Meaning
To completely disregard or ignore something, like advice or rules.
Cultural Background
In the Levant, while this MSA idiom is used in news, people often use 'ضرب بالحيط' (hit the wall) in spoken dialect to mean someone is confused or stuck, which is a 'false friend' to our idiom. Egyptians are masters of idioms. While they use 'Daraba bihi arda al-ha'it' in formal writing, in the street, they might say 'رمى طوبة' (threw a brick), meaning they gave up on someone or something. In Gulf media, this phrase is extremely common in editorials criticizing foreign policy or social negligence. It carries a heavy weight of 'shame' (Ayb). In North Africa, the phrase is used in formal education and law. However, in Darija, French loanwords or different metaphors for 'ignoring' are more common in daily life.
Use it in Essays
If you are writing an Arabic exam (like AP or IB), using this idiom correctly in an essay about social issues will instantly boost your 'vocabulary range' score.
Watch the Preposition
The most common mistake is forgetting the 'bi'. It's always 'Daraba BI-shay' (hit WITH something).
Meaning
To completely disregard or ignore something, like advice or rules.
Use it in Essays
If you are writing an Arabic exam (like AP or IB), using this idiom correctly in an essay about social issues will instantly boost your 'vocabulary range' score.
Watch the Preposition
The most common mistake is forgetting the 'bi'. It's always 'Daraba BI-shay' (hit WITH something).
Tone Matters
This is a strong expression. Don't use it with your boss unless you are ready for a serious confrontation!
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing words to complete the idiom.
ضربت الحكومة بمطالب الشعب _______ _______.
The fixed idiom is 'عرض الحائط' (the width of the wall).
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly to mean 'He ignored the advice'?
اختر الجملة الصحيحة:
The idiom requires the preposition 'bi' (بـ) before the object.
Match the situation to the most appropriate use of the idiom.
أي موقف يناسبه هذا التعبير؟
The idiom is used for intentional disregard of rules or treaties.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the verb.
الأب: لماذا لم تسمع كلامي؟ الابن: أنا لم _______ بنصيحتك عرض الحائط، لكني نسيت.
After 'lam' (لم), the verb must be in the jussive case (Majzum), which is 'أضربْ'.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesضربت الحكومة بمطالب الشعب _______ _______.
The fixed idiom is 'عرض الحائط' (the width of the wall).
اختر الجملة الصحيحة:
The idiom requires the preposition 'bi' (بـ) before the object.
أي موقف يناسبه هذا التعبير؟
The idiom is used for intentional disregard of rules or treaties.
الأب: لماذا لم تسمع كلامي؟ الابن: أنا لم _______ بنصيحتك عرض الحائط، لكني نسيت.
After 'lam' (لم), the verb must be in the jussive case (Majzum), which is 'أضربْ'.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, but mostly when talking about serious topics like politics, work problems, or major life decisions. It's not for small talk.
Absolutely. 'هو يضرب بكلامي عرض الحائط' (He is ignoring my words) is perfectly fine.
'Tajahala' is a neutral verb meaning 'to ignore.' 'Daraba bihi arda al-ha'it' is an idiom that adds a layer of contempt and drama.
Yes, in this specific idiom, the word 'ha'it' (wall) is fixed. You cannot substitute it with 'floor' or 'door'.
It's not a swear word, but it is accusatory. It implies the person being described is arrogant or irresponsible.
Rarely. You could say someone 'struck fear against the wall' (ignored their fear), but it's 95% used for negative disregard of rules/advice.
It would be 'ضربوا' (Daraboo) in the past or 'يضربون' (Yadriboon) in the present.
Yes, in this idiom, 'Arda' is fixed in the accusative case (Mansub).
Only if you are describing how you *don't* ignore rules, or if you are criticizing a bad practice in a professional way.
The plural is 'Hitan' (حيطان) or 'Hawa'it' (حوائط), but the idiom always uses the singular 'Ha'it'.
Related Phrases
أدار ظهره لـ
similarTo turn one's back on something.
تغاضى عن
similarTo turn a blind eye to.
التزم بـ
contrastTo adhere to / To commit to.
نبذ ظهرياً
synonymTo cast behind one's back.
