Meaning
An adjective describing something of low quality or negative.
Cultural Background
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).
Meaning
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).
Test Yourself
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.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Good vs Bad in Arabic
Practice Bank
4 exercisesهذه سيارة ____. (This is a bad car.)
'Sayyara' (car) is feminine, so we use 'sayyi'a'.
'Taqs' means weather and 'sayyi'' means bad.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Matching nouns with the adjective 'sayyi/sayyi'a'.
أحمد: كيف كان الفيلم؟ خالد: كان ____، لم يعجبني.
The context 'I didn't like it' requires a negative adjective.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsIt 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).
Related Phrases
أسوأ
specialized formWorse / Worst
رديء
synonymPoor quality / shoddy
قبيح
similarUgly / Repulsive
غير جيد
synonymNot good
