Ezafe After a Vowel

Level 2

After a consonant nothing is written, as in کتاب من.

How It Works

After a consonant, the joining sound (called the ezafe) is not written: کتاب من sounds like kitāb-i man. After ا, و or a silent ه, you write it. A word that ends in ی, such as چای or کرسی, writes nothing extra.

The word ends inWriteExample
اـیدریای کابل
وـیموی سیاه
silent هـهٔخانهٔ ما
ها (plural)ـیکتاب‌های من

In all of these the sound is -yi: daryā-yi Kābul, mū-yi siyāh, khāna-yi mā. The little mark above ه is called hamza.

The same rules hold for every ezafe: a noun and its adjective (موی سیاه), a noun and its owner (خانهٔ ما), a noun and a place (دریای کابل).

The written link shows the reader where one word ends and the next begins. دریا کابل looks unfinished, and دریای کابل reads smoothly. After a silent ه, these lessons write the small mark above it. Many writers use ه‌ی instead, as in خانه‌ی ما, and both are read khāna-yi.

Examples (5)

  1. دریای کابل از شهر می‌گذرد.

    The Kabul River flows through the city.

    دریا ends in ا, so the ezafe is ی.

  2. خانهٔ ما در کابل است.

    Our house is in Kabul.

    خانه ends in a silent ه, so the ezafe is the small mark above it.

  3. موی سیاه او مقبول است.

    Her black hair is beautiful.

    مو ends in و, so the ezafe is ی.

  4. کتاب‌های من اینجا استند.

    My books are here.

    ها ends in ا, so it takes ی.

  5. نامهٔ مریم را خواندم.

    I read Maryam's letter.

    نامه ends in a silent ه, so it takes the mark above it.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the ezafe after و.

    مو سیاه او
    موی سیاه او

    A word that ends in و needs ی before the next word: موی سیاه.

  • Leaving out the ezafe after ا.

    دریا کابل
    دریای کابل

    A word that ends in ا needs ی before the next word.

How It Connects

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

Ezafe After a VowelLevel 2

Learn This First

After a vowel the link is written ی or as a mark over ه, so the plain link comes first.