B2.1 – Advanced Grammar

Overview

At B2 level you already understand and use most everyday grammar of Persian. In this chapter you will deepen and systematize that knowledge, focusing on five advanced areas: the subjunctive mood, conditional sentences, passive voice, causative constructions, and reported speech. You will see how these structures are formed, what they express in real language, and how they interact with each other. Later chapters in this level will build on these tools for style, fluency, and argumentation, so here we focus on the core grammatical logic, the most frequent patterns, and typical pitfalls for learners.

Persian examples will be given mostly in informal standard Tehrani speech, unless noted otherwise. Where useful, contrasts with more formal written style will be mentioned, but the pragmatic side and stylistic fine‑tuning are discussed in later B2 chapters.

The Subjunctive Mood in Upper‑Level Usage

You already met the basic present subjunctive (for example after verbs like “to want”). At B2, it becomes a central tool for expressing intention, uncertainty, evaluation, and dependency between clauses.

In Persian, the present subjunctive is often the “default” verb form after many conjunctions and expressions that in English might use infinitives, that‑clauses, or even simple present. Instead of thinking of it as an “exotic mood,” treat it as the standard form for any action that is not simply stated as a fact, but is wished, feared, evaluated, ordered, or dependent on a condition.

Structure and Core Meaning

The present subjunctive is formed with the prefix $be\text{-}$ (or $bo\text{-}$ before some consonants) plus the present stem, followed by personal endings. Because you already know the mechanical formation, here we highlight meaning and usage.

Consider:

می‌خوام فردا برم.
mikhâm fardâ beram.
“I want to go tomorrow.”

The action “go” is not yet a fact. It is inside the “want” and therefore uses the subjunctive “beram”, not the indicative “miram”.

At B2, you should feel how this works with:

1. Verbs of wanting, wishing, preferring, deciding:
   می‌خوام بری. “I want you to go.”
   ترجیح می‌دم این‌جا بمونیم. “I prefer that we stay here.”
2. Verbs of ordering, asking, recommending:
   بهش گفتم زودتر بیاد. “I told him to come earlier.”
   پیشنهاد می‌کنم بخونی. “I recommend you read it.”
3. Expressions of emotion, evaluation, or reaction:
   خوبه که اومدی. “It is good that you came.”
   عجیبه که هنوز نرسیده. “It is strange that he has not arrived yet.”
4. Clauses after certain conjunctions:
   قبل از این‌که بری، زنگ بزن. “Before you go, call.”
   اگه ممکنه بیای، خوشحال می‌شم. “If it is possible that you come, I’ll be happy.”

Notice that in Persian, unlike in English, the subjunctive does not look “formal.” It is the normal, everyday solution in all these contexts.

Subjunctive vs Indicative Nuance

A central B2 skill is to feel when Persian can choose between subjunctive and indicative for a subtle change in meaning. Compare:

می‌دونم می‌ری.
midunam miri.
“I know you are going / you will go.” (neutral fact)

می‌دونم بری.
midunam beri.
This is unusual and typically needs an extra context; by itself it sounds incomplete or odd.

In most “knowledge” or “belief” verbs like می‌دونم, فکر می‌کنم, باور دارم, the following verb is usually indicative, because the statement is treated as factual from the speaker’s perspective. Subjunctive appears when the verb of the main clause does not assert fact, but expresses desire, necessity, emotion, or possibility.

Compare:

امکان داره فردا بیاد.
emkân dâre fardâ biâd.
“It is possible that he will come tomorrow.” (subjunctive, uncertain)

معلومه که فردا میاد.
ma’lume ke fardâ miyâd.
“It is clear that he is coming tomorrow.” (indicative, asserted fact)

At B2, try to notice what the main verb or expression is doing: stating reality or evaluating / wishing / doubting it.

Subjunctive with Negation and Questions

Negating the subjunctive is straightforward: the negation marker “na” (or “ne”) comes before the prefix $be\text{-}$, which often becomes “bo” or just disappears in speech, but the mood stays subjunctive.

نذار دیر بشه.
nazâr dir beshe.
“Do not let it get late.”

نخوام برم چی؟
nakhâm beram chi?
“What if I don’t want to go?”

Here again, the action “go” is inside “want,” so it uses subjunctive even when negated.

In questions, the subjunctive often appears in suggestions and polite offers:

می‌خوای بریم؟
mikhâi berim?
“Do you want us to go?” / “Shall we go?”

بگم بیان؟
begam biyân?
“Shall I tell them to come?”

In all these, the event is not described as actual but as a proposed or considered possibility.

Subjunctive after Conjunctions and Fixed Expressions

Some conjunctions almost always require the subjunctive, because they introduce non‑factual or dependent actions.

Typical B2 connectors with subjunctive:

قبل از این‌که بیای، خبر بده.
“Before you come, let me know.”

تا نگی، نمی‌فهمه.
“Until you tell him, he will not understand.”

ممکنه بارون بیاد.
“It may rain.”

باید بریم.
“We must go.”

پس‌فردا لازمه کارها رو تموم کنیم.
“The day after tomorrow it is necessary that we finish the work.”

You do not need to memorize lists mechanically. Instead, observe how these conjunctions and phrases do not state facts, but impose conditions, limits, requirements, or possibilities. The subjunctive marks that dependency.

Conditional Sentences

Conditionals naturally combine with the subjunctive and with time references. At B2, you expand beyond basic “if + present, then + future” structures and start handling more hypothetical and nuanced patterns.

In Persian, the most common conditional conjunctions are:

اگر / اگه
agar / age
“if”

اگه نیای، ناراحت می‌شم.
“If you do not come, I will be upset.”

Real vs Hypothetical Conditions

Persian often uses the same present forms for both real and quite open hypothetical situations. English might distinguish “if he comes” and “if he came,” but Persian usually keeps:

اگه بیاد، خوشحال می‌شم.
age biyâd, khoshhâl misham.
“If he comes, I will be happy.” or “If he came, I would be happy,” depending on context.

The clause with “بیاد” is in the present subjunctive. Whether the condition feels likely or not depends more on context and tone than on verb form.

If you want to emphasize that something is contrary to fact in the present, Persian may prefer a past stem in the conditional clause, often with “اگه” and “می‌” in the result clause:

اگه پول داشتم، اینو می‌خریدم.
age pul dâshtam, ino mikharidam.
“If I had money, I would buy this.” (but I do not have money)

Both verbs are in a past form, but the second is a “past habitual / counterfactual” with “می‌”. You do not need to treat this as a strict second conditional formula. Recognize the pattern: past in the condition, past with “می‌” in the result, meaning an unreal or unlikely present situation.

Conditional with Past Reference

To talk about unreal past situations, Persian uses past perfect or simple past in the “if” clause and a past stem (often with “می‌” dropped) in the result clause.

اگه زودتر گفته بودی، می‌اومدم.
age zudtar gofte budi, mi‑umadam.
“If you had told me earlier, I would have come.”

Here “گفته بودی” is past perfect, clearly marking a completed, unrealized condition in the past. The result “می‌اومدم” describes the unreal past consequence.

Sometimes the “می‌” is omitted, especially in more formal or elliptical styles, but the counterfactual meaning remains clear from context:

اگه می‌دونستم، می‌اومدم.
“If I had known, I would have come.”

Notice again how Persian uses tense contrast to mark unreality or regret, rather than a special “would have + past participle” construction.

Other Conditional Expressions

Beyond “اگر / اگه”, Persian uses adverbs and phrases that imply condition, such as:

اِلا این‌که
ellâ in ke
“unless”

تا وقتی که
tâ vaghti ke
“as long as”

اِلّا این‌که خودت بخوای، هیچ‌کس نمی‌تونه مجبورت کنه.
“Unless you yourself want to, nobody can force you.”

تا وقتی که این‌جایی، راحت باش.
“As long as you are here, feel at home.”

These often combine with subjunctive when the condition is not just stating a timeless fact, but regulating what may or may not happen.

Passive Voice

In everyday Persian, the passive voice is less frequent than in English and often feels more formal. Speakers often prefer active constructions with generic or unspecified subjects like “they,” “people,” or “one.” Yet, at B2, you must be able to understand and produce the passive because it is very common in written texts, news, and formal speech.

Forming the Passive

The most common passive in modern Persian is formed with the past participle plus the auxiliary “شدن” (to become). The past participle usually ends in “ـه” (‑e).

Example with “نوشته شدن” (to be written):

نامه نوشته شد.
nâme neveshte shod.
“The letter was written.”

The agent can be introduced with “توسط” or less formally with “از طرف”:

نامه توسطِ مدیر نوشته شد.
nâme tavasot‑e modir neveshte shod.
“The letter was written by the manager.”

In informal speech, you will hear:

نامه رو مدیر نوشت.
“The manager wrote the letter.”

Here, Persian simply chooses an active clause. This is more natural in conversation.

Passive with Different Tenses

Once you know “past participle + شدن”, you can use different tenses of “شدن” to create passive equivalents:

Present form (ongoing or general passive):

کتاب‌ها هر روز این‌جا فروخته می‌شن.
ketâbhâ har ruz injâ forukhte mishan.
“Books are sold here every day.”

Here “فروخته” is the participle of “فروختن” (to sell). “می‌شن” is the present of “شدن.”

Past continuous passive (in written style):

خونه داشت تعمیر می‌شد.
khune dâsht ta’mir mishod.
“The house was being repaired.”

Future passive:

احتمالاً فردا کار تموم خواهد شد.
ehtemâlan fardâ kâr tamum khâhad shod.
“The work will probably be finished tomorrow.”

In speech, you are more likely to hear:

احتمالاً فردا کارو تموم می‌کنن.
“They will probably finish the work tomorrow.” (active, impersonal “they”)

Recognize that the passive and this indefinite active often translate the same English sentence. Choice depends on style.

Passive vs “Unreal” Subject

Sometimes Persian uses “شدن” with adjectives or nouns where English would also use “to get” or remain in active voice:

حالِش بد شد.
hâlesh bad shod.
“He / she felt bad.” or “His / her condition got bad.”

این‌طوری مشکل حل می‌شه.
intori moshkel hal mishe.
“In this way the problem is solved.” or “That solves the problem.”

These are not exactly passive of a transitive verb, but the structure “NP + شدن” still marks a change of state without naming an agent. From a B2 perspective, they show the flexibility of “شدن” as a marker of change that can overlap with passive meanings.

Causative Constructions

Causative constructions express that someone makes someone else do something, or causes something to happen. English often uses “make,” “have,” or “get.” Persian relies on specific verbs and patterns that you must recognize and use accurately at B2.

The Verb “گذاشتن” and “دادن”

A very common everyday causative pattern uses “گذاشتن” (to let, to allow) and “دادن” (to give, here “to have something done”) with a main verb in the subjunctive.

Using “گذاشتن”:

نمی‌ذارن وارد بشم.
nemizaran vâred besham.
“They do not let me enter.”

“بشم” is subjunctive of “شدن / شدن as a passive meaning enter/become entered”. In many contexts you will also see:

نمی‌ذارن برم تو.
nemizaran beram tu.
“They do not let me go in.”

Using “دادن”:

موهامو کوتاه کردم.
muhâmo kutâh kardam.
“I cut my hair.” (I did it myself)

موهامو کوتاه دادم.
muhâmo kutâh dâdam.
“I had my hair cut.” (I caused someone else to cut it)

The object “موهامو” is the thing affected. The verb “دادن” signals that someone else performed the cutting. English uses “had my hair cut,” but Persian literally says “I gave my hair short.”

You can extend this:

ماشینمو شستم. “I washed my car (myself).”
ماشینمو شستَم دادم. (informal) or ماشینمو شست‌دادم.
“I had my car washed.” (not fully standard, but useful colloquial pattern)

In more careful Persian, you might hear:

دادم ماشینمو بشورن.
dâdam mâshinamo beshurân.
“I had them wash my car.”
Literally: “I gave (them) that they wash my car.”

Here the embedded verb “بشورن” is subjunctive. The agent (for example کارواش) is understood.

Lexical Causatives

Persian also has many verb pairs where one is more basic and the other expresses causative meaning. You saw some of these earlier, but at B2 you should start to systematically notice them.

Examples:

نشستن
neshastan
“to sit down”

نشوندن
neshundan
“to make (someone) sit”

ایستادن
istâdan
“to stand (up)”

ایستاندن / وایسوندن (colloquial)
istândan / vâysondan
“to make (someone) stand / stop (something)”

خوابیدن
khâbidan
“to sleep”

خواباندن
khâbandan
“to put (someone) to sleep, lay down”

In modern informal Persian, some of these older causative forms are less frequent, but you must recognize them in books and formal speech. Colloquial forms like “نشوندن” and “وایسوندن” are common in conversation.

You also have pairs like:

یاد گرفتن
yâd gereftan
“to learn”

یاد دادن
yâd dâdan
“to teach, to make someone learn”

This is near‑causative: “to give learning.”

Causative vs Passive

Be careful not to confuse passive “شدن” with causative “کردن / دادن / گذاشتن.” Compare:

در بسته شد.
dar baste shod.
“The door was closed.” or “The door closed.” (no explicit agent)

در رو بستم.
daro bastam.
“I closed the door.” (active)

در رو بستم دادم.
daro bastam dâdam.
“I had the door closed (by someone else).”

In reading, always ask:
Who is doing the main action?
Who causes it?
Is the sentence focusing on the action itself, the person who performs it, or the one who causes it?

Reported Speech

Reported speech allows you to tell what someone said, thought, or asked, without quoting them directly. At B2, you must handle it fluently, including correct tense choices and pronoun shifts.

Persian does not use a special “sequence of tenses” rule like English. Instead, you mostly keep the original tense or adjust it for clarity or time reference. The most important part is whether you use a finite sentence with “که” or an infinitive / subjunctive structure after the reporting verb.

Direct vs Indirect (Reported) Speech

Direct speech:

او گفت: «خسته‌ام.»
u goft: “khaste‑am.”
“He said: ‘I am tired.’”

Indirect speech:

او گفت خسته است.
u goft khaste‑ast.
“He said (that) he is tired.”

In colloquial speech, “است” becomes “ـه”:

گفت خسته‌ست.
goft khaste‑st.
“He said he is tired.”

Note that Persian often keeps the same present tense “است / ـه” in reported speech. English alternates between “I am tired” and “he said he was tired,” but Persian usually uses “بود” only if the time really moved into the past or if you want to emphasize that it is no longer true:

گفت خسته بود.
goft khaste bud.
“He said he was tired.” (implies at that time; status now unknown or not relevant)

Reporting Statements

The most common structure is:

[reporting verb] + [clause with که or without که]

Many speakers omit “که” in informal conversation when the boundary is clear.

He said that he will come tomorrow:

گفت فردا میاد.
goft fardâ miyâd.

Formal, with “که”:

گفت که فردا می‌آید.
goft ke fardâ miâ-yad.

Here we keep the same “میاد / می‌آید” that the speaker will in fact come tomorrow relative to now. If you report this much later, you may use past forms to reflect that the event was in the future from his point of view but is now in the past:

گفت فردا میاد، ولی نیومد.
“He said he would come tomorrow, but he did not come.”

In many contexts, Persian does not change the tense inside reported speech unless there is a reason.

Common reporting verbs:

گفت “he said”
گفت که “he said that”
تعریف کرد “he narrated, recounted”
توضیح داد “he explained”
اعلام کرد “he announced” (formal)
ادعا کرد “he claimed”

All of these can introduce a clause with “که” or without, depending on style.

Reporting Orders, Requests, and Plans

When you report something that was originally an order, request, or plan, Persian often uses subjunctive or infinitive forms instead of a full “that‑clause.”

He said: “Come earlier.” (direct):

گفت: «زودتر بیا.»
goft: “zudtar biâ.”

Reported:

گفت زودتر بیام.
goft zudtar biyâm.
“He said I should come earlier.” / “He told me to come earlier.”

گفت زودتر بیاییم.
goft zudtar biyâim.
“He said we should come earlier.”

If the order was given to a third person:

گفت زودتر بیاد.
“He said he should come earlier” or more naturally “He told him to come earlier.”

Notice the subjunctive in the reported clause, which reflects the original imperative nature of the speech.

For plans and intentions, verbs like “خواستن,” “تصمیم گرفتن,” “قول دادن,” and “قول گرفتن” are common:

گفت می‌خواد فردا بره.
goft mikhâd fardâ bere.
“He said he wants to go tomorrow.”

قول داد فردا زنگ بزنه.
ghol dâd fardâ zang bezane.
“He promised to call tomorrow.”

Here “زنگ بزنه” is subjunctive and expresses the promised action.

Reporting Questions

Reported yes/no questions often use “که” with “آیا” or simply word order and intonation. Wh‑questions change into embedded interrogative clauses.

Direct:

پرسید: «میای؟»
porsid: “miyâi?”
“He asked: ‘Are you coming?’”

Reported:

پرسید میام یا نه.
porsid miâm yâ na.
“He asked whether I am coming or not.”

More formal:

پرسید که آیا می‌آیم یا نه.
porsid ke âyâ miâyam yâ na.

Wh‑questions:

پرسید: «کی میای؟»
“He asked: ‘When are you coming?’”

Reported:

پرسید کی میام.
porsid key miâm.
“He asked when I am coming.”

Or:

ازم پرسید کی میام.
azam porsid key miâm.
“He asked me when I am coming.”

Note that unlike English, Persian does not invert subject and verb inside such embedded questions. It keeps the normal statement order: “کی میام” not “کی میام؟” with inverted order.

Interaction of Advanced Grammar Points

At B2, you will constantly see these structures interacting. For example, a news report may contain a passive verb in the subjunctive inside a conditional clause, all inside reported speech:

او اعلام کرد که اگر پروژه تا پایان سال تمام نشده باشد، قرارداد تمدید نخواهد شد.

u e’lâm kard ke agar proje tâ payân‑e sâl tamâm nashode bâshad, gherârdâd tamdid nakhâhad shod.

“He announced that if the project is not finished by the end of the year, the contract will not be extended.”

Inside this sentence you can identify:

Reported speech: “اعلام کرد که ...”
Conditional clause: “اگر ...”
Perfect subjunctive: “تمام نشده باشد”
Passive future: “تمدید نخواهد شد”

Do not try to memorize “mega‑rules.” Instead, practice reading and slowly parsing such sentences, asking:
Is this part stating a fact, or expressing condition, intention, or evaluation?
Is the event actual, hypothetical, or caused?
Is someone reporting someone else’s words?

With enough exposure, these combinations will start to feel natural and you will be able to create similar complex sentences in your own speech and writing.

Vocabulary for This Section