Meaning
Indicates doing something at a slow pace.
Cultural Background
The proverb 'In slowness there is safety' (في التأني السلامة) is taught to children to encourage carefulness over speed. Egyptians often use 'بشويش' (bishwaysh), which comes from Turkish, to mean slowly or gently. It's very common in households. The phrase 'على مهلك' is used as a polite way to tell someone to take their time, often said to guests or people working. 'شوي شوي' is the most common colloquialism. It's used for everything from driving to asking someone to lower their voice.
The 'Bi' Rule
Remember that many Arabic adverbs are formed with 'Bi' + Noun. If you know the noun for 'speed' (sur'ah), you can make 'quickly' (bi-sur'ah).
Spelling the Hamza
Don't put the hamza on a 'waw' or 'alif'. It sits on the line: ببطء.
Meaning
Indicates doing something at a slow pace.
The 'Bi' Rule
Remember that many Arabic adverbs are formed with 'Bi' + Noun. If you know the noun for 'speed' (sur'ah), you can make 'quickly' (bi-sur'ah).
Spelling the Hamza
Don't put the hamza on a 'waw' or 'alif'. It sits on the line: ببطء.
Emphasis
To say 'painfully slowly,' use 'ببطء شديد' (bi-buṭʼ shadeed). It adds a lot of flavor to your descriptions.
Politeness
When asking someone to speak slowly, always add 'min fadlak' (please) to avoid sounding like you are criticizing their speech.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form: 'ببطء' or 'بطيء'.
السلحفاة حيوان ____، هي تمشي ____.
The first blank needs an adjective (بطيء) to describe the turtle, and the second needs an adverb (ببطء) to describe how it walks.
Which sentence is grammatically correct for 'Speak slowly'?
كيف تقول 'Speak slowly' بالعربية؟
The standard construction is the preposition 'bi-' followed by the noun 'buṭʼ'.
Complete the dialogue.
أحمد: لماذا تأخرت؟ خالد: لأن الزحام شديد والسيارات تسير ____.
In heavy traffic (زحام شديد), cars move slowly (ببطء).
Match the phrase to the situation.
Match 'ببطء شديد' to the best context:
'ببطء شديد' means 'very slowly,' which perfectly describes a snail.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Adjective vs Adverb
When to use ببطء
Movement
- • Walking
- • Driving
- • Crawling
Communication
- • Speaking
- • Reading
- • Writing
Nature
- • Growth
- • Melting
- • Erosion
Practice Bank
4 exercisesالسلحفاة حيوان ____، هي تمشي ____.
The first blank needs an adjective (بطيء) to describe the turtle, and the second needs an adverb (ببطء) to describe how it walks.
كيف تقول 'Speak slowly' بالعربية؟
The standard construction is the preposition 'bi-' followed by the noun 'buṭʼ'.
أحمد: لماذا تأخرت؟ خالد: لأن الزحام شديد والسيارات تسير ____.
In heavy traffic (زحام شديد), cars move slowly (ببطء).
Match 'ببطء شديد' to the best context:
'ببطء شديد' means 'very slowly,' which perfectly describes a snail.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, it is often used for gradual processes, though 'تدريجياً' (tadrijiyan) is more specific for 'step-by-step'.
Absolutely. It's neutral and very common in texting, especially when talking about internet speed or arrival times.
The opposite is 'بسرعة' (bi-surʻah), meaning 'quickly'.
The 'bi' is a preposition that turns the noun 'slowness' into the adverb 'slowly'.
Only in informal, dialect-heavy conversations. In any formal or learning environment, 'ببطء' is better.
Add the word 'شديد' (shadeed) after it: 'ببطء شديد'.
Yes, you can say 'موسيقى تعزف ببطء' (music played slowly).
No, as an adverbial phrase, it remains constant regardless of the number of people.
Yes, the 'ṭ' in 'buṭʼ' is an emphatic consonant, which sounds deeper and more resonant than the English 't'.
It's rare. Usually, it follows the verb. 'ببطء، مشى الرجل' sounds very poetic or dramatic.
Related Phrases
بسرعة
contrastQuickly
على مهل
similarAt leisure / slowly
تدريجياً
builds onGradually
رويداً
synonymSlowly / Little by little
بشويش
specialized formGently / Slowly
