Dialogue

Vocabulary

Learn New Words FAST with this Lesson’s Vocab Review List

Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Notes

Unlock In-Depth Explanations & Exclusive Takeaways with Printable Lesson Notes

Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Brandon: Hello listeners, I'm Brandon.
Mohammad: And I'm Mohammad. How are you everyone?
Brandon: Welcome back to PersianPod101.com. This is Absolute Beginner, season 1, Lesson 21 - Getting Things Done With Persian Adverbs. In this lesson, you’ll learn about Persian adverbs.
Mohammad: Yes. We're at Ms. Tahereh's home, and she's talking with her guest.
Brandon: And they're trying not to wake up the sleeping baby. Since they're not really close friends...
Mohammad: They'll be using formal Persian.
Brandon: So, are you ready listeners?
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Brandon: Are there a lot of motorcycles on the streets in Iran?
Mohammad: Actually, yes. Especially in big cities, because many people use them for personal transportation.
Brandon: Are they popular with most Iranians?
Mohammad: Well, only men are allowed to ride them in Iran, although they can have other men or women as passengers sitting behind them.
Brandon: Are there any special rules for motorbikes?
Mohammad: Well, safety helmets should always be used by all riders, but the fact is...
Brandon: Not all of them use it.
Mohammad: Sadly that's right. And that is a little dangerous.
Brandon: I agree.
KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES
Brandon: Let’s take a closer look at the usage of some of the words and phrases from this lesson. So Mohammad, I’m guessing that the vocabulary items for this lesson are probably all adverbs.
Mohammad: Well, not all of them, but most are.
Brandon: Ok, so what’s our first adverb?
Mohammad: "aaraamtar" meaning "more calm, quiet, or slow."
Brandon: This can be an adverb or a comparative adjective depending on its meaning and position in a sentence. So when does it become an adverb?
Mohammad: Whenever it's before a verb. For example "aaraamtar boro." means "Go more slowly."
Brandon: I see. And when is it a comparative adjective?
Mohammad: Whenever it's after a noun. For example "daryaa-ye aaraamtar" means "calmer sea."
Brandon: That's really interesting! One more, time can you please repeat it?
Mohammad: "aaraamtar" (pause), "aa-raam-tar."
Brandon: Alright, is our next phrase an adverb too?
Mohammad: Yes it is. It's "kamkam."
Brandon: Which means "gradually" or "little by litle".
Mohammad: Right. For example, "derakht-e man kamkam bozorg mishavad" means "My tree grows gradually."
Brandon: Does it have any other meanings?
Mohammad: Sometimes yes, though it's similar. It can also mean "soon" or "anytime now".
Brandon: Oh, like in our conversation. What was the sentence? "He has to wake up any time now".
Mohammad: That's right. We use "Kamkam" and say "kamkam baayad bidaar shavad."
Brandon: Then let's repeat it once more.
Mohammad: "kamkam" (pause), "kam-kam."
Brandon: I'm guessing our last word is not an adverb.
Mohammad: You're right. It's an interjection called "albatte."
Brandon: This means "Of course", and can also mean "however" in some cases. When it's translated as "however", it can be counted as an adverb, can't it? So, when is it which?
Mohammad: If it's at the beginning of a sentence, it can mean "however." For example, "albatte baayad arz konam ke..." means "However, I have to mention that...."
Brandon: And when does it mean "Of course"?
Mohammad: Whenever it's an answer to a question. For example, "albatte ke khaaham raft!" means "Of course, I'll go!".
Brandon: So, one more time, let's try to repeat it, listeners.
Mohammad: "albatte" (pause), "al-bat-te."
Brandon: Ok, now let’s move on to the grammar.

Lesson focus

Brandon: In this lesson, you’ll learn about adverbs.
Mohammad: Adverbs are called "gheyd" in Persian, and are considered one part of speech.
Brandon: So what does an adverb in Persian do?
Mohammad: It's the same as in other languages. They're words that show how other words—like verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs—can be.
Brandon: In other words, they're like adjectives for words other than nouns.
Mohammad: That's right. For example the verb "raah raftan," meaning "to walk," can happen "be aaraami," which means "slowly," or "gaahi," which means "sometimes."
Brandon: And they are both adverbs for the verb, since they show HOW the verb is. Okay. Now I have the same question that I had about adjectives. How can you recognize an adverb in a sentence?
Mohammad: Well, there are two kinds of them. The ones that have a special rule or structure, and the ones that can be known only by their meaning.
Brandon: Can you please explain each one?
Mohammad: Of course. The adverbs with a special structure have their own rules. One is "be," plus adjective, plus "i."
Brandon: Like for example?
Mohammad: "be aaraami," which means "slowly."
Brandon: And the next rule is?
Mohammad: The adverbs that end in the Arabic suffix "an," which is like the English "ly" - L, Y - ending.
Brandon: Like for example?
Mohammad: "ghaaleban" which means "often."
Brandon: So those that begin with "be" and end in "i," and those that end in "an" are adverbs with a special structure.
Mohammad: Yes. And then there are other adverbs that have no special rules, and you know them by their meaning.
Brandon: Do you have any examples of them?
Mohammad: Yes. For example, we already learned "kamkam" meaning "gradually."
Brandon: Oh right. That was an adverb! Now since we're here, why don't we learn a few more adverbs together?
Mohammad: Sure thing. What’s an example?
Brandon: For example, how do you say "always" in Persian?
Mohammad: We say "hamishe." "ha-mi-she" is an adverb.
Brandon: That's one of the "No rule" adverbs. How about the word "really"?
Mohammad: It's "vaaghe'an." "vaa-ghe-'an."
Brandon: And this is an adverb with the "an" ending. Now, can you give us an example of the "be" and "i" adverbs.
Mohammad: For example, "be zoodi" means "soon." "zood" is an adjective meaning "early," which becomes an adverb by combining it with "be" and "i."
Brandon: Okay, how do you say "now" in Persian?
Mohammad: It's "aknoon" or "haalaa."
Brandon: And what's "here" in Persian?
Mohammad: That’s "injaa," "in-jaa."

Outro

Brandon: Ok listeners, that’s all for this lesson. Remember to check the lesson notes to reinforce what you’ve learned in this lesson. And you can always leave us a comment at PersianPod101.com!
Mohammad: Yes. We’re happy to help! Until next time. "khodaahaafez."
Brandon: Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time. Bye!

Comments

Hide