What it means
بنابراین (banâbarin) means “therefore,” “consequently,” or “so” and is used to introduce a logical conclusion from what was just stated. The word is a compound of three parts: بنا (banâ, foundation or basis, from Arabic بِنَاء binâ’), the Persian preposition بر (bar, on), and the demonstrative این (in, this). Together they mean roughly “based on this,” which is exactly how it functions as a formal logical connector. Because of its formal register it is found mainly in written Persian, academic texts, journalism, and official speech. In informal conversation speakers tend to use پس (pas, so/therefore) instead.
How to use it
- بارون میاد؛ بنابراین بریم تو. (bârun miyâd; banâbarin berim tu) “It is raining; therefore let us go inside.”
- اون دیر رسید، بنابراین جلسه شروع نشد. (un dir résid, banâbarin jalase shoru’ nashod) “He arrived late, therefore the meeting did not start.”
- بنابراین میتوان نتیجه گرفت که… (banâbarin mitavân natije gereft ke…) “Therefore one can conclude that…”
- هزینهها زیاده؛ بنابراین باید بودجه رو کم کنیم. (hazineha ziâdeh; banâbarin bâyad budje ro kam konim) “The costs are high; therefore we need to reduce the budget.”
Cultural note
بنابراین is the standard marker of formal logical argument in Persian. It appears in academic papers, courtroom decisions, and news editorials where the writer wants to signal a rigorous conclusion from evidence. In everyday spoken Persian, especially in Tehran, people simply say پس (pas) to mean “so” or “therefore,” reserving بنابراین for written work or for moments when they want to sound deliberate and serious. The distinction mirrors the English difference between “therefore” and “so.” Learners who internalize this register gap will sound far more natural in both formal and informal contexts.