ـم
-am/ˈ‿am/suffix
In Persian, the word for "my" is expressed through the suffix ـم (-am) or the pronoun من.
Meaning: belonging to me (det)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ـم | -am | /ˈ‿am/ (Classical Persian) /ˈ‿um/ (Classical Persian) |
suffix |
| من | man | /ˈman/ (Classical Persian) |
The suffix ـم is the standard way to express "my" when modifying a noun. The word من is the independent pronoun for "I".
Which one should you use?
While من (man) is the independent pronoun for "I", the suffix ـم (-am) is the standard way to express "my" when modifying a noun.
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix ـم is the standard possessive marker in written Persian. When attached to a word ending in a vowel, it may undergo phonetic changes in spoken Persian, but in written form, it remains the standard possessive marker.
How do you pronounce it?
-am is pronounced /ˈ‿am/.
Did you know?
- The Persian word for 'I', من, shares a common ancient ancestor with the English word 'me' and the Latin 'ego'.
- One version of the word من is believed to have been borrowed from Akkadian, an ancient Mesopotamian language.
- Persian uses the suffix ـم as an enclitic, meaning it cannot stand alone and must 'lean' on another word to be pronounced.
Examples in context
- نام من تام است.My name is Tom.Tatoeba #11114182 by sinakd, translation #1173265 by cntrational
- ریاضی عشق من است.Math is my thing.Tatoeba #10245093 by Amirreza_Farid, translation #6284172 by megamanenm
- من شرطم را باختم.I lost my bet.Tatoeba #12120616 by cojiluc, translation #13456160 by Soheylas
- 225 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my” translations and entries ـم, من, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ـم, من, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
