Meaning
Someone who is forgetful or not paying attention.
Cultural Background
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.
Meaning
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.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.
علی باز هم کیفش را در مدرسه جا گذاشت؛ او خیلی _______ است.
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:
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 _______.
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.
Looking at a bird instead of the door is the literal and figurative definition of 'sar be hava'.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Head Idioms
Practice Bank
4 exercisesعلی باز هم کیفش را در مدرسه جا گذاشت؛ او خیلی _______ است.
The context of forgetting a bag at school indicates distraction, which is 'sar be hava'.
Choose the best option:
This uses the idiom as a compound adjective modifying 'adam' (person) with the correct Ezafe.
A: چرا نمک را به جای شکر در چای ریختی؟ B: ببخشید، امروز خیلی _______.
Mixing up salt and sugar is a classic 'sar be hava' mistake.
A person walks into a glass door because they were looking at a bird.
Looking at a bird instead of the door is the literal and figurative definition of 'sar be hava'.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNot 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.
Related Phrases
حواسپرت
synonymScattered senses
سر به زیر
contrastHead down / Modest
گیج و ویج
similarTotally confused
تو باغ نبودن
specialized formNot being in the garden
بیدقت
similarCareless
