Adjectives From Places and Nouns

Level 3

The adjective goes after its noun, and a place adjective also names a person.

How It Works

WordWith ـیMeaning
کابلکابلیfrom Kabul
هراتهراتیfrom Herat
چوبچوبیwooden
طلاطلاییgolden
نقرهنقره‌ایsilver
کندزکندزیfrom Kunduz

The adjective follows the noun: قالین هراتی (a rug from Herat), میز چوبی (a wooden table). A place adjective also names a person: من کابلی استم. (I am from Kabul.) A question can use it too: شما کابلی استید؟ (Are you from Kabul?) افغانی means Afghan, and it is also the name of the money.

This ـی is a different ending from the ـی that means a or some, as in کتابی. Here the ـی turns a noun into a describing word.

Examples (5)

  1. من کابلی استم، اما پدرم هراتی است.

    I am from Kabul, but my father is from Herat.

    کابلی and هراتی are place names plus ـی.

  2. این قالین هراتی است.

    This rug is from Herat.

    هراتی comes after the noun قالین.

  3. یک میز چوبی خریدم.

    I bought a wooden table.

    چوبی says what the table is made of: چوب + ـی.

  4. او یک انگشتر طلایی دارد.

    She has a gold ring.

    طلایی is طلا + ـیی, golden.

  5. انار قندهاری بسیار شیرین است.

    Pomegranates from Kandahar are very sweet.

    قندهاری means from Kandahar.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting از before the adjective.

    من از کابلی استم.
    من کابلی استم.

    کابلی already means from Kabul. With از, use the plain place: من از کابل استم.

  • Putting the adjective before the noun.

    این هراتی قالین است.
    این قالین هراتی است.

    A describing word made with ـی follows the noun in Dari.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Adjectives From Places and NounsLevel 3

Learn This First

ـی makes an adjective from a place or noun, so you need to know how an adjective is used.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.