رائع
ra'i'
The English word "awesome" can be translated into Arabic as رائع (ra'i').
رائع is used to describe something that is excellent, exciting, wonderful or marvelous.
Meaning: excellent, exciting (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
While رائع is the masculine form, you should use the feminine form رائعة when describing a feminine noun. If you are describing a group of females, use the feminine plural form رائعات.
How do you pronounce it?
ra'i'
Did you know?
- While رائع is a standard way to express praise, it is very common in Levantine dialects to use the word بيجنن (bi-jannin), which literally means 'it drives one mad'.
- In many Arabic dialects, using the formal رائع can sound overly dramatic or like something from a book. In daily life, people often use slang words like رهيب (raheeb) to mean 'awesome', even though that word can also mean 'terrible' or 'dreadful'.
- The root of رائع actually refers to something that 'strikes' or 'startles' the mind. To call something 'awesome' in its original sense was to say it was so striking that it caused a sense of awe or even a slight shock.
Examples in context
- كان أمرا رائعا اللّقاء معك وجها لوجه!It was awesome to meet you in real life!This sentence shows how to use رائع to describe a positive experience of meeting someone.Tatoeba #7238398 by OsoHombre, translation #991683 by pandark
- رائع!Awesome!This example shows how to use رائع as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #1245437 by saeb, translation #433512 by CK
- زيري رائع.Ziri is awesome.This sentence demonstrates how to use رائع to describe a person.Tatoeba #10234660 by Amastan, translation #10213024 by Amastan
- مَعرضٌ مُدهِشAn awesome exhibition
- عَرضٌ رائِعAn awesome show
- الطعام هُنالك عَظيم!The food there is awesome!
- كُنتَ مَذهِلًا في الحَفلةYou were awesome at the party!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nour and Ahmed are discussing a movie they just watched.
- نور Nourهذا الفيلم كان رائعا!Hadha al-film kana ra'i'an!This movie was awesome!
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، إنه رائع جدا.Na'am, innahu ra'i' jiddan.Yes, it is very excellent.
- نور Nourأحببت القصة كثيرا.Ahbabtu al-qissa kathiran.I loved the story a lot.
- أحمد Ahmedأنا أيضاً، كان مذهلا.Ana aydan, kana mudhilan.Me too, it was amazing.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries رائع, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
