Compound Verbs

What Compound Verbs Are in Persian

English often uses phrasal verbs like “look for” or “give up.” Persian has something very similar, called compound verbs. A compound verb is made of a non-verbal element plus a simple verb. The non-verbal part can be a noun, adjective, adverb, or even another verb stem, followed by a light verb such as:

"کردن" (to do), "زدن" (to hit), "داشتن" (to have), "شدن" (to become), "دادن" (to give), "گرفتن" (to take).

For example, "کار کردن" literally means “to do work,” but as a compound verb it simply means “to work.”

Compound verbs are extremely common in Persian and are often more natural than using a single simple verb. In this chapter we focus on how they are built and used in sentences, not on full tense paradigms that are covered elsewhere in the course.

Structure and Stress in Compound Verbs

In a compound verb, both parts together express one verbal idea. Grammatically, you conjugate only the light verb. The first element usually stays unchanged.

Compare:

"کردن" = to do
"کار کردن" = to work

In the present tense:

من کار می‌کنم.
"man kâr mikonam."
I work.

The element "کار" does not change. Only "کردن" is conjugated and takes the prefix "می" in the present tense.

Another example:

"کمک کردن" = to help

تو به من کمک می‌کنی.
"to be man komak mikoni."
You help me.

Again, "کمک" is fixed, only "کنی" changes.

In normal speech, stress usually falls on the verb, especially the light verb part. So in "کمک می‌کنم", the main stress is on "کنم."

Types of First Elements in Compound Verbs

The first element of a compound verb can be of different types. Understanding this helps you recognize a verb even when the meaning is figurative.

Noun + Light Verb

This is the most common pattern. A noun combines with a light verb.

Examples:

"خریدن" is a simple verb (to buy), but Persian very often uses:

"خرید کردن" = to shop, to go shopping
"کار کردن" = to work
"سؤال کردن" = to ask a question
"تلفن کردن" = to phone, to call
"تماس گرفتن" = to get in touch, to contact
"تصمیم گرفتن" = to make a decision
"دست زدن" = to touch, to clap (depending on context)
"قدم زدن" = to walk, to stroll

Notice how the literal meaning is often clear:

"سؤال" (question) + "کردن" (to do) = to ask
"تصمیم" (decision) + "گرفتن" (to take) = to take a decision, that is, to decide.

Adjective + Light Verb

An adjective can combine with a verb "شدن" (to become) or "کردن" (to make) to express a change of state.

Examples:

"خسته شدن" = to get tired
"عصبانی شدن" = to get angry
"آماده شدن" = to get ready
"تمیز کردن" = to clean (to make something clean)
"روشن شدن" = to turn on, to become light
"خاموش شدن" = to turn off, to become off

Compare:

من خسته می‌شوم.
"man khaste mishavam."
I get tired.

من اتاق را تمیز می‌کنم.
"man otâgh râ tamiz mikonam."
I clean the room.

With "شدن" you usually describe a subject’s state changing. With "کردن" you usually describe causing a change in something else.

Adverb or Prepositional Element + Light Verb

Some compound verbs use adverbs or prepositional-like elements.

Examples:

"برگشتن" is a simple verb (to return) and also behaves similarly, but clearly made from "بر" + "گشتن".
"وارد شدن" = to enter, to come in
"بیرون رفتن" = to go out
"داخل شدن" = to go inside
"بالا رفتن" = to go up, to climb
"پایین آمدن" = to come down

Even when written as separate words, they act as one unit.

Verb Stem + Light Verb

Sometimes the first part is related to another verb stem.

Examples:

"یاد گرفتن" = to learn (literally “to take remembrance”)
"یاد دادن" = to teach (literally “to give remembrance”)
"نگاه کردن" = to look
"فکر کردن" = to think

In "یاد گرفتن" and "یاد دادن", "یاد" is related to “memory” or “remembrance,” but those are now fixed idiomatic verbs meaning “to learn” and “to teach.”

Conjugation of Compound Verbs

For compound verbs, always focus on the light verb for conjugation, tense, and negation. The first element stays unchanged.

Present Tense Example

We take "تصمیم گرفتن" (to decide). The present stem of "گرفتن" is "گیر". For B1 you already know how to form the simple present. Here we just show it inside the compound verb:

من تصمیم می‌گیرم.
"man tasmim migiram."
I decide.

تو تصمیم می‌گیری.
"to tasmim migiri."
You decide.

او تصمیم می‌گیرد.
"u tasmim migirad."
He / she decides.

ما تصمیم می‌گیریم.
"mâ tasmim migirim."
We decide.

شما تصمیم می‌گیرید.
"shomâ tasmim migirid."
You (plural / formal) decide.

آنها تصمیم می‌گیرند.
"ânhâ tasmim migirand."
They decide.

The pattern is identical to the simple verb "گرفتن". Only the first element, "تصمیم", is fixed and sits before the conjugated part.

Another example with "کردن":

من ورزش می‌کنم.
"man varzesh mikonam."
I exercise.

تو ورزش می‌کنی.
"to varzesh mikoni."
You exercise.

Past Tense Example

Use the past stem of the light verb exactly as you would with simple verbs.

Take "کمک کردن". Past stem of "کردن" is "کرد".

من به او کمک کردم.
"man be u komak kardam."
I helped him / her.

ما به تو کمک کردیم.
"mâ be to komak kardim."
We helped you.

Them:

آنها به من کمک کردند.
"ânhâ be man komak kardand."
They helped me.

Again, the part "کمک" is fixed.

Another example, "یاد گرفتن" (to learn). Past stem of "گرفتن" is "گرفت".

من فارسی یاد گرفتم.
"man fârsi yâd gereftam."
I learned Persian.

تو درس را یاد گرفتی.
"to dars râ yâd gerefti."
You learned the lesson.

Negation of Compound Verbs

Negation is also placed on the light verb, not on the first element. You put "نـ" before the light verb or before "می" plus the verb, according to the tense pattern you know.

Present negative:

من کار نمی‌کنم.
"man kâr nemikonam."
I do not work.

تو فکر نمی‌کنی.
"to fekr nemikoni."
You do not think.

او کمک نمی‌کند.
"u komak nemikonad."
He / she does not help.

Past negative:

من تصمیم نگرفتم.
"man tasmim nagereftam."
I did not decide.

ما تلفن نکردیم.
"mâ telefon nakardim."
We did not phone.

Word Order and Separability

Usually, in simple sentences, the two parts of the compound verb stay together: first element, then light verb at the end of the clause.

من سؤال می‌کنم.
"man so’âl mikonam."
I ask (a question).

However, in more complex sentences, different elements can come between the first part and the light verb, especially objects and adverbs. By B1 you begin to see this more often.

For example:

من از تو یک سؤال مهم می‌پرسم.
"man az to yek so’âl-e mohem miporsam."
I ask you an important question.

Here the structure is:

"سؤال ... می‌پرسم"

The word "مهم" (important) and "یک" (a) appear between "سؤال" and the verb "می‌پرسم". The compound verb is still "سؤال پرسیدن" (to ask a question), but its parts are separated in the sentence.

Another example:

او هر روز خیلی ورزش می‌کند.
"u har ruz kheyli varzesh mikonad."
He / she exercises a lot every day.

The adverb "خیلی" comes between the noun "ورزش" and the verb "می‌کند".

Despite such separation, you must treat the whole unit as one verb when you think about tense and meaning.

Meaning and Idiomatic Use

Many compound verbs have meanings that are not simply the sum of their parts. The literal translation can help, but often the real meaning is more idiomatic. This is especially true with "زدن", "گرفتن", and "دادن".

Common examples:

"حرف زدن" = literally “to hit talk,” meaning “to talk, to speak”
"بوس دادن" or "بوس کردن" = to kiss
"خوابیدن" is simple “to sleep”, but "خواب کردن" in some dialects can mean “to put to sleep”.

More idiomatic pairs:

"حرف زدن" vs "صحبت کردن"
Both mean “to talk, to speak,” but "حرف زدن" is more informal, "صحبت کردن" is more neutral or formal.

"کمک کردن" = to help
"دست دادن" literally “hand to give,” but as a fixed expression "با کسی دست دادن" means “to shake hands with someone.”

Sometimes the same noun can combine with different light verbs and produce different meanings:

"فکر کردن" = to think
"فکر داشتن" is rare and more literary, but can mean “to have an idea.”

Another important example:

"گوش دادن" = to listen
"گوش کردن" is also common, and usually means the same thing.

Because of this, when you learn vocabulary at B1 level, it is crucial to learn the whole compound verb, not just the noun or the light verb in isolation.

Compound Verbs vs. Simple Verbs

Sometimes Persian has both a simple verb and a compound verb for the same idea. The compound verb is often more common in everyday speech, and the simple verb may sound more formal or literary, or may even be rare in modern usage.

Examples:

"دیدن" = to see
"نگاه کردن" = to look, to watch

"گفتن" = to say
"حرف زدن" = to speak, to talk

"آموختن" (more formal) = to learn
"یاد گرفتن" = to learn (very common in spoken and standard Persian)

"تعلیم دادن" or "آموزش دادن" (formal) = to teach
"یاد دادن" = to teach (common and conversational)

In practice:

من فارسی یاد می‌گیرم.
"man fârsi yâd migiram."
I am learning Persian.

خواندن and درس خواندن:

"خواندن" = to read, also to study.
"درس خواندن" = to study (as an activity, not just to read).

For example:

من هر روز درس می‌خوانم.
"man har ruz dars mikhânam."
I study every day.

If you only say:

من می‌خوانم.
"man mikhânam."
I read, or I study (but context needed).

The compound form "درس خواندن" makes the meaning clear and is very natural in everyday speech.

Common Compound Verbs at B1 Level

Below are some compound verbs that are especially useful at intermediate level, with simple example sentences focused on meaning and structure.

"حرف زدن" = to talk, to speak
آنها با هم حرف می‌زنند.
"ânhâ bâ ham harf mizanand."
They are talking with each other.

"صحبت کردن" = to talk, to speak (more neutral / formal)
معلم با دانش‌آموزان صحبت می‌کند.
"mo’allem bâ dânesh-âmuzân sohbat mikonad."
The teacher talks with the students.

"تصمیم گرفتن" = to decide
ما تصمیم گرفتیم به ایران برویم.
"mâ tasmim gereftim be irân beravim."
We decided to go to Iran.

"کمک کردن" = to help
می‌توانی به من کمک کنی؟
"mitavâni be man komak koni?"
Can you help me?

"ورزش کردن" = to exercise, to do sport
من در باشگاه ورزش می‌کنم.
"man dar bâshgâh varzesh mikonam."
I exercise at the gym.

"یاد گرفتن" = to learn
او زبان فارسی یاد می‌گیرد.
"u zabân-e fârsi yâd migirad."
He / she is learning Persian.

"یاد دادن" = to teach
او به من رانندگی یاد داد.
"u be man rânandegi yâd dâd."
He / she taught me driving.

"گوش دادن / گوش کردن" = to listen
من به موسیقی ایرانی گوش می‌دهم.
"man be musiqi-ye irâni gush midaham."
I listen to Iranian music.

"تماس گرفتن" = to contact, to call
من با دوستم تماس گرفتم.
"man bâ dustam tamâs gereftam."
I contacted my friend.

"تلفن کردن" = to phone
امروز به مادرم تلفن کردم.
"emruz be mâdaram telefon kardam."
Today I phoned my mother.

"قدم زدن" = to walk, to stroll
آنها در پارک قدم می‌زنند.
"ânhâ dar pârk ghadam mizanand."
They are walking in the park.

"برگشتن" often functions like a compound = to return, to come back
من دیر به خانه برمی‌گردم.
"man dir be khâne barmigardam."
I return home late.

"شروع کردن" = to start, to begin (something)
کلاس ساعتِ هشت شروع می‌کند. (more natural: "می‌شود" or "شروع می‌شود")
But: من کلاس را ساعتِ هشت شروع می‌کنم.
"man kelâs râ sâ’at-e hasht shoru’ mikonam."
I start the class at eight o’clock.

"تمام کردن" = to finish (something)
من کارم را ساعتِ پنج تمام می‌کنم.
"man kâram râ sâ’at-e panj tamâm mikonam."
I finish my work at five o’clock.

"تمام شدن" = to be finished, to end
کلاس ساعتِ پنج تمام می‌شود.
"kelâs sâ’at-e panj tamâm mishavad."
The class finishes at five o’clock.

Here you see again how "کردن" often expresses doing or causing, while "شدن" expresses becoming or happening.

Learning Strategies for Compound Verbs

At B1 level you already know enough grammar to start noticing patterns. Compound verbs are central for natural Persian. A few practical strategies can help:

Try to recognize familiar light verbs like "کردن", "زدن", "دادن", "گرفتن", "شدن", "داشتن" at the end of verb phrases. When you see a noun before them, consider that it might be a compound verb.

When you learn a new noun related to actions, look for common compound verbs that use it. For example, from "تصمیم" you get "تصمیم گرفتن".

When watching or listening to Persian, write down full compound verbs as you hear them, not just isolated words.

Practice by making your own sentences. Take a small group of compound verbs and try to use them with different subjects and time expressions, always keeping the first element fixed and only changing the light verb according to person and tense.

Over time, you will start to feel which light verb to choose in new combinations, and you will understand more idiomatic uses in real conversations and texts.

Vocabulary List for This Chapter