هم … هم، نه … نه، یا … یا

Both, Neither and Either

Level 3

After نه … نه the verb stays positive, because the pair already says no.

How It Works

PairMeaningExample
هم … همboth … andهم چای دارم هم کلچه.
نه … نهneither … norنه چای دارم نه کلچه.
یا … یاeither … orیا چای می‌خورم یا شیرچای.

You can put و before the second word: هم چای دارم و هم کلچه. نه گرسنه استم و نه تشنه. The meaning stays the same.

With نه … نه the verb is positive, because the pair already says no: نه پدرم آمد نه مادرم, word for word neither my father came nor my mother. Write the verb in the positive form. هیچ is different, because it needs a negative verb.

Examples (5)

  1. هم چای سبز دارم هم شیرچای.

    I have both green tea and milk tea.

    هم … هم joins two things you have.

  2. او هم دری گپ می‌زند و هم پشتو.

    She speaks both Dari and Pashto.

    و can stand before the second هم.

  3. نه گرسنه استم و نه تشنه.

    I'm neither hungry nor thirsty.

    نه … نه: the verb استم stays positive.

  4. نه پدرم در خانه بود نه مادرم.

    Neither my father nor my mother was at home.

    The verb بود is positive, and the pair makes the sentence negative.

  5. یا امروز می‌آیم یا فردا.

    I'll come either today or tomorrow.

    یا … یا offers two choices.

Common Mistakes

  • Mixing the pairs.

    هم چای دارم یا قهوه.
    هم چای دارم هم قهوه.

    هم goes with هم. For a choice, use یا … یا: یا چای دارم یا قهوه.

How It Connects

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

هم … هم، نه … نه، یا … یاLevel 3Both, Neither and Either

Learn This First

Two-part patterns join words with و and use هم.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

همیانه