سوء

Arabic

Etymology

Root
س و ء (s-w-ʔ)

Compare سَيِّئ (sayyiʔ, “evil, bad”).

Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): /sawʔ/

Noun

سَوْء • (sawʔ) m

1. verbal noun of سَاءَ (sāʔa) (form I)
2. evil, badness

Declension

Declension of noun سَوْء (sawʔ)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	سَوْء sawʔ	السَّوْء as-sawʔ	سَوْء sawʔ
Nominative	سَوْءٌ sawʔun	السَّوْءُ as-sawʔu	سَوْءُ sawʔu
Accusative	سَوْءًا sawʔan	السَّوْءَ as-sawʔa	سَوْءَ sawʔa
Genitive	سَوْءٍ sawʔin	السَّوْءِ as-sawʔi	سَوْءِ sawʔi

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “سوء”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[1], London: W.H. Allen

Pronunciation 2

• IPA^(key): /suːʔ/

Noun

سُوء • (sūʔ) m (plural أَسْوَاء (ʔaswāʔ))

1. evil, badness
2. calamity
3. malice
4. treachery
5. hell

Declension

Declension of noun سُوء (sūʔ)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	سُوء sūʔ	السُّوء as-sūʔ	سُوء sūʔ
Nominative	سُوءٌ sūʔun	السُّوءُ as-sūʔu	سُوءُ sūʔu
Accusative	سُوءًا sūʔan	السُّوءَ as-sūʔa	سُوءَ sūʔa
Genitive	سُوءٍ sūʔin	السُّوءِ as-sūʔi	سُوءِ sūʔi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	سُوءَيْن sūʔayn	السُّوءَيْن as-sūʔayn	سُوءَيْ sūʔay
Nominative	سُوءَانِ sūʔāni	السُّوءَانِ as-sūʔāni	سُوءَا sūʔā
Accusative	سُوءَيْنِ sūʔayni	السُّوءَيْنِ as-sūʔayni	سُوءَيْ sūʔay
Genitive	سُوءَيْنِ sūʔayni	السُّوءَيْنِ as-sūʔayni	سُوءَيْ sūʔay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَسْوَاء ʔaswāʔ	الْأَسْوَاء al-ʔaswāʔ	أَسْوَاء ʔaswāʔ
Nominative	أَسْوَاءٌ ʔaswāʔun	الْأَسْوَاءُ al-ʔaswāʔu	أَسْوَاءُ ʔaswāʔu
Accusative	أَسْوَاءً ʔaswāʔan	الْأَسْوَاءَ al-ʔaswāʔa	أَسْوَاءَ ʔaswāʔa
Genitive	أَسْوَاءٍ ʔaswāʔin	الْأَسْوَاءِ al-ʔaswāʔi	أَسْوَاءِ ʔaswāʔi

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “سوء”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[2], London: W.H. Allen

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic سُوء (sūʔ).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [suːʔ]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [soːʔ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [soːʔ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [soː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [sʊː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [suːʔ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [sɵʔ]

Readings
Classical reading?	sū'
Dari reading?	sū'
Iranian reading?	su'
Tajik reading?	suʾ

Noun

سوء • (su')

1. badness, evil

   Synonym: بدی (badi)

   Antonym: خوبی (xubi)

2. Used with the ezâfe as an equivalent to English "mal-," "mis-," or "dys-".

   سوء تغذیه

   su'-e tağziye

   malnutrition

   (literally, “badness of nutrition”)

   سوء تفاهم

   su'-e tafâhom

   misunderstanding

   (literally, “badness of understanding”)

   سوء استفاده

   su'-e estefâde

   misuse

   (literally, “badness of use”)

   سوء تعبیر

   su'-e ta'bir

   misinterpretation

   (literally, “badness of interpretation”)

   سوء سابقه

   su'-e sâbeqe

   bad personal record

   سوء رفتار

   su'-e raftâr

   misbehavior

   (literally, “badness of behavior”)

Further reading

• Hayyim, Sulayman (1934) “سوء”, in New Persian–English dictionary, Teheran: Librairie-imprimerie Béroukhim