Time passes gradually, often without us even noticing. To express that an action occurs "without [doing something]" or "without [something happening]" in formal Farsi, you can use the conjunction بی آنکه.
"Without Doing" with the Subjunctive
When you use بی آنکه, you are describing a secondary action that does not or did not happen alongside the main event. Because this action is unrealized, the verb immediately following بی آنکه must be placed in the present subjunctive.
| Life passes gradually, without us understanding its passage. | عمر آرامآرام میگذرد، بی آنکه ما گذر آن را بفهمیم.omr ârâm-ârâm migozarad, bi ânke mâ gozar ân râ befahmim. |
Notice the structure: The main clause uses a standard indicative verb to state what is happening, followed by بی آنکه, and concluding with the subjunctive verb in the subordinate clause.
| The years of life elapse, without a fast perceptible change happening. | سالهای عمر سپری میشود، بی آنکه تغییر محسوس سریعی اتفاق بیفتد.sâl-hâ-ye omr separi mishavad, bi ânke taghyir-e mahsus-e sari'i ettefâq biyoftad. |
Expressing Unnoticed Change
This structure is highly characteristic of formal writing and is perfect for philosophical reflections on the passage of life. You will frequently see it paired with vocabulary concerning time and aging, such as سالخوردگی (old age) or محسوس (perceptible).
| Old age arrives, without anyone being prepared for it. | سالخوردگی میرسد، بی آنکه کسی برای آن آماده باشد.sâlkhordegi miresad, bi ânke kasi barâye ân âmâde bâshad. |
Even when the subject changes between the main clause and the بی آنکه clause, the rule remains exactly the same. The subordinate verb stays securely in the subjunctive mood to show that the expected change went unfelt or unnoticed.
| Seasons elapse one after another, without us feeling a perceptible gradual change. | فصلها یکی پس از دیگری سپری میشود، بی آنکه ما تغییر تدریجی محسوسی را حس کنیم.fasl-hâ yeki pas az digari separi mishavad, bi ânke mâ taghyir-e tadriji-ye mahsusi râ hes konim. |
| We remain unaware of the passage of life, without thinking about old age. | ما به گذر عمر بیتوجه میمانیم، بی آنکه به سالخوردگی فکر کنیم.mâ be gozar-e omr bitavajjoh mimânim, bi ânke be sâlkhordegi fekr konim. |