Relative Clauses With که
که points back to the noun, so the verb usually needs no extra word for it.
How It Works
A relative clause tells you which noun the speaker means. English starts it with who, which or that. Dari adds the ending ـی (-ī) to the noun and then writes که.
| Noun | Noun + ـی + که | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| کتاب | کتابی که خریدم | the book I bought |
| دختر | دختری که درس می‌خواند | the girl who studies |
| دوستان | دوستانی که آمدند | the friends who came |
| خانه | خانه‌ای که ساختیم | the house we built |
After a silent ه, the ending is written ای with a half-space: خانه‌ای.
The clause needs no extra word for the noun. In کتابی که خریدم, که already points to the book, so you usually add nothing. A pronoun such as آن را is possible, but it is rare here.
The group کتابی که خریدم can mean the book or a book, and the situation tells you which. The clause comes right after the noun, and the main verb follows the whole group: کتابی که خریدم جالب است.
Examples (5)
- کتابی که دیروز خریدم بسیار جالب است.
The book I bought yesterday is very interesting.
The noun کتاب takes ـی, and که starts the clause that says which book.
- دختری که در پوهنتون درس می‌خواند خواهر من است.
The girl who studies at the university is my sister.
Here the noun is the one who acts: the girl is the one who studies.
- نانی که مادرم پخت هنوز گرم است.
The bread my mother baked is still warm.
Here the noun is the thing acted on. Inside the clause, Dari usually drops را and adds no extra word for the bread, as here.
- معلمی که به ما دری یاد می‌دهد از هرات است.
The teacher who teaches us Dari is from Herat.
The whole group معلمی که … یاد می‌دهد is the subject, and the main verb است comes last.
- دوستانی که از کندز آمدند تا شب پیش ما ماندند.
The friends who came from Kunduz stayed with us until night.
A plural noun takes the same ـی: دوستان becomes دوستانی.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out ـی on the noun before که.
کتاب که دیروز خریدم جالب است.کتابی که دیروز خریدم جالب است.In written Dari, the noun takes ـی before که: کتابی که.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A relative clause describes a noun and has a verb in it.
Related Patterns
- Pronouns Inside Relative Clauses
After a preposition, the clause keeps a pronoun for the noun.
Level 4 - کسی که، چیزی که، جایی کهThe Person, Thing or Place That
کسی که, چیزی که and جایی که need no noun in front.
Level 4 - The Indefinite Ending ـی
This ـی looks like the ending for a or some, and it is a close relative.
Level 2 - راMarking a Specific Object with را
را marks the object in a plain sentence, and the clause usually drops it.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Relative Clauses With که in Bubblegum
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