What it means
به خاطر (be khâter) means “because of” or “for the sake of.” It is one of the most natural ways to state a reason in everyday spoken Persian. The second element, خاطر (khâter), is borrowed from Arabic خاطِر and carries meanings of memory, heart, and mind. Because of that root, be khâter can also shade toward “out of consideration for someone,” not just a mechanical cause. A close synonym is به دلیل (be dalil-e), but that one sits in a more formal register, while be khâter is comfortable in both casual and neutral speech.
How to use it
- به خاطر باران خانه موندم. (be khâter-e bârun khune mundam.) “I stayed home because of the rain.”
- به خاطر تو اینجام. (be khâter-e to injâm.) “I am here for your sake.”
- به خاطر کارش دیر اومد. (be khâter-e kâresh dir umad.) “He came late because of his work.”
- این کارو به خاطر خودت کن. (in kâro be khâter-e khodat kon.) “Do this for your own sake.”
Cultural note
In Persian culture, doing something be khâter-e kas-i, for someone’s sake, is a powerful social gesture. It signals that the speaker is prioritizing another person’s wellbeing or wishes above their own convenience. You will hear it in polite refusals as well: به خاطرت نمیتونم قبول کنم (be khâter-et nemiturnam qabul konam) can mean “out of respect for you, I cannot accept” rather than a flat no. The phrase also appears frequently in Persian poetry and classical prose, where خاطر carries the deeper sense of the inner heart or consciousness.