# المسطحات



## Andrew___

Does anyone know how one could translate *المسطحات* in this context:

*البنية التحتية - تشمل فيما يلي*
الأراضي والممتلكات والمنشآت والمرافق الموجودة في دبي....بما في ذلك الطرق والجسور والشواطئ والحدائق والمسطحات وكواسر المياه والموانئ 

Very grateful for your thoughts about this strange word which seems to mean "slabs" to me


----------



## Mahaodeh

It means "surfaces".


----------



## Andrew___

I see Maha.

So it would perhaps mean things like pavements, non-paved areas, gutters etc. I get it!

Thanks,
Andrew


----------



## Mahaodeh

Actually, مسطحات is mostly used for water surfaces, but I think it can mean what you mentioned. I would imagin that they mean non-urban though becasue an urban surface probably has a name but I can't be too sure.


----------



## ayed

المسطحات means either natural or artifical meadows


----------



## Andrew___

ayed said:


> المسطحات means either natural or artifical meadows



Wow Ayed,

I am fascinated by your opinion on this point.

لم أتوقع ذلك على الإطلاق


----------



## cherine

Sorry, Ayed, I don't agree. المسطحات المائية are not meadows.


----------



## ayed

cherine said:


> Sorry, Ayed, I don't agree. المسطحات المائية are not meadows.


How did you know that they are مسطحات مائية not مسطحات خضراء؟


----------



## cherine

I was mainly speaking about the word مسطحات istelf.
 يعني ما ينفعش نترجمها تلقائيًا إلى "مرعى" لأنها تشمل المراعي وغيرها.


----------



## ayed

cherine said:


> i was mainly speaking about the word مسطحات istelf.
> يعني ما ينفعش نترجمها تلقائيًا إلى "مرعى" لأنها تشمل المراعي وغيرها.


 شكراً شيرين ، أجد هذه الكلمة دائماً تعني(*مسطحات خضراء*) أكثر من *مسطحات مائية*


----------



## Andrew___

I like Maha's translation of "surfaces", as it covers both the land and the water contexts, which I think the above quote was trying to keep general.


----------



## Faylasoof

I would agree with this. It generally means “surfaces / open areas” and they can be anywhere depending on your location:

خضراء/ مروج ، حدائق ، مياه، مثلجة  و غيره   .

One definition of a landscape architect I came across is : 
معماري تصميم مسطحات خارجية - (مناظر طبيعية / صناعية  

Here is a link for a list of “ice surfaces” (مسطحات جليدية) such as a glacier (here called a مَثلَجَة , but also known as a مَجلَدَۃ).


----------



## Mahaodeh

Personally, I've mostly seen it used as مسطحات مائية; mostly for landscape/green surfaces it's مساحات خضراء أو مساحات مبلطة. Maybe this translation is local.


----------



## Andrew___

May I ask whether we pronounce المسطحات as "al musaTTaHaat" or "al mu*S*aTTaHaat" (like a ص instead of س)

Grateful for your advice.
Andrew


----------



## Mahaodeh

In most dialects it's pronounced with a Saad, hence even in MSA they pronounce it with a Saad. However, since the seen is followed by a Taa' (despite the vowel between them), the seen should be pronounced somewhere between a seen and a Saad; the same thing goes for سَوْط، سَطْوَة، سَطْل، بُسْطَال، بَسِيْط.

My advice is, try not to think about it too much; don't deliberately attempt to pronounce it as seen or Saad and you will find that it comes out something in between naturally because that's how the seen sounds when followed by Taa'.


----------



## blakflame1

I suggest you use the word "plain" for such context 

definition:
Plain \Plain\, n. [Cf. OF. plaigne, F. plaine. See Plain, a.]

1. Level land; usually, an open field or a broad stretch of  land with an even surface, or a surface little varied by  inequalities; as, the plain of Jordan; the American  plains, or prairies.


----------



## Mahaodeh

Plain as a geographical concept is سهل in Arabic.


----------



## Andrew___

Yes, like اهلا وسهلا, which means literally "people and plains", or in other words "Welcome (to nice people and our lovely plains)".

Andrew


----------

