ezAfe

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Posted by Rezwan Razani on Jun 25, 2013 at 02:46 PM
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In our transliterations on this website, you will often come across an (e) or (ye).  These are in parenthesis to represent the sound of the “ezafe”.

In written Persian, the ezAfe is never shown, but always sounded out. The purpose of this sound is to show that one word modifies another. 

Say you want to modify the word “Car”, by adding the word “Blue” or “fast”.  In English, you just say the words the same as if they were by themselves.  Blue car.  Fast car. 

In Persian, you write it in reverse order - car blue, car fast - and it looks just like that written down, however, when you say it out loud, you add the ezafe sound - car(e) blue.  car(e) fast.  (or mAshin(e) Abi, mAshin(e) tond as the case may be). 

Brave Man Example

In Persian, the modifier and the modified are connected with an “ezAfe.”  This is an “e” sound which is never shown but always pronounced that comes at the end of the modifier. While it looks like “Pedar shomA”, you have to sound it out as “Pedar-e shomA”. It can be translated to mean “of” (e.g., “father of you”).

If the word you are modifying ends in an alef, he or ye sound, the ezafe is pronounced (ye). 

Since the ezafe sound only gets used if a word is modifying another one, our magnets do not have it printed out.  More info on Persian modifiers and word order.


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