Adverbs express various information including time, location, manner or degree. Demonstrative adverbs have a two-way expression. For example, “now” and “then” both give information about time but “now” is a proximal adverb expressing a time at the present and “then” is a distal adverb expressing a particular time in the past or future and away from the present time.
In their simplest form, demonstrative adverbs are made by combining demonstrative adjectives with words that denote time, location, manner, degree, etc.
Demonstrative Adverbs of Place
The word جا (“jâ”; place) is combined with demonstrative adjectives and creates demonstrative adverbs of place. By convention, جا is written attached to simple demonstrative adjectives, similar to a suffix.
| Simple | Exactitude | |
|---|---|---|
| Proximal | اینجا injâ here, this place |
همین جا hamin jâ right here, this very place |
| Distal | آنجا ânjâ there, that place |
همان جا hamân jâ right there, that very place |
Demonstrative Adverbs of Time
The suffix ک (“-ak”) is combined with demonstrative adjectives and creates demonstrative adverbs of time.
| Simple | Exactitude | |
|---|---|---|
| Proximal | اینک inak now, at this time |
هم‌اینک haminak right now, at this very time |
| Distal | آنک ânak then, at that time |
هم‌آنک hamânak right then, at that very time |
The distal forms آنک and هم‌آنک are obsolete and the proximal forms اینک and هم‌اینک are restricted to written Persian. There are several options to express “now” and “then” in spoken and written Persian.
| Now At this time |
Right now At this very time |
|---|---|
| اکنون aknun |
هم‌اکنون hamaknun |
| حالا hâlâ |
همین حالا hamin hâlâ |
| الآن aløân |
همین الآن hamin aløân |
| Then At that time |
Right then At that very time |
|---|---|
| آنگاه ângâh |
همان گاه hamân gâh |
| آنوقت ânvaǧt |
همان وقت hamân vaǧt |
| آنزمان ânzamân |
همان زمان hamân zamân |
Demonstrative Adverbs of Degree
The word قدر (“ǧadr”; amount) is combined with demonstrative adjectives and creates demonstrative adverbs of degree. By convention, قدر is written attached to simple demonstratives.
| Simple | Exactitude | |
|---|---|---|
| Proximal | اینقدر inǧadr so, this much |
همین قدر hamin ǧadr so, [exactly/only/...] this much |
| Distal | آنقدر ânǧadr so, that much |
همان قدر hamân ǧadr so, [exactly/only/...] that much |
Examples
| چرا اینقدر ناراحت است؟ Čerâ inǧadr nârâhat ast? Why is she so sad? |
| آنقدر ناتوان شده بود که به سختی می‌توانست بر روی پاهایش بایستد Ânǧadr nâtavân šode bud ke be saxti mitavânest bar ru-ye pâhâ-yaš beistad He had become so weak that he could hardly stand up |
| همین قدر می‌دانم Hamin ǧadr midânam I only know this much |
Persian has a rich set of demonstratives. For example, simple demonstrative adjectives can combine with همه and create distal and proximal distinction.
| Proximal | Distal |
|---|---|
| اینهمه inhame this much, all this, so much, so many |
آنهمه ânhame that much, all that, so much, so many |
Examples
| تا حالا اینهمه خرگوش ندیده بودم Tâ hâlâ inhame xarguš nadide budam I had never seen so many rabbits |
Demonstrative Adverbs of Manner
The word گونه (“gune”; manner) is combined with demonstrative adjectives and creates demonstrative adverbs of manner. By convention, گونه is written attached to simple demonstratives.
| Simple | Exactitude | |
|---|---|---|
| Proximal | اینگونه ingune in this manner |
همین گونه hamin gune [exactly/only/...] in this manner |
| Distal | آنگونه ângune in that manner |
همان گونه hamân gune [exactly/only/...] in that manner |
Demonstrative adverbs of manner can also form by using words other than گونه. The word جور (jur) is common in spoken Persian and can also be used in written Persian. The word طور (towr) is used both in spoken and written Persian. The word سان (sân) is mainly used in literary Persian. These words are not always synonym and interchangeable. There can be subtle nuances of meaning.
| Simple | Exactitude | |
|---|---|---|
| Proximal | اینجور injur |
همین جور hamin jur |
| Distal | آنجور ânjur |
همان جور hamân jur |
| Proximal | اینطور intowr |
همین طور hamin towr |
| Distal | آنطور ântowr |
همان طور hamân towr |
| Proximal | این‌سان insân |
همین سان hamin sân |
| Distal | آن‌سان ânsân |
همان سان hamân sân |