شِرِّير
širrīr
The English word "evil" can be translated into Arabic as شِرِّير (širrīr). Wiktionary also lists شَرِير (šarīr).
Meaning: morally corrupt (adj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| شِرِّير | širrīr |
| شَرِير | šarīr |
When describing someone or something as morally corrupt, use the adjective forms. If you are referring to the concept of evil, wickedness or the impairment of well-being, use the noun forms like شَرّ or سَوْء.
Which one should you use?
Use شِرِّير or شَرِير when you need an adjective to describe a person or entity as wicked. In contrast, use the noun شَرّ to refer to the abstract concept of evil or badness itself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes based on the gender and number of the subject: use شِرِّيرَة for a feminine subject and شِرِّيرُونَ for a masculine plural subject. The noun الشر is also used to refer to evil.
How do you pronounce it?
širrīr
Did you know?
- The root of the word for 'evil', ش-ر-ر, is also used in Arabic to describe 'sparks' from a fire. This creates a linguistic connection between a spark and something that causes harm or strife.
- In many Arabic dialects, if someone says 'fiik shar' (there is evil in you), they might not be calling you a villain, but rather implying you are an unlucky or 'bad omen' person.
- While شَرّ means evil, the word شَرِيف (noble/honorable) is a common name and adjective that is visually and structurally similar, making it easy for learners to confuse the two if they are not careful.
Examples in context
- يعدّ الظلام رمزًا للشرّ.Darkness is considered a symbol of evil.
- الشرير هو الشخص الذي يسعى لفعل الأفعال الشريرة.An evil person is someone who seeks to perform wicked deeds.
- يجب علينا القضاء على الشر من حولنا.We must eliminate evil from around us.
- الساحر في القصة كان شِرِّيرًا.al-sahiru fi al-qissati kana shirran.The wizard in the story was evil.
Example conversation
Nour and Youssef are discussing a character in a movie.
- نور Nourيوسف، هل يعجبك هذا الفيلم؟Youssef, hal yu'jibuka hadha al-fīlm?Youssef, do you like this movie?
- يوسف Youssefنعم، لكن الشرير شِرِّير حقًا.Na'am, lakin ash-sharrīr shirrīr haqqan.Yes, but the villain is truly evil.
- نور Nourأنا أتفق معك تمامًا.Ana attafiq ma'aka tamāman.I completely agree with you.
- يوسف Youssefأكره الشخصيات التي تكون شِرِّيرة.Akrahu ash-shakhsiyyāt allatī takūn shirrīra.I hate characters that are evil.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “evil” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
