Possession

Talking About Possession in Persian

In this chapter you learn how to say who has what in very simple Persian. You will see two very important tools: the word “of” (the ezafe link) and the word “to have.”

Remember that at A1 level we stay with short, clear sentences and the most common patterns.

The idea of “of”: my book, Ali’s house

In Persian, to say “X of Y” like “Ali’s book” or “my friend,” you put the owner first, then the thing, and connect them with a short “e” sound. This connection is called ezafe. You will see it in writing later. For now, focus on the order and the sound.

Ali’s book:
Ali’s name comes first, then “book,” and you add a short “e” sound after “Ali.”

Ali’s book = Ali + e + book

My friend:
First “friend,” then a short “e,” then “my.”

my friend = friend + e + my

Compare:

Ali’s house.
Maryam’s pen.
the teacher’s car.

The pattern is always the same: owner first, then the thing.

Possessive pronouns with nouns: my, your, his, her

To say “my book,” “your car,” “his house” and so on, Persian does not use a separate word like “my” in front of the noun. Instead, it adds a short ending to the noun.

Here are the basic forms with a very common noun “book.”

my book
your book (to one person, informal)
his book
her book
our book
your book (to more than one person, or polite)
their book

Pronoun + book gives one word in Persian. You will learn the exact spellings and endings in the script lessons, but here you should understand the idea: the noun comes first, and the “my / your / his / her…” part is attached to the end of the noun.

So when you want to say “my,” “your,” “his,” etc. in front of a noun, think “book-my,” “car-your,” “friend-his.”

This is the most natural way to speak about things that belong to someone.

Using names with possession: Ali’s book, Sara’s friend

Now combine what you know.

You can say “Ali’s book” with the owner first, then “book,” and then a possessive ending if you need it.

Ali’s book.
Ali’s book is new.
Ali’s friend.

You can also add “my” or “your” after another person.

Ali is my friend.
Sara is my sister.
He is my teacher.

Notice the difference:

Ali’s book → the book belongs to Ali.
my book → the book belongs to me.

Both are possession, but the structure is different. One uses a name as owner, the other uses a possessive ending attached to the noun.

The verb “to have” with people and things

To say “I have,” “you have,” “he has,” Persian uses a special verb “to have.”

I have a book.
You have a car.
He has a house.
We have a cat.
They have time.

The subject comes first, then the object, then the verb:

I + book + have.
You + car + have.

In English the verb “have” comes right after the subject. In Persian the verb still goes at the end of the sentence. The verb form changes for “I,” “you,” “he,” etc., but the pattern stays the same: Subject, then Object, then “have.”

You can also combine possession with description:

I have a big house.
She has a small car.

Here “big” and “small” are adjectives. You will study adjectives in detail in another chapter. For now, see that they go before the noun in English, but have their own place in Persian that you will learn later. At this level, just recognize sentences with “have.”

Saying what someone does not have

You already met negation in a separate chapter. Here you only see how it looks with “have.”

I do not have a car.
He does not have a book.
We do not have time.

In Persian, “not have” is a single word. There is a “no / not” part that comes directly before the verb “have” and joins it. So where English has “do not have,” Persian has one negative verb form “do-not-have.”

Subject + Object + do-not-have:

I + car + do-not-have.
She + money + do-not-have.

You can answer simple questions this way:

Do you have a car?
Yes, I have a car.
No, I do not have a car.

You already know yes and no. Now you can connect them to “have.”

Questions with “have”

You will study yes/no questions in detail in another chapter. Here, just see the common pattern with “have.”

Do you have a pen?
Do you have time?
Does he have a car?

In Persian, to make a yes/no question, you keep the same word order and use a questioning intonation in speech. You can also use a question word at the beginning. The verb “have” stays at the end.

You answer with yes or no, then repeat the verb:

Do you have a pen?
Yes, I have (a pen).
No, I do not have (a pen).

This is enough to understand simple exchanges in real life, for example at school or at work.

Using possession in everyday phrases

Here are some very common everyday situations where you use possession.

Introducing your family:

He is my father.
She is my mother.
He is my brother.
She is my sister.
They are my parents.

Talking about your things:

This is my house.
That is my car.
This is my phone.
That is my bag.

Talking about age uses a possession pattern in Persian, but the full explanation belongs to a later level. For now, just notice the English meaning:

I am 20 years old. (literally: I have 20 years.)
He is 30 years old. (literally: He has 30 years.)

So “have” is also used in some basic expressions about age and quantity.

Short review

You can now say:

my book, your car, his house, her friend
Ali’s book, Sara’s house
I have a book, you have a car, we have time
I do not have a car, she does not have money
Do you have a pen? Yes, I have. No, I do not have.

These patterns are enough to talk about your things, your family, and simple everyday needs in Persian.

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