ـم، ـی، است، ـیم، ـید، ـند

Present Forms of Be

Level 1

خوبم means I am well. خوب است means it is good. The person form tells you who the statement describes.

How It Works

PersonExampleMeaning
منخوبمI am well.
توخوبیYou are well.
اوخوب استThat person is well.
ماخوبیمWe are well.
شماخوبیدYou are well.
آن‌هاخوبندThey are well.

After final /e/, written forms commonly use ـام، ـای، ـایم، ـاید، ـاند: خسته‌ام means “I am tired.” A written half-space keeps the stem and ending visibly distinct without making them unrelated words.

The longer forms هستم، هستی and the other person forms also serve as copulas. Do not treat them as errors or as an entirely different tense. است has common contractions such as اینجاست, and everyday speech often uses -e, as in خوبه.

Do not confuse خوبی, “you are well,” with an indefinite noun ending or a possessive clitic. Read the sentence and the word carrying the ending.

Examples (4)

  1. خوبم.

    I am well.

    ـم marks the first-person short copula.

  2. ما خوبیم.

    We are well.

    ـیم marks the first-person plural.

  3. سارا خوب است.

    Sara is well.

    Third-singular است appears as a separate word.

  4. خسته‌ام.

    I am tired.

    After final /e/, the written first-person form uses ـام.

How It Connects

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

ـم، ـی، است، ـیم، ـید، ـندLevel 1Present Forms of Be

Learn This First

Use the copula form for the person you describe, and learn its spelling after consonants and vowels.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

And 5 more in the full list.