Significado
To go down a flight of steps.
Contexto cultural
In old Levantine houses, stairs are often made of heavy stone and located in the courtyard. Descending them is a slow, rhythmic process often mentioned in folk songs. In Cairo's historic buildings, there is often a 'main' staircase and a 'service' staircase. 'Habata al-sullam' in literature often refers to the grand main staircase. With modern architecture, escalators (سلم متحرك) are more common. However, 'habata' is still used in formal news when officials arrive at airports. The word 'Hubut' is used in the Quran for the descent of Adam. This gives the verb a profound sense of 'beginning a new phase' on a lower level.
Use it in writing
If you are writing an essay for the Arabic proficiency test (C1/C2), use 'habata' instead of 'nazala' to gain points for vocabulary range.
Watch the 'Ta'
The 't' in 'habata' is an emphatic 'ط' (Ta), not a light 'ت' (ta). Pronouncing it wrong can change the meaning in some contexts.
Significado
To go down a flight of steps.
Use it in writing
If you are writing an essay for the Arabic proficiency test (C1/C2), use 'habata' instead of 'nazala' to gain points for vocabulary range.
Watch the 'Ta'
The 't' in 'habata' is an emphatic 'ط' (Ta), not a light 'ت' (ta). Pronouncing it wrong can change the meaning in some contexts.
Dialect check
In Egypt, people say 'sillem'. In the Levant, they often say 'daraj'. Adjust based on who you are talking to!
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb 'هبط' in the past tense.
البنت _______ السلم لتلعب في الحديقة.
The subject 'البنت' (the girl) is feminine singular, so the verb must be 'هبطت'.
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the formal sentence.
بعد انتهاء الاجتماع، _______ المدير السلم ليودع الضيوف.
'Habata' is the correct formal verb for descending stairs. 'Saqata' means falling.
Match the Arabic phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
This tests your ability to distinguish between formal, informal, and different directions of movement.
Complete the dialogue using the correct form of 'هبط السلم'.
أحمد: أين سارة؟ ليلى: إنها ________ الآن، ستصل بعد دقيقة.
The context 'now' (الآن) requires the present continuous form 'تهبط'.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosالبنت _______ السلم لتلعب في الحديقة.
The subject 'البنت' (the girl) is feminine singular, so the verb must be 'هبطت'.
بعد انتهاء الاجتماع، _______ المدير السلم ليودع الضيوف.
'Habata' is the correct formal verb for descending stairs. 'Saqata' means falling.
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
This tests your ability to distinguish between formal, informal, and different directions of movement.
أحمد: أين سارة؟ ليلى: إنها ________ الآن، ستصل بعد دقيقة.
The context 'now' (الآن) requires the present continuous form 'تهبط'.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
4 preguntasNo, it's used for planes landing, prices dropping, and descending mountains. But 'habata al-sullam' is a very common specific collocation.
Yes, adding 'min' (from) is perfectly correct and common in both formal and semi-formal Arabic.
'Sullam' can mean both a fixed staircase and a portable ladder. 'Daraj' specifically refers to built-in steps/stairs.
Because while the concept is simple, the choice of 'habata' over 'nazala' requires an understanding of register and literary style.
Frases relacionadas
صعد السلم
contrastTo go up the stairs
نزل الدرج
synonymTo go down the stairs
هبطت الطائرة
builds onThe plane landed
انحدر
similarTo slope down / decline
ترجل
specialized formTo dismount / walk
