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ع س ر

Root entry · 26 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns difficulty, hardship, and adversity, contrasting with ease and prosperity. It extends to concepts of being difficult, stingy, or left-handed, and also encompasses terms related to childbirth difficulties and specific types of camels or birds.

Derived headwords

العُسْرnoun
  1. 1.
    difficultyboth

    The state of being difficult, hard, or arduous; the opposite of ease.

  2. 2.
    hardshipboth

    A state of distress or adversity.

  3. 3.
    stinginessclassical

    The quality of being ungenerous or unwilling to give.

سيجعل الله بعد عسر يسرا — Allah will make ease come after hardship.
فإن مع العسر يسرا — For indeed, with hardship is ease.
عَسُرَverb
  1. 1.
    to be difficultboth

    The state of something becoming difficult or hard.

  2. 2.
    to be stingyclassical

    To be ungenerous or reluctant to give.

عسر الأمر، كفرح — The matter became difficult.
عَسِرٌadjective
  1. 1.
    difficultboth

    Characterized by difficulty or hardship.

  2. 2.
    stingyclassical

    Unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous.

فهو عسر — So he is difficult.
المَعْسُورnoun
  1. 1.
    difficultyclassical

    A state of hardship or difficulty, used synonymously with 'al-'usr'.

دعه إلى ميسوره وإلى معسوره — Let him have his ease and his difficulty.
العُسْرَةnoun
  1. 1.
    povertyboth

    A state of having little money or few possessions; lack of means.

  2. 2.
    difficultyboth

    A state of hardship or a difficult situation.

وإن كان ذو عسرة فنظرة إلى ميسرة — And if someone is in hardship, then [grant] a delay until [his time of] ease.
المُعْسِرadjective
  1. 1.
    indigentboth

    Lacking the necessities of life; very poor.

  2. 2.
    difficultboth

    Experiencing hardship or difficulty.

أعسر فهو معسر: صار ذا عسرة وقلة ذات يد — He became indigent, meaning he became a person of hardship and poverty.
الإعْسَارnoun
  1. 1.
    indigenceboth

    The state of being poor or lacking financial means.

  2. 2.
    difficultyboth

    A state of hardship or difficulty.

وحكى كراع: أعسر إعسارا وعسرا، والصحيح أن الإعسار المصدر — Kra' narrated: 'a'sara' with 'i'isār' and 'usr', and the correct form is that 'i'isār' is the masdar.
عَسَّرَverb
  1. 1.
    to make difficultboth

    To cause something to become difficult or hard.

  2. 2.
    to demand payment harshlyclassical

    To demand a debt from someone in hardship without leniency.

  3. 3.
    to have difficult childbirthboth

    For a woman or animal to experience difficulty during labor.

عسر الغريم يعسره، بالضم ويعسره، بالكسر، عسرا، بالفتح: طلب منه الدين على عسرة وأخذه على عسرة ولم يرفق به إلى ميسرته — He demanded the debt from the debtor harshly, taking it during his hardship without leniency.
العُسْرَىnoun
  1. 1.
    difficultyboth

    A state of hardship or difficulty, often referring to a difficult path or outcome.

  2. 2.
    punishmentclassical

    Divine punishment or a severe ordeal.

فسنيسره للعسرى — Then We will make it easy for him [to attain] the path of evil/difficulty.
العسرى: العذاب والأمر العسير — Al-'usra: torment and a difficult matter.
عَسِيرadjective
  1. 1.
    difficultboth

    Hard to do, understand, or endure.

  2. 2.
    severeboth

    Intense or extreme, often referring to a day or situation.

فذلك يومئذ يوم عسير — That day will be a difficult day.
يَوْمٌ عَسِيرٌnoun phrase
  1. 1.
    difficult dayboth

    A day characterized by great hardship or severity, often referring to the Day of Judgment.

فذلك يومئذ يوم عسير — That day will be a difficult day.
تَعَسَّرَverb
  1. 1.
    to become difficultboth

    To become hard to do, understand, or accomplish.

  2. 2.
    to become entangledboth

    To become twisted or complicated, making it hard to resolve.

وتعسر على الأمر، وتعاسر، واستعسر: اشتد والتوى وصار عسيرا — And the matter became difficult, and complicated, and twisted, and became hard.
اسْتَعْسَرَverb
  1. 1.
    to find difficultboth

    To perceive something as hard or challenging.

  2. 2.
    to become difficultboth

    To reach a state of difficulty or hardship.

واستعسر الأمر — And the matter became difficult.
أَعْسَرَadjective
  1. 1.
    left-handedboth

    Using the left hand predominantly or exclusively.

  2. 2.
    indigentboth

    Poor or lacking financial means.

ورجل أعسر يسر: يعمل بيديه جميعا — A man who is ambidextrous: he works with both his hands.
العَسْرَاءadjective
  1. 1.
    left-handed (female)both

    Pertaining to a female who is left-handed.

  2. 2.
    left wing (of a bird)classical

    The left wing of a bird, especially if it has white primary feathers.

ويقال للمرأة: عسراء يسرة: إذا كانت تعمل بيديها جميعا — And for a woman it is said: 'asra' 'yasra' if she works with both her hands.
عاسَرَverb
  1. 1.
    to be difficult withclassical

    To act harshly or unyieldingly towards someone, especially in demanding a debt.

بشر أبو مروان إن عاسرته ... عسر — Abu Marwan gave good news: if you were harsh with him, he would be harsh.
العَسْرَانnoun
  1. 1.
    raising the tail (of a camel)classical

    A camel raising its tail, indicating it is in heat or trying to appear pregnant.

والعسران: أن تشول الناقة بذنبها لترى الفحل أنها لاقح — And 'al-'usrān': the she-camel raising its tail to show the stallion that it is pregnant.
العَسِيرَةnoun
  1. 1.
    difficult camelclassical

    A female camel that is difficult to ride or has not been tamed.

  2. 2.
    difficult situationclassical

    A state of hardship or a challenging circumstance.

ناقة عسير: اعتسرت من الإبل فركبت، أو حمل عليها ولم تلين قبل — A difficult camel: one that was chosen from the herd and ridden, or was burdened without being tamed first.
العُسْرَةnoun
  1. 1.
    difficulty in childbirthboth

    A difficult labor or delivery.

أعسرت المرأة: عسر عليها ولادها — The woman experienced difficult childbirth: her delivery was difficult.
العَسَارَةnoun
  1. 1.
    difficultyclassical

    The state of being difficult or hard.

وعسارة، بالفتح — And 'asāra', with the fatha.
العَسَوَانِيّadjective
  1. 1.
    difficult camelclassical

    A female camel that habitually raises its tail when running.

ناقة عوسرانية، إذا كان من دأبها تعسير ذنبها — A 'awsarāniyya' she-camel, if it is her habit to raise her tail.
العُسْرِيّnoun
  1. 1.
    a type of plantclassical

    A plant known as 'al-'usra', which has different stages of growth.

وما منعاها الماء إلا ضنانة ... بأطراف عسرى شوكها قد تخددا — They withheld water from it only out of stinginess for the tips of 'al-'usra' whose thorns had become sharp.
جَيْشُ العُسْرَةnoun phrase
  1. 1.
    Army of Hardshipclassical

    The army that marched to Tabuk during a time of great difficulty, heat, and scarcity.

من جهز جيش العسرة فله الجنة — Whoever equips the Army of Hardship shall have Paradise.
العَيْسَرَانnoun
  1. 1.
    a type of plantclassical

    A plant mentioned in classical texts.

قال ابن دريد: العيسران مثال هيجمان: نبت — Ibn Duraid said: 'al-'aysarān', like 'hayyamān', is a plant.
العَسَارِيَّاتadjective
  1. 1.
    scatteredclassical

    Going in different directions or in a dispersed manner.

جاؤوا عساريات وعسارى، أي بعضهم في إثر بعض — They came 'asāriyāt' and 'asārā', meaning one after another.
العُسَيْرnoun
  1. 1.
    a wellclassical

    A well in Medina that was renamed 'al-Yaseera' by the Prophet (peace be upon him).

العسير، كأمير: هكذا ضبطه الصاغاني وصاحب اللسان: كانت بئرا بالمدينة — Al-'Usayr, like 'amīr': this is how Al-Saghani and the author of Al-Lisan diacritized it: it was a well in Medina.

Parallel reading

كل اسم على ثلاثة أحرف، أوله مضموم وأوسطه ساكن، فمن العرب من يثقله، ومنهم من يخففه، مثل عسر وعسر، وحلم وحلم
Every noun of three letters, whose first is damma and middle is sukun, some Arabs double it, and some lighten it, like 'usr' and 'usr', and 'hulm' and 'hulm'.
ضد اليسر وهو الضيق والشدة والصعوبة
The opposite of ease, which is tightness, severity, and difficulty.
سيجعل الله بعد عسر يسرا
Allah will make ease come after hardship.
فإن مع العسر يسرا
For indeed, with hardship is ease.
لن يغلب عسر يسرين
Hardship will not overcome two easinesses.
إذا كسبت درهما فأنفق درهما، فالثاني غير الأول
If you earn a dirham, then spend a dirham; the second is different from the first.
وإذا أعدته بالألف واللام فهي هي، تقول من ذلك: إذا كسبت درهما فأنفق الدرهم، فالثاني هو الأول
And if you repeat it with 'al-' (the definite article), it is the same one. For example: If you earn a dirham, then spend the dirham; the second is the first.
لأن الله تعالى لما ذكر العسر ثم أعاده بالألف واللام علم أنه هو، ولما ذكر يسرا ثم أعاده بلا ألف ولام علم أن الثاني غير الأول
Because when Allah mentioned 'al-'usr' (hardship) and then repeated it with 'al-', it was known to be the same one, but when He mentioned 'yusr' (ease) and then repeated it without 'al-', it was known that the second was different from the first.
مهما نزل بامرئ شديدة يجعل الله بعدها فرجا، فإنه لن يغلب عسر يسرين
Whatever hardship befalls a person, Allah will make a way out after it, for indeed hardship will not overcome two easinesses.
وقيل: لو دخل العسر جحرا لدخل اليسر عليه
And it was said: If hardship entered a hole, ease would enter upon it.
وهو أحد ما جاء من المصادر على وزن مفعول
And it is one of the masdars that come on the pattern of 'maf'ūl'.
والعرب تضع المعسور موضع العسر، والميسور موضع اليسر، وتجعل المفعول في الحرفين كالمصدر
And the Arabs use 'al-ma'sūr' in place of 'al-'usr', and 'al-mayṣūr' in place of 'al-yusr', and they make the passive participle in these two words function as a masdar.
فهو يتأول قولهم: دعه إلى ميسوره وإلى معسوره، يقول: كأنه قال: دعه إلى أمر يوسر فيه، وإلى أمر يعسر فيه
So he interprets their saying: 'Let him have his ease and his difficulty', meaning: as if he said, 'Let him have a matter in which he has ease, and a matter in which he has difficulty'.
خلاف الميسرة وهي الأمور التي تعسر ولا تتيسر
The opposite of 'al-mayṣara', which are matters that are difficult and not easy.
وإن كان ذو عسرة فنظرة إلى ميسرة
And if someone is in hardship, then [grant] a delay until [his time of] ease.
فسنيسره للعسرى
Then We will make it easy for him [to attain] the path of evil/difficulty.
قالوا: العسرى العذاب والأمر العسير
They said: 'Al-'usra' means torment and a difficult matter.
وإنما ضرب المثل بجيش العسرة لأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يغز قبله في عدد مثله
The example of the Army of Hardship was given because the Prophet (peace be upon him) had not marched with such a large number before.
ورحنا بقوم من بدالة قرنوا ... وظل لهم يوم من الشر أعسر
And we departed with a group from Badalah, joined... And a day of evil befell them, a difficult day.
قد أنتحى للحاجة العسير ... إذ الشباب لين الكسور
He has undertaken the difficult need... when youth is pliable.
والغين المعجمة لغة فيه، كذا في كتاب الليث، ونقله الأزهري، وسلمه وصححه من كلام العرب
And the letter 'ghayn' is a dialectal variant for it, as stated in Al-Layth's book, and Al-Azhari transmitted it, accepted it, and corrected it from the speech of the Arabs.
ورجل أعسر يسر: يعمل بيديه جميعا
A man who is ambidextrous: he works with both his hands.
فإن عمل بالشمال خاصة: فهو أعسر بين العسر، وهي عسراء
If he works only with his left hand: he is 'a'sar' among the left-handed, and she is 'asrā'.
وفينا قوم عسران ينزعون نزعا شديدا: وهو جمع أعسر
And among us are left-handed people who pull very hard: which is the plural of 'a'sar'.
عسرني فلان، بالفتح، وعسرني، بالتشديد، هكذا في النسخ، وفي بعض الأصول: الأول من باب علم والثاني من كتب يعسرني عسرا، إذا جاء عن يساري
So-and-so 'asara-ni', with fatha, and 'assara-ni', with tashdid, as written in the manuscripts, and in some versions: the first is from the pattern 'alima' and the second from 'kataba', meaning he came to me from my left side.
اعتسر فلان الناقة، إذا أخذها ريضا قبل أن تذلل فخطهما وركبها
So-and-so 'i'tasara-l-nāqa', meaning he took the she-camel while it was being tamed before it was broken in, then he mounted it.
والعسير من الإبل عند العرب: التي اعتسرت فركبت ولم تكن ذللت قبل ذلك ولا ريضت
And 'al-'asīr' among the Arabs (of camels) is one that was ridden without being tamed or trained beforehand.
وعسرت الناقة تعسر، من حد ضرب، عسرا، بالفتح، وعسرانا، محركة، وهي عاسر وعسير، إذا رفعت ذنبها في عدوها
And the she-camel 'asarat' (raises its tail), from the pattern 'ḍaraba', 'asran', with fatha, and 'asranān', with harakat, and she is 'āsir' and 'asīr', if she raises her tail while running.
والعسر: أن تعسر الناقة بذنبها، أي تشول به، يقال: عسرت به تعسر عسرا
And 'al-'usr' is when a she-camel raises its tail, meaning it lifts it; it is said: 'asarat' with it, 'ta'suru', 'asran'.
والعسران: أن تشول الناقة بذنبها لترى الفحل أنها لاقح
And 'al-'usrān' is when a she-camel raises its tail to show the stallion that it is pregnant.
والعسراء من العقبان: التي في جناحها قوادم بيض
And 'al-'asrā' among eagles is the one that has white primary feathers on its wing.
والعسراء: القادمة البيضاء، قال ساعدة بن جؤية: سنان كعسراء العقاب ومنهب
And 'al-'asrā' is the white primary feather. Sa'idah ibn Ju'ayyah said: A spearhead like the white primary feather of an eagle and a broad path.
وهي بقلة تكون أذنة، ثم تكون سحاء إذا التوت، ثم تكون عسرى وعسرى إذا يبست
It is a plant that is initially 'adhana', then 'saḥā' when it twists, then 'usra' and 'usra' when it dries.
سمى به لأنهم ندبوا إليها في حمارة القيظ، فعسر ذلك عليهم وغلظ، وكان إبان إيناع الثمرة
It was named so because they were called to it during the height of summer, and that was difficult and harsh for them, and it was the time of fruit ripening.
والعسر، بالكسر: قبيلة من الجن
And 'al-'usr', with kasra: a tribe of jinn.
وقد تفتح، نقله الصاغاني
And it may be pronounced with fatha, as transmitted by Al-Saghani.
قال ابن شميل: جاؤوا عساريات وعسارى، مثال سكارى، أي بعضهم في إثر بعض
Ibn Shumayl said: They came 'asāriyāt' and 'asārā', like 'sukārā', meaning one after another.
فسمّاها النبي صلى الله تعالى عليه وسلم اليسيرة، بفتح التحتية وكسر السين، تفاؤلا
So the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) named it 'al-Yaseera', with the ya' pronounced with fatha and the sin with kasra, as an omen.
ناقة عوسرانية، إذا كان من دأبها تعسير ذنبها، هكذا في التكملة، وفي نسخة اللسان: تكسير ذنبها إذا عدت ورفعه
A 'awsarāniyya' she-camel, if it is her habit to raise her tail, as in Al-Takmilah, and in the manuscript of Al-Lisan: to shake her tail when running and raise it.
عوسرانية إذا انتفض الخمس نطاف الفضيض أي انتفاض
'Awsarāniyya' when the five drops of flowing water are shaken, meaning a vigorous shaking.
ذهبوا عساريات وعشاريات، أي ذهبوا أيادي سبا متفرقين في كل وجه
They went 'asāriyāt' and 'ashāriyāt', meaning they went in all directions, dispersed in every way.