The Persian verb داشتن (dāshtan) corresponds to the English verb "have" and is one of the most fundamental and frequently used verbs in the Persian language. Like its English counterpart, داشتن expresses possession, but it also serves many other functions including forming continuous tenses and expressing states or conditions.
داشتن (dāshtan) primarily means "to have" or "to possess." It is an irregular verb that follows its own conjugation pattern distinct from most Persian verbs. In colloquial Persian, it is often shortened to دارم (dāram), داری (dāri), etc., in the present tense.
Q: What does "have" mean in Persian? A: In Persian, "have" is translated as داشتن (dāshtan). It means to possess, own, or hold something. The verb is irregular and commonly used in both formal and colloquial Persian.
Throughout this lesson, you will encounter داشتن in various contexts: -
Simple possession (I have a book) -
States and conditions (I have a headache) -
Auxiliary verb usage (I have been working) -
Idiomatic expressions (to have time, to have patience)
Course Type: Language Learning Material Target Audience: English speakers learning Persian Level: Beginner to Intermediate Focus: Verb usage and conjugation Method: Interlinear glossing with pronunciation guides
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داشتن (dāshtan) is an essential irregular verb meaning "have" -
Present tense forms are commonly shortened in spoken Persian -
The verb serves multiple grammatical functions beyond simple possession -
Understanding داشتن is crucial for expressing many everyday concepts -
The verb combines with nouns to create numerous idiomatic expressions
11.1 من I (man) یک one (yek) کتاب book (ketāb) جدید new (jadid) دارم have (dāram)
11.2 آیا whether (āyā) تو you (to) وقت time (vaqt) داری have (dāri)?
11.3 او he/she (u) سه three (se) برادر brother (barādar) دارد has (dārad)
11.4 ما we (mā) امروز today (emruz) کلاس class (kelās) فارسی Persian (fārsi) داریم have (dārim)
11.5 آنها they (ānhā) همیشه always (hamishe) غذای food (ghazā-ye) خوب good (khub) دارند have (dārand)
11.6 دیروز yesterday (diruz) من I (man) سردرد headache (sardard) داشتم had (dāshtam)
11.7 پدرم my father (pedaram) ماشین car (māshin) قرمز red (ghermez) دارد has (dārad)
11.8 آیا whether (āyā) شما you (formal) (shomā) قلم pen (ghalam) اضافی extra (ezāfi) دارید have (dārid)?
11.9 بچهها children (bachche-hā) در in (dar) باغ garden (bāgh) توپ ball (tup) دارند have (dārand)
11.10 من I (man) برای for (barāye) تو you (to) خبر news (khabar) خوبی good (khubi) دارم have (dāram)
11.11 او he/she (u) چشمان eyes (cheshmān) آبی blue (ābi) زیبایی beautiful (zibā'i) دارد has (dārad)
11.12 ما we (mā) فردا tomorrow (fardā) امتحان exam (emtehān) مهمی important (mohemmi) داریم have (dārim)
11.13 مادرم my mother (mādaram) همیشه always (hamishe) صبر patience (sabr) زیادی much (ziyādi) دارد has (dārad)
11.14 آنها they (ānhā) در in (dar) تهران Tehran (Tehrān) خانه house (khāne) بزرگی big (bozorgi) دارند have (dārand)
11.15 آیا whether (āyā) تو you (to) این this (in) کتاب book (ketāb) را (object marker) (rā) داری have (dāri)?
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11.1 من یک کتاب جدید دارم. I have a new book.
11.2 آیا تو وقت داری؟ Do you have time?
11.3 او سه برادر دارد. He/She has three brothers.
11.4 ما امروز کلاس فارسی داریم. We have Persian class today.
11.5 آنها همیشه غذای خوب دارند. They always have good food.
11.6 دیروز من سردرد داشتم. Yesterday I had a headache.
11.7 پدرم ماشین قرمز دارد. My father has a red car.
11.8 آیا شما قلم اضافی دارید؟ Do you have an extra pen?
11.9 بچهها در باغ توپ دارند. The children have a ball in the garden.
11.10 من برای تو خبر خوبی دارم. I have good news for you.
11.11 او چشمان آبی زیبایی دارد. She/He has beautiful blue eyes.
11.12 ما فردا امتحان مهمی داریم. We have an important exam tomorrow.
11.13 مادرم همیشه صبر زیادی دارد. My mother always has a lot of patience.
11.14 آنها در تهران خانه بزرگی دارند. They have a big house in Tehran.
11.15 آیا تو این کتاب را داری؟ Do you have this book?
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11.1 من یک کتاب جدید دارم.
11.2 آیا تو وقت داری؟
11.3 او سه برادر دارد.
11.4 ما امروز کلاس فارسی داریم.
11.5 آنها همیشه غذای خوب دارند.
11.6 دیروز من سردرد داشتم.
11.7 پدرم ماشین قرمز دارد.
11.8 آیا شما قلم اضافی دارید؟
11.9 بچهها در باغ توپ دارند.
11.10 من برای تو خبر خوبی دارم.
11.11 او چشمان آبی زیبایی دارد.
11.12 ما فردا امتحان مهمی داریم.
11.13 مادرم همیشه صبر زیادی دارد.
11.14 آنها در تهران خانه بزرگی دارند.
11.15 آیا تو این کتاب را داری؟
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The verb داشتن is irregular and one of the most important verbs in Persian. Unlike regular Persian verbs, it has unique conjugation patterns that must be memorized.
Singular: -
من دارم (man dāram) - I have -
تو داری (to dāri) - you have (informal) -
او/آن دارد (u/ān dārad) - he/she/it has
Plural: -
ما داریم (mā dārim) - we have -
شما دارید (shomā dārid) - you have (formal/plural) -
آنها دارند (ānhā dārand) - they have
Singular: -
من داشتم (man dāshtam) - I had -
تو داشتی (to dāshti) - you had (informal) -
او/آن داشت (u/ān dāsht) - he/she/it had
Plural: -
ما داشتیم (mā dāshtim) - we had -
شما داشتید (shomā dāshtid) - you had (formal/plural) -
آنها داشتند (ānhā dāshtand) - they had
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Confusing دارم with دادن (to give): These verbs sound similar but have different meanings. دارم means "I have" while دادن means "to give." -
Forgetting the present stem shortening: The present stem دار- (dār-) is shortened from the infinitive داشتن. Many learners mistakenly use داشت- in present tense. -
Word order confusion: In Persian, the verb typically comes at the end of the sentence, unlike English where it follows the subject immediately. -
Object marker را (rā): When asking "Do you have this book?" the object marker را must be used: آیا تو این کتاب را داری؟
Key Differences: -
Persian داشتن is more regular in its usage than English "have" -
No auxiliary usage for perfect tenses (Persian uses different constructions) -
Subject pronouns can be dropped in Persian when context is clear -
Persian doesn't distinguish between "have" and "have got"
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Identify the subject (I, you, he/she, we, you all, they) -
Choose the correct tense (present: دار- or past: داشت-) -
Add the appropriate personal ending -
Place the verb at the end of the sentence -
Remember to use را for definite direct objects
Infinitive: داشتن (dāshtan) Present Stem: دار- (dār-) Past Stem: داشت- (dāsht-) Participle: داشته (dāshte) Verbal Noun: داشتن (dāshtan)
The verb is transitive and can take direct objects. It does not form a passive voice in the same way as English. The negative is formed by adding ن (na-) prefix: ندارم (nadāram) "I don't have."
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The concept of "having" in Persian culture extends beyond mere possession. Persian speakers often use داشتن in contexts where English might use different verbs. For instance, "having patience" (صبر داشتن - sabr dāshtan) is a highly valued trait in Persian culture, reflecting the importance of forbearance and emotional control.
In Persian social interactions, the way one expresses possession can indicate social status and politeness. When offering something, Persians often downplay what they have, using phrases like "It's nothing special, but I have..." This reflects the cultural value of تعارف (ta'ārof), a complex system of politeness.
Persian has numerous idiomatic expressions using داشتن: -
دوست داشتن (dust dāshtan) - to love/like -
نگه داشتن (negah dāshtan) - to keep/maintain -
بر داشتن (bar dāshtan) - to pick up/remove
In Persian literature and Sufi poetry, "having" often relates to spiritual possession rather than material. The true wealth is considered to be contentment with what one has, reflected in the saying: هر که قناعت دارد، دولت دارد (har ke qanā'at dārad, dowlat dārad) - "Whoever has contentment has wealth."
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From the Golestan of Sa'di (13th century):
هر every (har) که who (ke) صبر patience (sabr) دارد has (dārad) ظفر victory (zafar) دارد has (dārad) و and (va) هر every (har) که who (ke) ظفر victory (zafar) دارد has (dārad) بر over (bar) مراد desire (morād) خود self (khod) قرار settlement (qarār) دارد has (dārad)
هر که صبر دارد ظفر دارد و هر که ظفر دارد بر مراد خود قرار دارد.
"Whoever has patience has victory, and whoever has victory has settlement over his desires."
This couplet from Sa'di's Golestan demonstrates the parallel structure common in Persian poetry, with داشتن appearing four times to create rhythm and emphasis. The repetition of دارد at the end of each hemistich creates a musical quality typical of classical Persian verse.
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The construction هر که (har ke) means "whoever" or "everyone who" -
All instances of دارد are third person singular present tense -
The parallelism shows: patience → victory → fulfillment of desires -
The verb دارد appears in final position in each clause, following Persian syntax -
The conjunction و (and) connects the two parallel statements
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11.16 صبح morning (sobh) بخیر good (bekheyr)! آیا whether (āyā) شما you (shomā) قهوه coffee (ghahve) دارید have (dārid)?
11.17 من I (man) امروز today (emruz) وقت time (vaqt) زیادی much (ziyādi) برای for (barāye) صحبت conversation (sohbat) ندارم don't have (nadāram)
11.18 او he/she (u) هنوز still (hanuz) پاسپورت passport (pāsport) ایرانی Iranian (irāni) خود self (khod) را (object marker) (rā) دارد has (dārad)
11.19 بچهها children (bachche-hā) آیا whether (āyā) تکالیف homework (takālif) خود self (khod) را (object marker) (rā) دارید have (dārid)?
11.20 ما we (mā) در in (dar) خانه house (khāne) مهمان guest (mehmān) داریم have (dārim)، لطفاً please (lotfan) زود early (zud) بیایید come (biyāyid)
11.21 دوستم my friend (dustam) ماشین car (māshin) ندارد doesn't have (nadārad)، باید must (bāyad) با with (bā) اتوبوس bus (otobus) برود go (beravad)
11.22 آیا whether (āyā) تو you (to) شماره number (shomāre) تلفن telephone (telefon) دکتر doctor (doktor) را (object marker) (rā) داری have (dāri)?
11.23 آنها they (ānhā) فقط only (faqat) یک one (yek) ساعت hour (sā'at) دیگر more (digar) وقت time (vaqt) دارند have (dārand)
11.24 من I (man) برای for (barāye) شما you (shomā) یک one (yek) سوال question (so'āl) مهم important (mohem) دارم have (dāram)
11.25 خواهرم my sister (khāharam) دو two (do) فرزند child (farzand) کوچک small (kuchak) دارد has (dārad)
11.26 ما we (mā) همه all (hame) بلیط ticket (belit) کنسرت concert (konsert) را (object marker) (rā) داریم have (dārim)
11.27 او he/she (u) تجربه experience (tajrobe) زیادی much (ziyādi) در in (dar) این this (in) کار work (kār) دارد has (dārad)
11.28 آیا whether (āyā) شما you (shomā) آدرس address (ādres) رستوران restaurant (resturān) را (object marker) (rā) دارید have (dārid)?
11.29 پدربزرگم my grandfather (pedarbozorgam) حافظه memory (hāfeze) خوبی good (khubi) دارد has (dārad)
11.30 من I (man) دیگر anymore (digar) حوصله patience (howsele) این this (in) کار work (kār) را (object marker) (rā) ندارم don't have (nadāram)
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11.16 صبح بخیر! آیا شما قهوه دارید؟ Good morning! Do you have coffee?
11.17 من امروز وقت زیادی برای صحبت ندارم. I don't have much time to talk today.
11.18 او هنوز پاسپورت ایرانی خود را دارد. He/She still has his/her Iranian passport.
11.19 بچهها، آیا تکالیف خود را دارید؟ Children, do you have your homework?
11.20 ما در خانه مهمان داریم، لطفاً زود بیایید. We have guests at home, please come early.
11.21 دوستم ماشین ندارد، باید با اتوبوس برود. My friend doesn't have a car, he/she must go by bus.
11.22 آیا تو شماره تلفن دکتر را داری؟ Do you have the doctor's phone number?
11.23 آنها فقط یک ساعت دیگر وقت دارند. They only have one more hour.
11.24 من برای شما یک سوال مهم دارم. I have an important question for you.
11.25 خواهرم دو فرزند کوچک دارد. My sister has two small children.
11.26 ما همه بلیط کنسرت را داریم. We all have the concert tickets.
11.27 او تجربه زیادی در این کار دارد. He/She has a lot of experience in this work.
11.28 آیا شما آدرس رستوران را دارید؟ Do you have the restaurant's address?
11.29 پدربزرگم حافظه خوبی دارد. My grandfather has a good memory.
11.30 من دیگر حوصله این کار را ندارم. I don't have the patience for this work anymore.
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11.16 صبح بخیر! آیا شما قهوه دارید؟
11.17 من امروز وقت زیادی برای صحبت ندارم.
11.18 او هنوز پاسپورت ایرانی خود را دارد.
11.19 بچهها، آیا تکالیف خود را دارید؟
11.20 ما در خانه مهمان داریم، لطفاً زود بیایید.
11.21 دوستم ماشین ندارد، باید با اتوبوس برود.
11.22 آیا تو شماره تلفن دکتر را داری؟
11.23 آنها فقط یک ساعت دیگر وقت دارند.
11.24 من برای شما یک سوال مهم دارم.
11.25 خواهرم دو فرزند کوچک دارد.
11.26 ما همه بلیط کنسرت را داریم.
11.27 او تجربه زیادی در این کار دارد.
11.28 آیا شما آدرس رستوران را دارید؟
11.29 پدربزرگم حافظه خوبی دارد.
11.30 من دیگر حوصله این کار را ندارم.
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In daily conversation, داشتن appears frequently in various contexts. Here are the key patterns:
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Yes/No Questions: Start with آیا (āyā) -
آیا شما وقت دارید؟ (Do you have time?) -
Information Questions: Use question words -
چه چیزی دارید؟ (What do you have?) -
کی وقت دارید؟ (When do you have time?)
The negative of داشتن is formed by adding the prefix ن- (na-): -
ندارم (nadāram) - I don't have -
نداری (nadāri) - you don't have -
ندارد (nadārad) - he/she doesn't have -
نداریم (nadārim) - we don't have -
ندارید (nadārid) - you (pl./formal) don't have -
ندارند (nadārand) - they don't have
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Possession + را: When referring to specific objects, use را -
بلیط را دارم (I have the ticket) -
Abstract Concepts: No را needed -
وقت دارم (I have time) -
حوصله دارم (I have patience) -
Compound Expressions: -
دوست دارم (I like/love) -
نگه دارید (keep/hold) -
بر میدارم (I pick up)
In spoken Persian: -
دارم often becomes دَرَم -
داری becomes دَری -
The verb can sometimes be dropped when context is clear
Common time expressions with داشتن: -
وقت داشتن (to have time) -
فرصت داشتن (to have opportunity) -
زمان داشتن (to have time)
These often appear with quantity words: -
کم (little) -
زیاد (much) -
کافی (enough)
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This lesson is part of a comprehensive language learning series designed for autodidacts, created using the method developed at Latinum Institute. The approach combines traditional interlinear glossing with modern pedagogical insights to create self-contained lessons that require no external resources.
The lessons follow a structured format developed by Evan der Millner BA MA (Cantab. NZ, London), who has been creating online language learning materials since 2006. The method emphasizes: -
Granular Interlinear Glossing: Each word is individually glossed to help beginners understand sentence structure -
Multiple Presentation Formats: The same content is presented in different ways to reinforce learning -
Cultural Context: Language is taught within its cultural framework -
Literary Examples: Authentic texts provide real-world usage examples
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Self-Contained Units: Each lesson provides all necessary information without requiring additional resources -
Progressive Difficulty: Examples progress from simple to complex within each lesson -
Multiple Learning Styles: Visual, analytical, and contextual learners all find suitable material -
No Prerequisites: Lessons assume no prior knowledge beyond basic English literacy
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For reviews and testimonials, see: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
For more information about the method and additional lessons, visit: -
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