Basic Preposition Usage
   

The following continues the general discussion of the basic usage of single prepositions.

Normally in a single sentence the object which takes the از az preposition comes prior to the one which takes به be:

[tag resources basicprep_01a] او از مدرسه به خانه آمد [/tag]
u az madrese be xāne āmad
“He came from the school to the house.”

In modern colloquial Persian در dar is almost obsolete and a colloquial word for ‘in, at’ as تو tu is used instead:

[tag resources basicprep_02a] تو خونه ~ در خانه [/tag]
tu xune ~ dar xāne
‘in the house’

Under normal circumstances, both در dar and تو tu are entirely dropped:

[tag resources basicprep_03] پدرم خونه ست [/tag]
pedaram xunas(t) instead of
pedaram tu xunas(t)

Unless the whereabouts of the subject is of consequence, as in:

[tag resources basicprep_04] پدرم تو خونه ست [/tag]
pedaram tu xunas(t)

Meaning ‘he is NOT in the yard, on the street, in the back alley, etc.,’ but “He is inside the house.”

The تو tu reappears if the object takes an adjective, including the demonstrative adjective:

[tag resources basicprep_05] رفتیم مغازه[/tag]
raftim maγāze
“We went to the/a shop.”

But:

[tag resources basicprep_06] رفتیم تو اون مغازه [/tag]
raftim tu un maγāze
“We went to that (particular) shop.”
[tag resources basicprep_07] رفتیم تو اون خونه بزرگ[/tag]
raftim tu xune bozorge
“We went into the big house.”
[tag resources basicprep_08]ماشینم رو گذاشتم خونه[/tag]
māšinam ro gozāštam xune
“I left my car at home.”

But:

[tag resources basicprep_09]ماشینم رو گذاشتم تو اون گاراژ [/tag]
māšinam ro gozāštam tu un gārāž
“I left my car at that garage/repair shop.”

More emphatic:

[tag resources basicprep_10]ماشینم رو گذاشتم تو اون گاراژ[/tag]
māšinam ro gozāštam tu un gārāž
“I left my car at that (particular) garage/repair shop.”

With توی “tu(ye) + noun” obviously we are dealing with a sort of locative phrase. Although as a rule the verb should come at the end of the sentence, in colloquial Persian the verb tends to precede the prepositional phrase when dealing with location:

[tag resources basicprep_11] رفتم تو خونه [/tag]
raftam tu xune
(instead of tu(ye) xune raftam)
“I went inside the house.”
[tag resources basicprep_12] رفتیم تهرون [/tag]
raftim tehrun
(instead of be tehrun raftim)
“We went to Tehran.”

Depending on the phonetic environment and the semantic value of the prepositions, the personal enclitics are not used with some of the prepositions, except colloquially.

Compare and contrast the following sentences:

[tag resources basicprep_13]پدرش با او آمد [/tag]
pedaraš bā u āmad
(instead of pedaraš bā aš āmad)

[tag resources basicprep_01]پدرش بهش گفت [/tag]
pedaraš beh-aš goft
“His father told him.”

In colloquial Persian the personal enclitics may even be added to با bā, with the intervention of a [-hā-]/[-ha-] segment as epenthesis. Although this is a Tehrani feature, it is becoming more and more common in other dialects through the influence of the media:

[tag resources basicprep_02]پدرش باهاش آمد [/tag]
pedaraš bāhāš/bāhaš āmad
“His father came with him.”

The usage of [-ha-] is based on analogy with behaš ~ be + aš.

In colloquial Persian, bar has become obsolete. It is only used formally:

[tag resources basicprep_16]بر روی میز[/tag]
bar ru-ye miz
‘upon the table’

[tag resources basicprep_17]بر فضای شهر[/tag]
bar farāz-e šahr
‘over/above the city’

As a preposition, تا tā has many different meanings and functions:

As long as you talk, I shall not answer you.

by tā zohr bargard [tag resources basicprep_18] تا ظهر برگرد[/tag] return by noon
by the time tā to γazāyat rā tamām koni, man bargašte-am [tag resources basicprep_19]تا تو غذایت را تمام کنی ، من برگشته ام [/tag] By the time you have finished your meal, I shall have returned.
up to/until tā ān lahze u rā nadide budam [tag resources basicprep_20]تا آن لحظه او را ندیده بودم[/tag] Up to/until that moment, I had not seen him/her.
until hamānjā nešastam tā u bargašt [tag resources basicprep_21]همانجا نشستم تا او برگشت[/tag] I sat there until he/she returned.
so, so that biyā tā be to beguyam [tag resources basicprep_22]بیا تا به تو بگویم[/tag] Come so that I’d tell you.
in order to āmade-am (tā) pedarat rā bebinam [tag resources basicprep_23]آمدم (تا) پدرت را ببینم[/tag] I have come in order to see your father.
in order that bače rā āvarde-im tā betavānad bāzi rā bebinad [tag resources basicprep_24]بچّه را آوردیم تا بتواند بازی را ببیند[/tag] We have brought the child in order that he/she can see the game.
insofar as tā mitavāni bāyad az forsat estefāde koni [tag resources basicprep_25]تا می توانی باید از فرصت استفاده کنی[/tag] Insofar as you can, you must seize the opportunity.
as long as tā vaqti ke to harf mizani, man javābat rā nemi daham [tag resources basicprep_26]تا وقتی که تو حرف می زنی ، من جوابت را نمی دهم[/tag]
as soon as tā berasi be rāh mi oftim [tag resources basicprep_27]تا برسی به راه می افتیم[/tag] As soon as you arrive, we shall set out.
to čizi ke miguyid tā haddi
sahih ast		 [tag resources basicprep_28]چیزی که می گویید تا حدی صحیح است[/tag] What you are saying is correct to a certain point.
up to tā injā dorost ast [tag resources basicprep_29]تا اینجا درست است[/tag] Up to this point, it is correct.

Poem:

تـا تـو نگــاه مـیکنـی٬ کـار مـن آه کردن است
ای به فدای چشم تو٬ این چه نگاه کردن است؟
So long as to me you stare,
I keep sighing; and that’s all my share
May I be sacrificed for your eyes’ pair!
Giving you those piercing eyes was all unfair

In the following contexts تا tā functions as “before” does in English:

[tag resources basicprep_31]تا دیر نشده باید برگردم[/tag]
tā dir našode bāyad bargardam
“I have to return before it is too late.”

[tag resources basicprep_32]تا خراب نشده آن را زمین بگذار[/tag]
tā xarāb našode ān rā zamin bogzār
“Put it down before you break it.”

[tag resources basicprep_33]تا آن وقت او را ملاقات نکرده بودم[/tag]
tā ān vaqt u rā molāqāt nakarde budam
“I had not met him/her before.”