Simple conjunctions
Simple conjunctions are:
| va | and | yâ | or | tâ | so that |
| zirâ | because | con | because | agar | if |
| ammâ | but | vali | but | ham | also |
| tanhâ | just; only | faqat | only | pas | then |
| hattâ | even | ke | that | balke | but |
Bound conjunctions
We have “o” and “e” as bound conjunctions. Both are unstressed and are pronounced immediately after the word they follow. While “o” is as synonymous of va (and), “e” has several applications. Among others it corresponds to English “of” and thus forms the genitive:
| Example | Connected expressions | Meaning |
| kif o ketâb e pedare javân | (kif o ketâb) e (pedar e javân) | the bag and the book of the young father |
If a word ends with a vowel (except i), then a “y” is inserted before “e” and a “v” before “o”:
| sedâ ye boland | the loud voice | xâne ye pedar | the father’s house |
| metro ye Tehrân | the Tehran Metro | dâneŝju ye irâni | the Iranian student |
| sedâ vo cehre | the voice and the face | xâne vo mâŝin | the house and the car |
| metro vo otobus | the metro and the bus | dâneŝju vo ostâd | the student and the professor |
Compound conjunctions
There are also compound conjunctions:
| agarce | even though | alâve bar in | in addition |
| conânce | if | bâ vojud e in | still |
| vagarna | otherwise | az in/ân ru | hence |
| be in dalil | therefore | bâ in hâl | still |
| az in jahat | therefore; so | banâ bar in | consequently; therefore |
| az su yi / taraf i | on the one hand | az su ye / taraf e digar | on the other hand |
| garce | even though | dar natije | consequently |
Many compound conjunctions are formed with ke:
| az ânjâ ke | thus | piŝ / qabl az in-/ânke | before |
| pas / ba’d az in-/ânke | after | bâ in-/ânke | although |
| bi / bedune in-/ânke | without …-ing | barâ ye in-/ânke | because; thus; in order to … |
| be jâ ye in-/ânke | instead of | be ŝart e in-/ânke | under the condition that |
| be dalil e inke | because | haminke | as soon as |
| conân … ke | so … that | ânqadr ke | so much that … |
| vaqt / mowqe’ i ke | when | az vaqt / mowqe’ i ke | since; since then |
| be xâter e in-/ânke | because | zirâ-/conke | because |
| dar surat i ke | if | be ŝart i ke | under the condition that |
| harvaqt ke | whenever | harmowqe’ ke | whenever |
| harjâ ke | wherever | hengâm i ke | while; when |
| az baske | so much | dar hâl i ke | whilst; while |
Conjunctions and subjunctive mood
There are conjunctions which often, if not exclusively, require the subjunctive mood:
| Be jâ ye inke beravad, neŝast. | Instead of leaving, he sat. |
| Bedune in ke ciz i benevisad, raft. | Without writing something, she went. |
| Be ŝart e inke naravi. | Under the condition that you do not go. |
| Piŝ az inke ciz i beguyi, behtar ast, beneŝini. | Before you say something, you should seat. |
The versatile conjunction ke
The conjunction ke is not only a popular component of compound conjunctions. It can even take on different meanings and can therefore be considered a “universal conjunction”:
| Dâŝtam dars mixândam, ke âmad. | I was learning when she came. |
| Se sâl ast ke dar in tim bâzi mikonam. | It’s been three years that I play in this team. |
| Be Tehrân ke residi, telefon kon. | Call me as soon as you arrive in Tehran. |
| Ketâb i râ xâst, ke man nadâŝtam. | She wanted a book that I did not have. |
| Be u goft ke man xaste am. | She told him that I am tired. |
