Arabic vocabulary
سوءpoor in Arabic
سوء is how you say “poor” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in a real example sentence from classical texts below.
Root س و أ (s-w-ʾ)noun (verbal noun / maṣdar)Pronounced sūʾ
Meaning of poor in Arabic
- evil, harm, ill — that which displeases, grieves, or vexes someone
- bad, poor, of low quality — used in construct phrases, e.g. sūʾ al-ḥaẓẓ 'bad luck'
Often paired with another noun in a construct phrase, where it works like the English adjective "bad/poor" — سوء الفهم "misunderstanding", سوء الحظ "bad luck". The base verb سآء is also used impersonally, like بئس, to open a sentence of censure, as in the Qur'anic سآء سبيلا "evil is it as a way".
Words from the same root
- أَسَاءَto do wrong, act badly
- سَوَّأَto spoil or mar something
- اِسْتَاءَto feel aggrieved, displeased
- سَيِّئevil, bad
- مَسَاءَةharm, displeasure
Common questions
- How do you say "poor" in Arabic?
- سُوء (sūʾ) — used in construct phrases like سوء الحظ (bad luck) or سوء الفهم (misunderstanding).
- What is the root of سوء?
- The triliteral root س و أ (s-w-ʾ), meaning to be evil or bad; it also gives أساء (to do wrong) and استاء (to feel aggrieved).
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
النَّفْسُ مَجْبُولَةٌ عَلَى سُوءِ الأَدَبِ
The self is inherently inclined towards poor manners.
سُوءِ — poor. 'su'' = 'badness, poorness'; first half of an 'of' phrase: 'the badness of...'. Takes the 'of' ending after the preposition.
From: Taming the Lower Self →
Related words
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