صَوَّبَ
ṣawwaba
The English verb "shoot" can be translated into Arabic as صَوَّبَ (ṣawwaba) or أَطْلَقَ النَّار.
Meaning: to fire a shot (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| صَوَّبَ | ṣawwaba |
| أَطْلَقَ النَّار | ʔaṭlaqa n-nār |
In Arabic, the way you express "shoot" depends on whether you are focusing on the act of aiming or the actual discharge of a weapon. Use أَطْلَقَ النَّار to describe the standard act of firing a shot or discharging a weapon.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase أَطْلَقَ النَّار literally means "to release the fire," where the verb أَطْلَقَ means "to release" or "to launch" and the noun النَّار means "the fire."
Which one should you use?
The form صَوَّبَ is a technical or literal term meaning "to aim" or "to direct toward a target." In contrast, أَطْلَقَ النَّار is the common usage for the actual act of firing or discharging a shot.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form أَطْلَقَ النَّار is the third-person masculine singular past tense, which is the default way to say "he shot" or "he fired."
How do you pronounce it?
ṣawwaba
Did you know?
- The verb صَوَّبَ used for 'aiming' a shot shares its linguistic root with the concept of 'correctness'. To aim something is, etymologically, to make it 'right' or 'correct'.
- Unlike English, where 'shoot' can apply to cameras, Arabic dialects typically use words meaning 'captured' or 'imaged' when taking a photo.
- The verb أَطْلَقَ in the phrase أَطْلَقَ النَّار is a highly versatile word used for many non-violent actions. It is the same verb used to describe 'releasing' a prisoner or 'launching' a satellite into space.
Examples in context
- قام الجندي بإطلاق النار على هدفه.The soldier fired at his target.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shoot” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
