اینطوری

What it means

اینطوری (in-turi) means like this or in this way. It is formed from این (in, this) and طور (tur, manner, way, sort) plus the adverbial suffix ی (-i), making it a pointing adverb that refers to the manner being demonstrated or discussed. In spoken Persian, اینطوری and its even more colloquial twin اینجوری (injuri) are interchangeable for most speakers, though اینطوری tends to feel slightly less slangy and is more common among older speakers or in situations calling for a shade more formality. Both forms contrast with اینطور (intor), the version used in writing or formal speech. The word appears constantly whenever someone is showing how to do something, objecting to a behavior, or describing a manner of acting.

How to use it

• اینطوری نکن (in-turi nakon) “Don’t do it like this.”
• اینطوری بهتره (in-turi behtare) “This way is better.”
• چرا اینطوری حرف می‌زنی؟ (cherâ in-turi harf mizani?) “Why are you talking like this?”
• اینطوری بگیرش (in-turi begirash) “Hold it like this.”

Cultural note

The cluster of اینطوری, اینجوری, and اونطوری forms a set of pointing adverbs that Iranians use heavily in hands-on instruction and in everyday commentary on behavior. When a parent or teacher demonstrates something physical, از این طرف, اینطوری, and بذار ببینم (let me see) form the running commentary of showing rather than telling. For learners of Persian, mastering اینطوری unlocks a very natural-sounding register that moves well beyond textbook forms.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab