A1 Idiom अनौपचारिक

سر به هوا

sar be hava

Absent-minded

मतलब

Someone who is forgetful or not paying attention.

🌍

सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि

Teachers often use this to describe students who daydream. It's considered a 'soft' reprimand compared to calling a student 'lazy'. In classical poetry, being 'distracted' can sometimes be a sign of being 'drunk with divine love,' though 'sar be hava' is the more mundane, modern version. In Tehran, young people might use 'sar be hava' to describe someone who is 'clueless' about social cues or the latest trends. The phrase is equally common in Kabul, used in the exact same way to describe children who are not focused on their chores.

💡

Use with 'Adam'

To describe someone, it's very natural to say 'Adam-e sar be hava' (a distracted person).

⚠️

Not for Arrogance

Never use this to mean someone is 'stuck up'. Use 'maghrour' for that.

मतलब

Someone who is forgetful or not paying attention.

💡

Use with 'Adam'

To describe someone, it's very natural to say 'Adam-e sar be hava' (a distracted person).

⚠️

Not for Arrogance

Never use this to mean someone is 'stuck up'. Use 'maghrour' for that.

🎯

Self-Deprecation

Iranians love using this for themselves to appear humble after a small mistake.

💬

Parental Favorite

If you hear an Iranian mom say this, she's probably looking for her glasses that are on her head.

खुद को परखो

Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.

علی باز هم کیفش را در مدرسه جا گذاشت؛ او خیلی _______ است.

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: سر به هوا

The context of forgetting a bag at school indicates distraction, which is 'sar be hava'.

Which sentence is the most natural use of the idiom?

Choose the best option:

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: او آدمِ سر به هوایی است.

This uses the idiom as a compound adjective modifying 'adam' (person) with the correct Ezafe.

Complete the dialogue.

A: چرا نمک را به جای شکر در چای ریختی؟ B: ببخشید، امروز خیلی _______.

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: سر به هوام

Mixing up salt and sugar is a classic 'sar be hava' mistake.

Match the situation to the phrase.

A person walks into a glass door because they were looking at a bird.

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: سر به هوا

Looking at a bird instead of the door is the literal and figurative definition of 'sar be hava'.

🎉 स्कोर: /4

विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स

Head Idioms

Idiom
Sar be hava Distracted
Sar be zir Modest

अभ्यास बैंक

4 अभ्यास
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom. Fill Blank A1

علی باز هم کیفش را در مدرسه جا گذاشت؛ او خیلی _______ است.

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: سر به هوا

The context of forgetting a bag at school indicates distraction, which is 'sar be hava'.

Which sentence is the most natural use of the idiom? Choose A2

Choose the best option:

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: او آدمِ سر به هوایی است.

This uses the idiom as a compound adjective modifying 'adam' (person) with the correct Ezafe.

Complete the dialogue. dialogue_completion B1

A: چرا نمک را به جای شکر در چای ریختی؟ B: ببخشید، امروز خیلی _______.

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: سر به هوام

Mixing up salt and sugar is a classic 'sar be hava' mistake.

Match the situation to the phrase. situation_matching A1

A person walks into a glass door because they were looking at a bird.

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: سر به هوا

Looking at a bird instead of the door is the literal and figurative definition of 'sar be hava'.

🎉 स्कोर: /4

अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल

10 सवाल

Not really. It's a mild criticism or a teasing remark. It's like calling someone 'scatterbrained' or 'clumsy'.

Only if you have a very close, informal relationship. Otherwise, it's too casual.

The most common opposite is 'ba-deghat' (careful/attentive).

Yes, almost exactly. Both imply your mind is in the sky instead of on the ground.

Yes! If a dog is not listening and looking at birds, you can call it 'sag-e sar be hava'.

Yes, in stories and informal articles, but rarely in academic papers.

You say 'Sar be hava shodam'.

No, 'hava' means 'air' or 'sky' in this context, though it can mean weather in other sentences.

The idiom itself doesn't change, but you can say 'adam-ha-ye sar be hava'.

Yes, it is widely used in Dari Persian as well.

संबंधित मुहावरे

🔄

حواس‌پرت

synonym

Scattered senses

🔗

سر به زیر

contrast

Head down / Modest

🔗

گیج و ویج

similar

Totally confused

🔗

تو باغ نبودن

specialized form

Not being in the garden

🔗

بی‌دقت

similar

Careless

क्या यह मददगार था?
अभी तक कोई टिप्पणी नहीं। अपने विचार साझा करने वाले पहले व्यक्ति बनें!