سيء
sayyi'
Bad
Phrase in 30 Seconds
سيء (Sayyi') is the standard Arabic adjective for 'bad' or 'poor quality,' used to describe everything from weather to behavior.
- Means: 'Bad' or 'poor' in quality, mood, or condition.
- Used in: Formal writing, news, and polite Modern Standard Arabic conversation.
- Don't confuse: With 'su'' (سُوء), which is the noun meaning 'evil' or 'badness'.
Explanation at your level:
뜻
An adjective describing something of low quality or negative.
문화적 배경
In the Levant, people often use 'mish mnih' (not good) instead of 'sayyi'' to sound less formal and more friendly. Egyptians frequently use 'mish kwayyes' or 'wehesh' (وحش) for bad. 'Sayyi'' is reserved for news broadcasts or formal writing. In the Gulf, 'mish zain' (not good) is a very common dialect alternative to 'sayyi''. In North Africa, 'khayeb' (خايب) is the common dialect word for bad, while 'sayyi'' remains the literary standard.
Gender Matching
Always check if the noun is feminine (ends in ta marbuta) to use 'sayyi'a'.
Spelling the Hamza
In 'sayyi'', the hamza is on the line. In 'sayyi'a', it sits on a 'ya' (ئ).
뜻
An adjective describing something of low quality or negative.
Gender Matching
Always check if the noun is feminine (ends in ta marbuta) to use 'sayyi'a'.
Spelling the Hamza
In 'sayyi'', the hamza is on the line. In 'sayyi'a', it sits on a 'ya' (ئ).
Polite Negation
If you want to be polite, use 'ghayr jayyid' (not good) instead of 'sayyi'' (bad).
셀프 테스트
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'sayyi''.
هذه سيارة ____. (This is a bad car.)
'Sayyara' (car) is feminine, so we use 'sayyi'a'.
Which sentence means 'The weather is bad'?
'Taqs' means weather and 'sayyi'' means bad.
Match the Arabic phrase to its English translation.
1. خبر سيء, 2. يوم سيء, 3. خدمة سيئة
Matching nouns with the adjective 'sayyi/sayyi'a'.
Complete the dialogue.
أحمد: كيف كان الفيلم؟ خالد: كان ____، لم يعجبني.
The context 'I didn't like it' requires a negative adjective.
🎉 점수: /4
시각 학습 자료
Good vs Bad in Arabic
자주 묻는 질문
4 질문It is understood by everyone, but most people use dialect words like 'wehesh' or 'mish mnih' in daily speech.
You say 'sayyi' jiddan' (سيء جداً) or 'sayyi' للغاية' (sayyi' lil-ghaya).
Yes, but it implies they are a morally bad person. Use with caution!
The opposite is 'jayyid' (جيد) or 'hasan' (حسن).
관련 표현
أسوأ
specialized formWorse / Worst
رديء
synonymPoor quality / shoddy
قبيح
similarUgly / Repulsive
غير جيد
synonymNot good
어디서 쓸까?
At a Restaurant
Customer: هذا الطعام سيء جداً.
Waiter: أنا آسف، سأغيره لك.
Talking about Weather
Friend A: هل سنخرج اليوم؟
Friend B: لا، الطقس سيء للغاية.
Job Interview (Feedback)
Manager: لماذا تركت عملك السابق؟
Candidate: كانت الإدارة سيئة هناك.
Customer Service Call
User: الإنترنت سيء اليوم.
Support: سنفحص الخط فوراً.
Watching a Movie
Person A: كيف كان الفيلم؟
Person B: بصراحة، كان سيئاً.
Health Check-up
Doctor: كيف تشعر؟
Patient: حالتي الصحية سيئة منذ أمس.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a 'Sigh' (سيء) - you sigh when something is bad.
Visual Association
Imagine a giant red 'X' over a plate of rotten food. The word 'Sayyi'' is written in the middle of the X.
Rhyme
Sayyi' is bad, don't be sad.
Story
Sami went to a restaurant. The soup was cold (Sayyi'!), the chair was broken (Sayyi'!), and the bill was too high (Aswa' - the worst!). He left a 'Sayyi'' review.
Word Web
챌린지
Try to find three things in your room right now that are 'sayyi'' (e.g., a broken pen, a dead plant) and label them in your head.
In Other Languages
Malo
In Spanish, 'malo' can come before or after the noun, but in Arabic, 'sayyi'' always follows the noun.
Mauvais
French uses 'mauvais' for 'wrong' (e.g., wrong number), whereas Arabic uses 'khata'' (خطأ).
Schlecht
German 'schlecht' can also mean 'spoiled' (food), while Arabic might use 'fāsid' (فاسد) for spoiled food specifically.
悪い (Warui)
Japanese 'warui' is often used to apologize ('my bad'), which 'sayyi'' is not.
坏 (Huài)
Chinese 'huài' often implies something is physically broken, while 'sayyi'' is more about quality/nature.
나쁘다 (Nappeuda)
Korean uses an adjective-verb structure, while Arabic uses a pure adjective.
Mau / Ruim
Arabic 'sayyi'' covers both 'mau' and 'ruim' in most contexts.
Bad
English 'bad' can be used as an adverb in slang ('he wants it bad'), which 'sayyi'' cannot.
Easily Confused
Learners often confuse the noun 'su'' (evil/badness) with the adjective 'sayyi'' (bad).
Remember that 'sayyi'' describes a noun, while 'su'' is a noun itself often used in compounds.
Both mean bad, but 'radi'' is more specific to quality.
Use 'sayyi'' for general badness and 'radi'' for 'cheap/low quality' products.
자주 묻는 질문 (4)
It is understood by everyone, but most people use dialect words like 'wehesh' or 'mish mnih' in daily speech.
You say 'sayyi' jiddan' (سيء جداً) or 'sayyi' للغاية' (sayyi' lil-ghaya).
Yes, but it implies they are a morally bad person. Use with caution!
The opposite is 'jayyid' (جيد) or 'hasan' (حسن).
