# Persian: Adjectives vs Adverbs With "an"



## ali likes the stars

Hello guys,

I'm sometimes unsure about the correct usage of adjectives and adverbs with the suffix "an" (An, aan, ân) in Persian:

دقیق vs دقیقا

If I'm not mistaken, دقیق is an adjective that can describe nouns, while adding the suffix "an" will turn it into an adverb دقیقا that describes verbs.
So it should be نقاشی دقیق - _a precise drawing_ -, versus دقیقا نقاشی کردن - _to draw precisely_.

And yet I think I only hear دقیقا in combination with بودن, e. g. _این دقیقا همونه که تو خواستی_.
But when it comes to ther verbs, I think it's more common to say _دقیق بکش_ (_draw precisely_), or _دقیق توضیح بده_ (_explain in more detail_).
Even Google Translate will return _Tell me exactly_ for _دقیق بگو_.

What am I missing here? Is this just the grammar bending of colloquial speech?
Otherwise, what is the purpose of the suffix "an"?


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## truce

It is no surprise to see that an adjective is used as an adverb. In Persian it is common to have adjectives as adverbs.
Some examples:
آرام بلند شو
سریع حرکت کن
یواش صحبت کن
قشنگ راه برو
بلند صحبت کن
ترافیک سنگین حرکت میکند
باران تند می بارد

I should add that the adverb "دقیقا" is different from "به دقت" and these two adverbs can not be used interchangeably.
دقیقا >>> exactly
به دقت >>> carefully, precisely


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## PersoLatin

truce said:


> It is no surprise to see that an adjective is used as an adverb. In Persian it is common to have adjectives as adverbs.
> 
> Some examples:
> 
> آرام بلند شو
> 
> سریع حرکت کن
> 
> یواش صحبت کن
> 
> قشنگ راه برو
> 
> بلند صحبت کن
> 
> ترافیک سنگین حرکت میکند
> 
> باران تند می بارد


I agree and I'd like to add that use of adjectives as adverbs is not just 'common' but the only way in Persian, verbs turn adjectives to adverbs:

او ‏*آرام* ‏است / he is *calm *-- adjective
او *آرام *سخن میگوید / he speaks *calmly *-- adverb



ali likes the stars said:


> And yet I think I only hear دقیقا in combination with بودن, e. g. _این دقیقا همونه که تو خواستی_.
> 
> But when it comes to ther verbs, I think it's more common to say _دقیق بکش_ (_draw precisely_), or _دقیق توضیح بده_ (_explain in more detail_).
> 
> Even Google Translate will return _Tell me exactly_ for _دقیق بگو_.



Looking at these examples you might see the difference in use:

*دقیقا *میدونه چی میگه / She knows *precisely *what she’s saying
OR
*دقیقا *یادشه / She remembers (it) *precisely*
BUT
*دقیق *مینویسه / She writes *precisely*

This _an/اً _ is an Arabic suffix (as you may well know). As adjectives turn to adverbs automatically in Persian, there's no need for this suffix on even Arabic words, as you can always use the adjective form of the word e.g. for دقیقا use دقیق. But when used on established Arabic words (and some invented ones) it is used correctly as an adverb (based on Arabic rules). In day-to-day speech it adds emphasis e.g. اصلا/at all, کاملا/completely etc.

* _an/اً _ is sometimes used on Persian words with is wrong e.g. ‏دوما ‏/dovvoman -secondly or سوما/sevvoman -thirdly etc, also some really silly new ones e.g. on خواهش etc.


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## ali likes the stars

truce said:


> I should add that the adverb "دقیقا" is different from "به دقت" and these two adverbs can not be used interchangeably.
> دقیقا >>> exactly
> به دقت >>> carefully, precisely


I wasn't aware of this, thank you. Is با دقت different from به دقت?



PersoLatin said:


> This _an/اً _ is an Arabic suffix (as you may well know). As adjectives turn to adverbs automatically in Persian, there's no need for this suffix on even Arabic words, as you can always use the adjective form of the word e.g. for دقیقا use دقیق. But when used on established Arabic words (and some invented ones) it is used correctly as an adverb (based on Arabic rules). In day-to-day speech it adds emphasis e.g. اصلا/at all, کاملا/completely etc.
> 
> * _an/اً _ is sometimes used on Persian words with is wrong e.g. ‏دوما ‏/dovvoman -secondly or سوما/sevvoman -thirdly etc, also some really silly new ones e.g. on خواهش etc.


I see, thank you for this explanation. As for the counting, اولا is correct but it's wrong for the following?


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## truce

ali likes the stars said:


> Is با دقت different from به دقت?


To me they are almost the same.


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## PersoLatin

ali likes the stars said:


> see, thank you for this explanation. As for the counting, اولا is correct but it's wrong for the following?


Yes from two onwards.

You can also use نخست/noxost for ‘first’


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## PersoLatin

ali likes the stars said:


> I wasn't aware of this, thank you. Is با دقت different from به دقت?


These ultimately say the same thing but have different structures, *با*دقت means '*with *care/attention' and بدقت is 'carefully', so the combination of _ب + the noun form of adjective_, makes an adverb, see these examples:

کار را با ‏عجله/با دقت/بعجله/بدقت/بدرستی/درست انجام داد

با ‏عجله/with haste بعجله/hurriedly

با دقت/with care بدقت/carefully

درست & بدرستی mean correctly/properly in this context, با درستی can also work & means ‘with correctness’


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## Alfaaz

ali likes the stars said:
			
		

> As for the counting, اولا is correct but it's wrong for the following?


Extra information: _Firstly _through _tenthly _with _tanwiin _- اوّلاً، ثانیًا، ثالثًا، رابعًا، خامسًا، سادسًا، سابعًا، ثامنًا، تاسعًا، عاشرًا


			
				PersoLatin said:
			
		

> You can also use نخست/noxost for ‘first’


Is there any difference between نخست and نخستین?


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## truce

Alfaaz said:


> Is there any difference between نخست and نخستین?


Yes, they are different. "نخستین" is a superlative adjective while "نخست" is not superlative.


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## Alfaaz

truce said:
			
		

> Yes, they are different. "نخستین" is a superlative adjective while "نخست" is not superlative.


Thanks!


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## ali likes the stars

PersoLatin said:


> But when used on established Arabic words (and some invented ones) it is used correctly as an adverb (based on Arabic rules). In day-to-day speech it adds emphasis e.g. اصلا/at all, کاملا/completely etc.


Come to think of it, can it have a negating function? As in ابد > ابدا ? Or why does "eternity" here becomes "never"?



PersoLatin said:


> These ultimately say the same thing but have different structures, *با*دقت means '*with *care/attention' and بدقت is 'carefully', so the combination of _ب + the noun form of adjective_, makes an adverb, see these examples:


Again, this was very helpful. Thank you.


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## PersoLatin

Alfaaz said:


> Is there any difference between نخست and نخستین?


Suffix ین in نخستین is the same as those in شیرین سنگین دومین پیشین ننگین

So نخست/یکم means ‘first’ & نخستین/یکمین means ‘the first’ (having ‘first’ qualities)


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## PersoLatin

Alfaaz said:


> Extra information: _Firstly _through _tenthly _with _tanwiin _- اوّلاً، ثانیًا، ثالثًا، رابعًا، خامسًا، سادسًا، سابعًا، ثامنًا، تاسعًا، عاشرًا


ثانیًا، ثالثًا، رابعًا are used in Persian but the rest not much.


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## PersoLatin

ali likes the stars said:


> As in ابد > ابدا ? Or why does "eternity" here becomes "never"?


Eternity is NEVER ending.


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## ali likes the stars

PersoLatin said:


> Eternity is NEVER ending.


Ooooooh


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## Eastern Ludicrous Writer

ali likes the stars said:


> دقیق vs دقیقا


دقیقاor any word with Arabic Tanvin  ا" are adverb
دقیق can be seen as adjective or adverb


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