Longer Ezafe Chains
Each word is joined to the next by one ezafe.
How It Works
One ezafe joins two words. Several ezafes can join a whole chain. The first word is the main one, and each word points to the next.
Take خانهٔ کلان کاکای من, which means my uncle's big house. It reads: house, big, uncle, my. Say it as khāna-yi kalān-i kākā-yi man.
| Place in the chain | Part | Example |
|---|---|---|
| First | main noun | خانه |
| Second | its adjective | کلان |
| Third | the owner | کاکا |
| Last | whose it is | من |
The adjective sits right after the noun it describes. The owner comes next, then anything that belongs to the owner. To check a chain, read it aloud and say -i or -yi between the words.
A chain of three or four words is easy to read. For a longer one, start a second sentence or use مال.
Examples (5)
- خانهٔ کلان کاکای من مقبول است.
My uncle's big house is beautiful.
The chain runs house, big, uncle, my.
- کتاب نوی دوست من اینجا است.
My friend's new book is here.
نو ends in و, so its ezafe is ی.
- موتر سفید برادر من نو است.
My brother's white car is new.
Four words are linked: car, white, brother, my.
- نام دختر کلان همسایه مریم است.
The name of the neighbour's older daughter is Maryam.
The chain starts with نام and ends with همسایه.
- قیمت کتاب نوی معلم چند است؟
How much is the teacher's new book?
The chain runs price, book, new, teacher.
Common Mistakes
Putting the owner first, as in English my uncle's big house.
کاکای من خانهٔ کلانخانهٔ کلان کاکای منThe main noun comes first in Dari, and the owner comes after it.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A chain repeats the link, so the single link and its vowel spelling come first.
Related Patterns
Practice Longer Ezafe Chains in Bubblegum
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