Making Exceptions
When drafting policies, outlining strict rules, or setting criteria, you will often need to state who or what is excluded from a rule. In formal Farsi, the phrase به استثنای (with the exception of / excluding) is used to specify these exemptions.
| with the exception of / excluding | به استثنایbe estesnâ-ye |
Grammatically, this acts as a prepositional phrase. The noun or pronoun immediately following it represents the entity or scenario being excluded.
| All personnel, with the exception of the manager, must comply with the new criteria. | همهی پرسنل، به استثنای مدیر، باید ضوابط جدید را رعایت کنند.hame-ye personel, be estesnâ-ye modir, bâyad zavâbet-e jadid râ re'âyat konand. |
Placement in the Sentence
Like many prepositional phrases in Farsi, به استثنای is flexible in its placement. It can be embedded in the middle of a sentence directly after the group it modifies, or it can sit at the end to first establish the overarching rule before revealing the exception.
| All departments apply strict criteria, with the exception of the financial department. | همهی بخشها ضوابط سختگیرانهای اعمال میکنند، به استثنای بخش مالی.hame-ye bakhsh-hâ zavâbet-e sakht-girâne-i a'mâl mikonand, be estesnâ-ye bakhsh-e mâli. |
Alternatively, you can place the phrase at the very beginning of the sentence to immediately highlight the special case before outlining the mandatory action.
| With the exception of justified delays, applying this fine is mandatory. | به استثنای تاخیرهای موجه، اعمال این جریمه الزامی است.be estesnâ-ye tâ'khirhâ-ye movajjah, e'mâl-e in jarime elzâmi ast. |
Exemptions and Prohibitions
In administrative and legal contexts, this structure frequently appears alongside formal vocabulary used to establish or waive regulations, such as معاف (exempt) and ممنوعیت (prohibition).
| The personnel are no longer exempt from taxes, with the exception of temporary workers. | پرسنل دیگر از مالیات معاف نیستند، به استثنای کارگران موقت.personel digar az mâliyât mo'âf nistand, be estesnâ-ye kârgarân movaqqat. |
| Optional classes are not exempt from this prohibition. | کلاسهای اختیاری از این ممنوعیت معاف نیستند.kelâs-hâye ekhtiyâri az in mamnu'iyat mo'âf nistand. |
