامپیوترِ من, even though it is not written clearly in ordinary spelling.

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