سوء

Root entry · 14 derived lemmas

This root primarily deals with the concepts of badness, evil, ugliness, and harm. It encompasses actions that are wrong, unpleasant, or morally reprehensible, as well as states of being that are negative or undesirable. The root also extends to the idea of making something bad or ugly, and in some contexts, refers to specific negative outcomes or judgments.

Derived headwords

سَاءَverb

1.
to be badboth
To be ugly, unpleasant, or morally wrong. This is the fundamental meaning from which other derivations stem.
2.
to harmboth
To cause harm or distress to someone.

ساء ما فعل فلان صنيعا يسوء — How bad was so-and-so's deed in his actions.

سَوَّأَverb

1.
to make badboth
To make something bad, ugly, or reprehensible; to find fault with something.

تسويئة وتسويئا: عابه عليه فيما صنعه — To find fault with him regarding what he made.

أَسَاءَverb

1.
to do badlyboth
To act wrongly, to make a mistake, or to do something bad.
2.
to offendboth
To treat someone badly or to offend them.
3.
to think badly ofboth
To have a negative opinion or suspicion about someone or something.

وإن أسأت فسويء علي — And if I do wrong, let it be upon me.

أسأت به الظن — I thought badly of him.

إِسَاءَةnoun

1.
badnessboth
The state or quality of being bad, wrong, or ugly.
2.
offenseboth
An act of wrongdoing or causing harm or offense to someone.
3.
mistakeboth
A wrong action or judgment.

فسويء علي إساءتي — My wrongdoing was considered bad for me.

مُسَاءَةnoun

1.
making uglyclassical
The act of making something ugly or bad, or finding fault with it.
2.
harmclassical
The act of causing harm or distress.

أسوءه مساءة ومسائية — I make him ugly, causing him distress.

مُسَايَاةnoun

1.
making uglyclassical
A variant pronunciation or dialectal form of مساءة, meaning to make something ugly or bad.

ومسايتك — and your making ugly.

سُوءnoun

1.
badnessboth
Evil, badness, ugliness, or harm.
2.
evilboth
Moral wickedness or depravity.

أولئك لهم سوء الحساب — Those will have a bad reckoning.

سَوَاءَةname

1.
name of a tribeclassical
A name of a tribe or a lineage, mentioned in genealogical contexts.

بنو سواءة بالضم: حي من قيس ابن علي — Banu Suwa'ah (with dammah): a tribe from Qays ibn 'Ali.

مَسَاوِيnoun

1.
faultsboth
Defects, flaws, or bad qualities; the opposite of merits or good qualities.

الخيل تجري على مساويها — Horses run according to their faults (i.e., their nature).

سَآءَكَverb

1.
to displease youboth
To be unpleasant or disagreeable to you; to cause you distress.

وذا مما ساءك وناءك — And this is what displeased you and burdened you.

سَوَّىverb

1.
to make rightboth
To set right, to make good or proper. Used in contrast to making something bad.

تقول: سو ولا تسو — You say: Make right and do not make wrong.

سُوَأَةnoun

1.
shameclassical
A shameful act or thing; a disgrace.

خزيان سوآن من القبح — Ashamed, disgraced by ugliness.

سَايَةnoun

1.
act of badnessclassical
An act that leads to something unpleasant or disliked; an act of causing harm or offense.

ضرب فلان على فلان ساية — So-and-so inflicted a bad act upon so-and-so.

سِيَّآتnoun

1.
sinsboth
Bad deeds, sins, or transgressions.

ولا يتجاوز عن سيآته — and not overlook his sins.

Parallel reading

ساء ما فعل فلان صنيعا يسوء، أي قبح صنيعه صنيعا

How bad was so-and-so's deed in his actions, meaning his deed was ugly.

وسوأ عليه صنيعه أي فعله تسويئة وتسويئا: عابه عليه فيما صنعه

And his deed was made bad for him, meaning his action, to find fault with it regarding what he made.

وقال له أسأت

And he said to him, 'You have done badly.'

وإن أسأت فسويء علي، كذا في الأساس، أي قبح علي إساءتي

And if I do wrong, let it be upon me, as stated in Al-Asas, meaning my wrongdoing was considered bad for me.

فما سوء عليه ذلك، أي ما قال له أسأت

So that was not made bad for him, meaning he was not told, 'You have done badly.'

وذا مما ساءك وناءك

And this is what displeased you and burdened you.

ويقال: عندي ما ساءه وناءه، وما يسوءه وينوءه.

And it is said: I have what displeased him and burdened him, and what displeases him and burdens him.

ترك ما يسوءه وينوءه

He left what displeases him and burdens him.

وسؤت به ظنا وأسأت به الظن

And I suspected him badly, and I thought badly of him.

وسؤت له وجه فلان: قبحته

And I made the face of so-and-so ugly for him: I disfigured it.

ساء يسوء فعل لازم ومجاوز

Sa'a (to be bad) is a verb that can be intransitive or transitive.

ويقال سؤت وجه فلان وأنا أسوءه مساءة ومسائية

And it is said: I made the face of so-and-so ugly, and I make him ugly with مساءة and مسائية.

والمساية لغة في المساءة

And مساياة is a variant pronunciation for مساءة.

ويقال أسأت إليه في الصنع

And it is said: I did badly towards him in the making.

خزيان سوآن من القبح

Ashamed, disgraced by ugliness.

ضرب فلان على فلان ساية

So-and-so inflicted a bad act upon so-and-so.

فعل به ما يؤدي إلى مكروهه والإساءة به

He did to him what leads to his dislike and to causing him harm.

والليل طويل ولا يسوء باله، أي! يسوءني باله، عن اللحياني

And the night is long and does not make his spirit bad, meaning! It makes my spirit bad, according to Al-Lihyani.

أولئك لهم سوء الحساب

Those will have a bad reckoning.

سوء الحساب: لا يقبل منهم حسنة ولا يتجاوز عن سيئة

Bad reckoning: not accepting a good deed from them nor overlooking a bad deed.

من نوقش الحساب عذب

Whoever is scrutinized in his account will be punished.

تقول: سو ولا تسو، أي أصلح ولا تفسد

You say: Make right and do not make wrong, meaning make good and do not corrupt.

بنو سواءة بالضم: حي من قيس ابن علي

Banu Suwa'ah (with dammah): a tribe from Qays ibn 'Ali.

الخيل تجري على مساويها، أي أنها وإن كانت بها عيوب وأوصاب فإن كرمها مع ذلك يحملها على الإقدام و الجري

Horses run according to their faults, meaning that even if they have defects and ailments, their nobility carries them to advance and run.