hastam

Hastam is a Persian word that functions as the first-person singular present form of the verb to be. In English, it translates to I am and is used to express identity, state, or ongoing condition in the present moment.

Form and etymology: The stem is hast, meaning is or exists in the third-person form, and the suffix -am marks the first-person singular subject. When combined, hastam literally means I am. In Persian script it is written هستم and can be romanized as hastam or, in some transliteration schemes, hâstam to indicate a longer vowel.

Usage and examples: Hastam is common in self-introduction and descriptive sentences. Examples include Man hastam Ali, meaning I am Ali. In response to questions like “Who are you?” a concise reply can be Hastam, meaning I am (Sono) or I am [here/Ali], depending on the follow-up. Persian has no separate present tense verb for to be beyond this form, so hastam carries the present meaning in predicate constructions.

Notes on form and context: Hastam is not a noun; it is a conjugated verb form. In everyday speech, speakers may omit the subject pronoun man, relying on the verb form alone to convey the person. The word is widely used across formal and informal registers, in conversation, literature, and media, as a fundamental element of predicate statements about identity or state.