A pronoun substitute a noun and a noun can be singular or plural. Therefore, as opposed to demonstrative adjectives, demonstrative pronouns agree in number with the noun they substitute. Persian has the following sets of demonstrative pronouns:
- Simple demonstrative pronouns
- Compound demonstrative pronouns
- Demonstrative pronouns of exactitude
- Demonstrative pronouns of similitude
Simple Demonstrative Pronouns
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Proximal | این in this |
اینها inhâ these |
| Distal | آن ân that |
آنها ânhâ those |
Given that Persian has special plural forms for animate nouns, there are two more demonstrative pronouns in the plural:
| Proximal | Distal |
|---|---|
| اینان inân these |
آنان ânân those |
Examples
| این خوب است In xub ast This is good |
| آنها خوبند Ânhâ xub and Those are good |
| این چند است؟ In čand ast? How much is this? |
| این را چطور تلفظ می‌کنید؟ In râ četowr talaffoz mikonid? How do you pronounce this? |
| این چه ایستگاهی‌ست؟ In če istgâh-i'st? What station is this? |
| به این گوش کن! Be in guš kon! Listen to this! |
| به آنها گوش کن! Be ânhâ guš kon! Listen to those! |
| به آنان توجه نکن! Be ânân tavajjoh nakon! Don't pay attention to those! (people) |
Demonstrative Pronouns of Exactitude
Demonstrative pronouns of exactitude are formed by prefixing هم (“ham”; same) to simple demonstrative pronouns. They denote “exactly” and function like English “the same” and “the very same”.
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Proximal | همین hamin this/the same |
همینها haminhâ these/the same |
| Distal | همان hamân that/the same |
همانها hamânhâ those/the same |
There are also animate plural forms:
| Proximal | Distal |
|---|---|
| همینان haminân these/the same |
همانان hamânân those/the same |
Examples:
| همین را می‌خواهم Hamin râ mixwâham I want this one |
Demonstrative Pronouns of Similitude
Demonstrative pronouns of similitude are formed by prefixing چون (“čon”; like) to simple demonstratives. These pronouns are not normally used with plural suffix.
| Proximal | Distal |
|---|---|
| چونین čonin like this, like these |
چونان čonân like that, like those |
This line from Persian poet حافظ (Hâfez) serves as a good example for demonstrative pronouns of similitude:
| رسید مژده که ایام غم نخواهد ماند rasid možde ke ayyâm-e ǧam naxwâhad mând There arrived good news that sad days will not last |
| چونان نماند، چونین نیز هم نخواهد ماند čonân namând, čonin niz ham naxwâhad mând It did not last like that, [and] it will not last like this either |
Summary of Demonstrative Pronouns
The following table summarizes all demonstrative pronouns of Persian language.
| Singular | Plural | Animate Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proximal | این in |
اینها inhâ |
اینان inân |
| همین hamin |
همینها haminhâ |
همینان haminân |
|
| چونین čonin |
|||
| Distal | آن ân |
آنها ânhâ |
آنان ânân |
| همان hamân |
همانها hamânhâ |
همانان hamânân |
|
| چونان čonân |
|||
Personal Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns can be used as personal pronouns. For example, the common word for “they” is آنها (ânhâ). Additionally, آن (ân) is used as an alternative personal pronoun for third person singular (he, she, it). When they are used as personal pronouns, they can indicate being proximal or distal as well as being animate or inanimate. For example, the pronoun اینها means “they” and indicates proximity. The pronoun اینان means “they” and indicates both being close and animate at the same time.