What it means
به علت (be ellat-e) means “owing to” or “due to.” It is a formal causal preposition, even more elevated in register than به دلیل (be dalil-e). The noun علت (ellat) is borrowed from Arabic عِلَّة, where it primarily means cause, illness, or defect. Classical Arabic philosophy used it heavily in discussions of causality, and Persian inherited that learned weight. In everyday Persian, be ellat-e sounds distinctly literary or bureaucratic: native speakers in casual conversation prefer به خاطر (be khâter) or چون (chon).
How to use it
- به علت بیماری غایب بود. (be ellat-e bimâri, ghâyeb bud.) “He was absent owing to illness.”
- پرواز به علت مه لغو شد. (parvâz be ellat-e meh, laghv shod.) “The flight was cancelled due to fog.”
- به علت کمبود وقت نتوانستم بیایم. (be ellat-e kambud-e vaqt, natavânestam biyâyam.) “I was unable to come owing to lack of time.”
- این بیماری به علت آلودگی هوا افزایش یافته. (in bimâri be ellat-e âludegi-ye havâ, afzâyesh yâfte.) “This illness has increased owing to air pollution.”
Cultural note
In Iranian administrative and legal writing, به علت (be ellat-e) is the standard phrasing for explaining official reasons: medical certificates, court documents, and formal notices use it routinely. Its Arabic philosophical root means that classical Persian poetry and theological texts also employ it. If you are reading a formal Iranian letter or newspaper editorial, encountering be ellat-e signals that the writer is operating in a high register. A B2-level learner who can use it correctly signals considerable familiarity with written Persian conventions.