به محض اینکه

As Soon as

Level 5

Before a noun, the short form به محض works without اینکه: به محض ورود (as soon as someone arrives).

How It Works

به محض اینکه means as soon as. It is stronger than وقتی که (when), because it says that the second event comes straight after the first.

WhenVerb after به محض اینکهExample
Still to comepresent subjunctiveبه محض اینکه برسم، تیلفون می‌کنم
Already pastsimple pastبه محض اینکه رسیدم، تیلفون کردم

People also use the simple past for an event still to come: به محض اینکه رسیدم، تیلفون می‌کنم. This is correct too.

Before a noun that names the event, drop اینکه and use به محض alone: به محض ورود مهمان‌ها (as soon as the guests arrived). Writers use this short form in news: به محض آمدن, به محض رسیدن.

After the clause comes a comma. The formal future (خواهم رسید) does not follow به محض اینکه.

Compare: وقتی که رسیدم says when I arrived, and به محض اینکه رسیدم says right at the moment I arrived, with no wait. Use it for quick, linked events: arriving and calling, or the rain stopping and the children running out.

Examples (5)

  1. به محض اینکه به کابل برسم، به تو تیلفون می‌کنم.

    As soon as I reach Kabul, I'll phone you.

    برسم is the present subjunctive for an event still to come.

  2. به محض اینکه باران بند شد، بچه‌ها به کوچه دویدند.

    As soon as the rain stopped, the children ran out into the street.

    بند شد is the simple past for an event that already happened.

  3. به محض ورود مهمان‌ها، مادرم چای و کلچه آورد.

    As soon as the guests arrived, my mother brought tea and cookies.

    Before the noun ورود, the short form به محض stands alone.

  4. به محض اینکه نتیجهٔ امتحان اعلان شد، شاگردان آن را در انترنت دیدند.

    As soon as the exam result was announced, the students saw it online.

    The passive اعلان شد is in the simple past.

  5. به محض اینکه شنیدم که پدرم رسیده است، به میدان هوایی رفتم.

    As soon as I heard that my father had arrived, I went to the airport.

    The main clause follows right after the first event.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out اینکه before a verb.

    به محض رسیدم، به تو تیلفون می‌کنم.
    به محض اینکه رسیدم، به تو تیلفون می‌کنم.

    Before a verb you need اینکه. The short form به محض takes only a noun.

  • Using the formal future after the phrase.

    به محض اینکه خواهم رسید، به تو تیلفون می‌کنم.
    به محض اینکه برسم، به تو تیلفون می‌کنم.

    Use the subjunctive برسم or the simple past رسیدم.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

به محض اینکهLevel 5As Soon as

Learn This First

The clause joins with که.