رائع
ra'i'
The English word amazing translates to Arabic as رائع (ra'i').
The word is used to describe something that possesses uniquely wonderful qualities.
Meaning: possessing uniquely wonderful qualities (adj)
Which one should you use?
The word مُدهِش is a formal alternative specifically for amazing and عَجِيب can also mean amazing in certain contexts, though it primarily translates to strange or weird.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the colloquial term زي الفل is used to express admiration, similar to saying amazing. In Gulf Arabic, the casual term خَرَافِي means amazing or fantastic.
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe feminine plural nouns, use the form رائعات by adding the suffix -at to the stem.
How do you pronounce it?
ra'i'
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, people express that something is 'amazing' by saying ما شاء الله, which translates to 'what God has willed'. This is often done to avoid the 'evil eye' when praising something.
- If you use the Egyptian phrase زي الفل, you are literally saying something is 'like the jasmine', a flower prized for its scent.
- The root of رائع comes from a verb that originally referred to the feeling of being startled or shaken by something. Over time, this evolved from 'shocking' to 'wonderful'.
Examples in context
- ذوق هذا التّين رائع.These figs taste amazing.This sentence is useful for describing the taste of multiple figs using رائع.Tatoeba #9796257 by Amastan, translation #9771285 by Amastan
- ذوق هذه التينة رائع.This fig tastes amazing.This sentence is useful for describing the taste of a single fig using رائع.Tatoeba #11647978 by dididodo, translation #9771397 by Amastan
- أعتقد أن الإسلام دين رائع.I think that Islam is an amazing religion.This sentence is useful for expressing an opinion about a religion using رائع.Tatoeba #11644810 by dididodo, translation #8248769 by Amastan
- The crowd's reaction to the performance was رَائِع.The crowd's reaction to the performance was amazing.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mariam and Ziad are watching a beautiful sunset at the beach.
- مريم Maryamهذا المنظر رائع جداً.hadha al-manzar ra'i' jiddan.This view is very amazing.
- زياد Ziadنعم، أنتِ محقة يا مريم.na'am, anti muhiqqa ya Mariam.Yes, you are right, Mariam.
- مريم Maryamأحب الطبيعة في هذا الوقت.uhibbu al-tabi'a fi hadha al-waqt.I love nature at this time.
- زياد Ziadإنه وقت رائع حقاً.innahu waqt ra'i' haqqan.It is truly an amazing time.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries رائع, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
