AboutBehzad Expertise I can answer questions about the usage and meaning of Persian words, proverbs, and idioms asked in Persian or English. Controversial grammatical issues are beyond my knowledge. In addition, I cannot corroborate my answer to a question about newly coined slang words.
PLEASE do not ask me to translate more than 1 or 2 sentences.
Experience Persian language is my mother tongue; however, my knowledge is remarkably more than a mere native speaker.
I was wondering if you could please give me some tips on this most confusing word بر “bar” – it seems to mean almost anything. It’s possible I have been confusing it with ba:r, which of course you have kindly already dealt with.
E.g.
بر او
= on it, as you write (is it wrong to pronounce it with eza:fe i.e. ba:r-e-u:?)
برداشتن
to pick up (same as bar a:vardan, perhaps?)
براشفتگي
anger
What would you say was the most basic meaning of “bar”, please? It always helps to give a main meaning which can concentrate the mind well.
I have a theory that it’s not the long words of a language but the short words that are the most difficult! I think it's probably the same with English.
All the best,
Simon
Answer Hello Simon,
Main meanings of “bar” are: on (preposition), by (by the side), and to & at. As you said it is a hard word, since it has too many other meanings.
Bar= on: بر روی صندلی نشست
She sat on the chair.
Bar= by: آن مغازه بر خیابان است. (a:n magha:ze bar-e-khi:ia:ba:n ast)
That store is by the street.
In this usage there is eza:fe between bar and khia:ba:n.
Bar=to & at: بر او نگریستم (bar on negaristam)
I looked at him.
Sometimes bar is added to a verb and either change the meaning of the verb or not
Example:
1)
برخاستن=خاستن =to stand
Please note that it is different from خواستن which means to want. (same pronunciation, but different dictation and meaning)
2)
برچیدن does not mean چیدن
برچیدن = abolish
چیدن= to pick (fruits for example)
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بر او cannot be pronounced with eza:fe i.e. ba:r-e-o: , it is bar o:.
I think it is easier to learn each word containing “bar” as a whole, since there are many words only in them “bar” means something specific; that is in no other word in contemporary Persian you can find “bar” with the same meaning. For example, please consider دربرداشتن or دربرگرفتن which means to contain or include. To analyze it, I should say that one of the meanings of “bar” is in ones arm, so دربرگرفتن means to have in ones arm (hug), which is less common usage of this verb in contemporary Persian, or , figuratively it means to contain something, which is the common usage of this verb nowadays. However, I could not find any other word, in contemporary Persian, in which “bar” means in ones arm. Accordingly, I think it must be easier to learn the whole verb regardless of the meaning of bar in it.
