Present Perfect in Colloquial Persian

Conjugation of the present perfect is slightly different in spoken Persian. In most cases, one can tell it apart from the past simple only based on stress. As an example, let's look at the verb “رفتن” (“to go”) conjugated in the present perfect.

It can easily be seen that except the third person singular, they all sound exactly like the past simple verbs (the past simple for “رفتن” is “رفت”), the only difference being in where the stress falls. In the past simple, the stress is on the last syllable of the stem. In the present perfect, however, the stress is on the last syllable of the whole verb.

Recall from the lesson on “negation” that the stress is on the prefix “نـ” in all negative verbs. How is the negative present perfect going to be distinguished then from the negative past simple in colloquial Persian? The answer is that it is not! Only context might help you understand which one is intended.