The normal word order of a simple sentence in Dari is: Adverbial Modifier (of time or place), Subject, Object, Adverbial Modifier (of manner) and Predicate (either nominal or verbal). The predicate always agrees in person and number with a subject that represents animate nouns, although it usually doesn't agree with a subject that represents inanimate nouns:
"The students are in the hall" . محصلین در تالار استند
but
"There are five chairs in the room (lit. there is)" در اطاق پنج چوکی است.
The predicate almost always comes at the end of the sentence:
"He (she) is a student". او محصل است
"They are soldiers". آنها سرباز استند
"It is a book". این کتاب است
"I came home". من به خانه آمدم
"They go there". آنها آنجا میروند
The negative is formed by adding the prefix "not" to the verb, with no change in the word order:
"They didn't come". آنها نه آمدند
"He is not a good man" . او آدم خوبی نیست
"There is not anything here". اینجا چیزی نیست
However, if the negative construction …نه…نه "neither… nor…" is used, the verb doesn't carry the prefix نه "not":
"I have neither water nor food". من نه آب نه نان دارم
"We saw neither personnel nor weapons". ما نه افراد نه سلاح دیدیم
A simple sentence in which the predicate is represented by a transitive verb has the following word order: Adverbial Modifier (of time or place), Subject, Direct Object (with direct object marker), Indirect Object, Adverbial Modifier (of manner) and Predicate:
دیروز شما این کتاب را با دقت خواندید.
" Yesterday, you read this book attentively"
(lit. Yesterday you this book (the direct object marker) attentively read)
من کار خود را تمام کرده ام.
"I have completed my work."
(lit. I work my (the direct object marker) have completed)
However, in informal speech, the order can be changed for emphasis:
. من ندیدم این دختران را
"I didn't see those girls." (lit. I didn't see those girls(the direct object marker)
چه گفتند آنها؟
"What did they say?" (lit. What did say they)
See Also: