ليس جيدا
laysa jayyidan
The Arabic phrase for 'not good' is ليس جيدا (laysa jayyidan).
ليس جيدا is used to describe something that is of poor quality or unsatisfactory.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the negation verb ليس (is not) and the adjective جيدا (good).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ليس جيدا is a formal way to convey the concept of being 'not good'. In daily conversation, many Arabic dialects use مش كويس instead.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many dialects, such as Egyptian or Levantine, people use the colloquial expression مش كويس for 'not good'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase ليس جيدا, the adjective جيدا takes the accusative case because it is the predicate of the negation verb ليس. To say 'not good' for a feminine subject, use ليست جيدة.
How do you pronounce it?
laysa jayyidan
Did you know?
- Some scholars argue that ليس might not even be an original Arabic word, but instead a loanword from an ancient Neo-Assyrian expression meaning 'there is not'.
- If you use ليس جيدا to describe something at a local street market, you might sound like a character from a classic historical novel rather than a modern person.
- The formal negation verb ليس belongs to a special grammatical group called 'sisters of kana', which are verbs that fundamentally change the pronunciation and case of the words that follow them.
Examples in context
- هل أنتَ تسعل دماء؟ هذا ليس جيداً.Are you coughing blood? That's not good.This sentence uses ليس جيدا to express that a medical symptom is not a good sign.Tatoeba #1935808 by Asma, translation #1935055 by Spamster
- الخِدْمَةُ فِي الفُنْدُقِ لَيْسَتْ جَيِّدَةًThe service at the hotel was not good.
- الفِلْمُ الَّذِي شَاهَدْنَاهُ أَمْسُ لَمْ يَكُنْ جَيِّدًاThe movie we watched yesterday was not good.
- هذا الطعام ليس جيدا.hadha al-ta'amu laysa jayyidan.This food is not good.
- الجو اليوم ليس جيدا.al-jawwu al-yawma laysa jayyidan.The weather today is not good.
Example conversation
Omar and Sarah are discussing a movie they just watched.
- عمر Omarما رأيكِ في الفيلم يا سارة؟Mā ra'yuki fī al-film yā Sāra?What do you think of the movie, Sarah?
- سارة Saraأعتقد أن التمثيل ليس جيداً.A'taqidu anna al-tamthīl laysa jayyidan.I think the acting is not good.
- عمر Omarأنا أتفق معكِ تماماً.Anā attafiqu ma'aki tamāman.I totally agree with you.
- سارة Saraلنذهب لمشاهدة فيلم آخر.Linadhhab limushāhadat film ākhar.Let's go watch another movie.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ليس, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
