"Without Doing Something"
When talking about unconscious habits—like sleepwalking—we often need to say that someone does one action without doing another.
| Sleepwalking is very dangerous. | خوابگردی خیلی خطرناک است.khâb-gardi kheyli khatarnâk ast. |
To express "without [doing something]", use the conjunction بدون اینکه followed by the Present Subjunctive.
| You sleepwalk without knowing it. | تو بدون اینکه بدانی، خوابگردی میکنی.to bedun-e in-ke bedâni, khâb-gardi mikoni |
Different Subjects
In English, phrases like "without noticing" don't always specify who is acting. In Farsi, because بدون اینکه takes a fully conjugated verb, you can easily change the subject between the two clauses.
| He went out without me noticing. | او بدون اینکه من متوجه بشوم، بیرون رفت.u bedun-e in-ke man motevajjeh beshavam, birun raft. |
Tense Consistency
The verb following بدون اینکه remains in the Present Subjunctive even if the main sentence is in the past tense.
| He slept without moving at all. | او بدون اینکه اصلاً تکان بخورد، خوابید.u bedun-e inke aslan tekân bokhorad, khâbid. |
This applies to all verbs, including describing other unconscious actions like snoring or rolling over.
| He snores without waking himself up. | او بدون اینکه خودش را بیدار کند، خروپف میکند.u bedun-e inke khodash râ bidâr konad, khoropof mikonad. |
| I roll over in my sleep without opening my eyes. | من در خواب، بدون اینکه چشمانم را باز کنم، غلت میزنم.man dar khâb, bedun-e inke cheshmânam râ bâz konam, ghalt mizanam. |
Unconscious Actions
To simply state that something happens unconsciously (rather than specifying a missing action), use the adverb ناخودآگاه (unconsciously).
| She unconsciously chews her nails. | او ناخودآگاه ناخنهایش را میجود.u nâkhodâgâh nâkhonhâyash râ mijavad. |
Compare this to using بدون اینکه to describe something done "without chewing". Notice how the indicative prefix می drops for the subjunctive بـ:
| He eats his food without chewing it. | او بدون اینکه غذا را بجود، آن را میخورد.u bedun-e in-ke ghazâ râ bejavad, ân râ mikhorad. |