دو برابر

What it means

دو برابر (do-barabar) means double, twice as much, twice the size. The pieces are simple: دو (do, two) plus برابر (barabar, equal). Literally, two equals: two units that match the original. Persian builds multiplication this way across the board. سه برابر (seh-barabar) is triple, چهار برابر (chahar-barabar) is quadruple, ده برابر (dah-barabar) is ten times. The pattern is dead reliable: number plus barabar gives you the multiplier.

Where it lives

You will hear do-barabar most in three places: money, measurement, and complaint. Money: قیمت دو برابر شد (qeymat do-barabar shod, the price doubled), a phrase Iranians have used a lot in the last decade. Measurement: این اتاق دو برابر آن یکی است (in otaq do-barabar-e an yeki ast, this room is twice as big as that one). Complaint: کار من دو برابر بقیه است (kar-e man do-barabar-e baqi ast, my work is twice as much as everyone else’s). The structure works for size, amount, time, distance, anything you can compare.

Note the grammar: do-barabar is a noun-adjective phrase, not a verb. You pair it with شدن (shodan, to become) to express the change (do-barabar shod, it doubled), with بودن (budan, to be) to express the state (do-barabar-e an ast, it is double that), or use it on its own as a modifier.

How to use it

qeymat-e dolar emsal do-barabar shod.

The price of the dollar doubled this year.

قیمت دلار امسال دو برابر شد.

khane-ye anha do-barabar-e khane-ye mast.

Their house is double the size of ours.

خانه آن‌ها دو برابر خانه ماست.

do-barabar-e qabl pul mikhad.

He wants double the money compared to before.

دو برابر قبل پول می‌خواد.

Where it comes from

barabar is a native Persian word for equal, level, on par with. The root sense is two things that match. When you put a number in front of it, you are saying that many equals, that many copies of the same unit. The construction is old, fully transparent, and reads the same to any Persian speaker as it did a thousand years ago. The pattern scales without effort: pick any number, attach barabar, and you have your multiplier.

In our voice

do-barabar is one of those small constructions that opens up large parts of Persian once you grab it. The day you start using do-barabar and seh-barabar naturally in conversation is the day you stop sounding like you are translating from English. The multiplier slot is small, common, and learnable in one sitting.

References

• Dehkhoda, برابر
• Vajehyab, دو برابر