The preterit in Dari corresponds to the English equivalent of the past indefinite.
1st pers. sing. آمدم "I came"
2nd pers. sing. آمدی "you came"
3rd pers. sing. آمد "he (she) came)"
1st pers. pl. آمدیم "we came"
2nd pers. pl. آمدید "you came"
3rd pers. pl. آمدند "they came"
The preterit is used in sentences like the following:
"We came and saw him." ما آمدیم و او را دیدیم.
"He (she) wrote this letter." او این مکتوب را نوشت.
The negative is formed by adding the prefix نه "not" to the past stem:
"I did not go" من نرفتم.
"they did not come" آنها نه آمدند.
The prefix نه "not" is often written separately if the word has an initial آ alef-madda:
"you did not come"شما نه آمدید.
However, when the prefix نه "not" links the word, the ی (pronounced -y-) is inserted between the negative prefix and initial ا alef of the word, which loses its madda:
"we did not come" نیامدیم = نه آمدیم= نه+ ی+ ا +مدیم
"they did not bring" نیاوردند = نه آوردند= نه+ ی + اوردند
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