Expert: Behzad - 3/22/2009

Question
Dear Behzad,

I was interested to come across the word مگر ("except, but, unless" in Aryanpour) as it seems to be a contraction of ما and اگر.

ما (मा) in Sanskrit means “not”, and is used in subjunctive sentences.

Anyway, sorry, let me come to the point. How do you use مگر in Modern Persian, please? Could you please give me two or three examples? Is it literary Persian or is it also used in everyday speech?

All the best,

Simon

Answer
Hello,
Thank you for the information.

It sometimes means except:
Hame a:madand magar Behzad.
Translation: Everybody came except Behzad.
Note: in informal language the word جز (joz) is more common.

It also means unless:
Man nakha:ham raft magar [a:nke] to bekha:hi: beravam.
I will not go unless you want me to go.
Note: It can be used both formally and informally; however, in colloquial language it is pronounced mage

It can be used in rhetorical questions:
Magar ko:ri:?
Translation: are you blind?
Note: It can be used both formally and informally; however, in colloquial language it is pronounced mage

In some sentences it means in the hope that:
Man a:nja: raftam magar o: ra: bebi:nam
I went there in the hope that I might see him.
Note: in informal language the word sha:iad is used more.

It has some other less common meanings in the literary older Persian texts.  
Magar is used in literary language in all of the above cases.
Best regards,
Behzad