را

Marking a Specific Direct Object

Level 2

کتاب را خواندم means I read the book. را follows the whole object phrase, including its adjective or owner.

How It Works

Find what the action directly affects. In من کتاب را خواندم, من is the reader, کتاب is the object, and را follows that object. Do not attach را to من merely because the subject occurs first.

Keep the phrase together. In کتابِ سارا را خواندم, the complete object is کتابِ سارا. Put را after the owner phrase. In این کتاب را خریدم, the demonstrative helps identify the object.

Compare کتاب خریدم, “I bought a book/books,” with کتاب را خریدم, “I bought the book.” The first can focus on a nonspecific book-buying event; the second presents the object as a particular referent. This is a useful contrast, not a claim that را equals an English article in every sentence.

یک کتاب را خریدم can identify one particular book among possible choices. Indefinite wording and object marking are not mechanically incompatible.

A phrase after به، از or با already has a prepositional relation. Do not add را just because its referent is known; identify the actual construction.

Examples (4)

  1. من کتاب را خواندم.

    I read the book.

    را marks کتاب as the specific direct object.

  2. کتابِ سارا را خواندم.

    I read Sara’s book.

    The marker follows the entire noun–owner phrase.

  3. این کتاب را خریدم.

    I bought this book.

    The demonstrative identifies the direct object.

  4. یک کتاب را خریدم و یکی را قرض گرفتم.

    I bought one book and borrowed another.

    A particular object can combine یک and را; the constructions have different functions.

How It Connects

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

راLevel 2Marking a Specific Direct Object

Learn This First

Put را after the complete specific direct object, and use the clause’s roles rather than an English article to choose it.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.