او گفت که فردا با اتوبوس به دانشگاه می آید.

Breakdown of او گفت که فردا با اتوبوس به دانشگاه می آید.

فردا
tomorrow
به
to
با
with
آمدن
to come
گفتن
to say
که
that
اتوبوس
bus
دانشگاه
university
او
his / he

Questions & Answers about او گفت که فردا با اتوبوس به دانشگاه می آید.

Why is there no او in the second part of the sentence? Shouldn’t it say او گفت که او فردا...?

Not necessarily. In Persian, the subject is often left out when it is already clear from context.

So:

  • او گفت = He/She said
  • که فردا با اتوبوس به دانشگاه می‌آید = that [he/she] will come to the university by bus tomorrow

The subject of می‌آید is understood to be the same person unless the context suggests otherwise.

You can repeat او, but it is often unnecessary:

  • او گفت که او فردا با اتوبوس به دانشگاه می‌آید.

This is grammatical, but usually less natural unless you want to emphasize the subject.

What does که do in this sentence?

که is a very common Persian word that often means that.

Here it links the two clauses:

  • او گفت = He/She said
  • که... = that...

So the structure is:

  • او گفت که... = He/She said that...

In everyday English, that is often omitted, as in He said he will come tomorrow. Persian often keeps که in this kind of sentence.

Why is می‌آید used if the sentence talks about the future?

This is a very common question. In Persian, the present tense can often be used for a future meaning when there is a time word like فردا (tomorrow) to make the time clear.

So:

  • می‌آید literally looks like comes / is coming
  • but with فردا, it means will come / is coming tomorrow

This is similar to English sentences like:

  • He is coming tomorrow.

Even though English uses a present-progressive form there, the meaning is future. Persian does something similar very often.

Persian also has a formal future construction, but in everyday usage, the present form is extremely common for near or intended future events.

What exactly is می‌آید made of?

می‌آید comes from the verb آمدن (to come).

Its parts are:

  • میـ = an imperfective/present marker
  • آید = the present stem-based form of آمدن

So می‌آید means:

  • he/she comes
  • he/she is coming
  • he/she will come

depending on context.

For this sentence, because of فردا, the best translation is will come or is coming tomorrow.

Why is می‌آید sometimes written with a little connection mark and sometimes with a space, like می آید?

The standard modern spelling is می‌آید, with a half-space (also called a zero-width non-joiner) between می and the verb.

So the preferred form is:

  • می‌آید

But you may also see:

  • می آید

especially in informal typing, older materials, or when someone cannot easily type the half-space.

Both are understood, but می‌آید is the standard spelling.

What does به دانشگاه mean literally?

Literally:

  • به = to
  • دانشگاه = university

So:

  • به دانشگاه = to the university / to university

Persian uses به very often for movement toward a place:

  • به خانه = to home / home
  • به مدرسه = to school
  • به دانشگاه = to the university / to university
Why is there no word for the before دانشگاه?

Persian does not have a definite article like English the.

So دانشگاه can mean:

  • a university
  • the university
  • sometimes just university

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, به دانشگاه is naturally understood as to the university or to university, depending on the situation.

This is very normal in Persian. You should not expect a separate word matching English the.

What does با اتوبوس mean, and why is با used?

با usually means with, but in many contexts it also expresses by means of.

So:

  • با اتوبوس = by bus
  • literally something like with a bus

This is how Persian commonly expresses transportation:

  • با ماشین = by car
  • با قطار = by train
  • با هواپیما = by airplane
  • با اتوبوس = by bus

So although با often means with, here the natural English translation is by bus.

Is the word order normal here?

Yes, this is a very normal Persian word order.

The sentence is:

  • او گفت که فردا با اتوبوس به دانشگاه می‌آید.

A rough breakdown is:

  • او = subject
  • گفت = said
  • که = that
  • فردا = tomorrow
  • با اتوبوس = by bus
  • به دانشگاه = to the university
  • می‌آید = comes / will come

Persian usually puts the verb at the end of the clause, so می‌آید comes last.

That final-verb pattern is one of the biggest differences from English.

Could the order of فردا, با اتوبوس, and به دانشگاه change?

Yes, Persian word order is somewhat flexible, especially for time and prepositional phrases.

For example, these are all possible with slightly different emphasis:

  • او گفت که فردا با اتوبوس به دانشگاه می‌آید.
  • او گفت که به دانشگاه فردا با اتوبوس می‌آید.
  • او گفت که فردا به دانشگاه با اتوبوس می‌آید.

However, the original version sounds very natural and neutral.

A good learner rule is:

  • put time expressions like فردا before the verb
  • keep the main verb at the end

That will usually sound fine.

What form is گفت?

گفت is the simple past form of گفتن (to say / to tell).

So:

  • گفت = he/she said

Persian past tense forms often do not show gender, so گفت can mean either:

  • he said
  • she said

You only know from context.

Also notice that Persian does not need a separate word for did here. The verb form itself already means said.

How do you pronounce او and می‌آید?

A simple pronunciation guide:

  • او = u or oo, like the vowel in food
  • می‌آیدmi-âyad

A fuller sentence pronunciation would be roughly:

  • u goft ke fardâ bâ otobus be dâneshgâh mi-âyad

Some notes:

  • آ is a long â sound, like a broad a
  • او is just one syllable
  • می‌آید has a slight break between می and آید

In casual speech, the pronunciation may become smoother and shorter.

Is this sentence formal or written Persian? How would it sound in conversation?

The sentence is standard and completely correct. In everyday speech, many speakers would say a more colloquial version such as:

  • اون گفت که فردا با اتوبوس میاد دانشگاه.

Some common colloquial changes are:

  • اواون
  • می‌آیدمیاد
  • sometimes به دانشگاه becomes just دانشگاه in casual speech

So the original sentence is excellent for standard Persian, while spoken Persian may sound a bit looser and more compact.

Why does او mean both he and she?

Persian third-person singular pronouns do not mark gender.

So:

  • او can mean he
  • او can also mean she

The same is true for the verb:

  • گفت = he said / she said
  • می‌آید = he comes / she comes / he will come / she will come

You usually learn the gender only from context, not from the grammar itself.

Can او be translated as he or she, and does Persian have a separate word for it here?

Yes, او can be he or she.

Persian does have other ways to refer to things, but in this sentence او clearly refers to a person. Persian often does not force the same distinctions that English does.

So in this sentence:

  • او گفت... = He said... or She said...

You choose the English pronoun based on context, not based on the Persian word alone.

What is the role of فردا in the sentence?

فردا means tomorrow, and it sets the time for می‌آید.

That is important because it tells you why می‌آید should be understood with a future meaning:

  • می‌آید by itself could mean comes or is coming
  • فردا می‌آید strongly suggests will come tomorrow or is coming tomorrow

So فردا is the time adverb that makes the future interpretation natural.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
What's the best way to learn Farsi grammar?
Farsi grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Farsi

Master Farsi — from او گفت که فردا با اتوبوس به دانشگاه می آید to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • AI tutor to answer your grammar questions