Better Alternatives
Workplace efficiency often involves deciding what not to do. In this lesson, we will talk about focusing on useful tasks, prioritizing your workflow, and minimizing distractions.
Substitution: "Instead of doing..."
To express "instead of doing [something]", Farsi uses the conjunction به جای اینکه.
| instead of (+ clause) | به جای اینکهbe jâ-ye in-ke |
Because the action following this conjunction is an alternative you are not doing, it is treated as hypothetical. Therefore, the verb in the به جای اینکه clause takes the present subjunctive.
The main clause describes the action actually taking place and uses whatever tense or mood fits the situation (often the present indicative).
| Instead of wasting our time, we advance the project. | به جای اینکه وقتمان را هدر دهیم، پروژه را پیش میبریم.be jâ-ye in-ke vaght-emân râ hadar dahim, poroje râ pish mibarim. |
| Instead of wasting the company's money, they hire new employees. | آنها به جای اینکه پول شرکت را هدر دهند، کارمند جدید استخدام میکنند.ânhâ be jâ-ye in-ke pul-e sherkat râ hadar dahand, kârmand-e jadid estekhdâm mikonand. |
Prioritizing and Delegating
This structure is perfect for discussing smart office habits, like establishing priorities (اولویت) or avoiding time-wasting tasks.
You will often see به جای اینکه paired with an imperative (command) in the main clause to give direct, productive advice. Remember that the subjunctive stem for "to be" is باش, which is useful when advising someone "instead of being" a certain way.
| Instead of just reading emails, review today's priorities. | به جای اینکه فقط ایمیل بخوانید، اولویتهای امروز را مرور کنید.be jâ-ye inke faqat imeyl bekhânid, owlaviyat-hâ-ye emruz râ morur konid. |
| Instead of being worried, review the priorities. | به جای اینکه نگران باشی، اولویتها رو مرور کن.be jâye inke negarân bâshi, avlaviyat-hâ ro morur kon. |