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When you want to commend a virtue or condemn a vice in formal Arabic, you use the classical verbs of praise and blame. These elegant, fixed expressions translate roughly to "What an excellent..." and "What a terrible...".

### Commending Virtues with نِعْمَ

The verb used to express strong praise is:

{{item:1150982}}

To form a sentence of praise, start with نِعْمَ, follow it with a **definite noun** representing the general category (such as "the trait" or "the companion"), and finally state the specific thing you are praising.

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### Condemning Flaws with بِئْسَ

Conversely, to express strong disapproval or condemn a negative trait, use:

{{item:1150986}}

The sentence structure is exactly the same: the verb of blame, followed by the definite category, and then the specific flaw.

{{item:1150988}}

{{item:1150993}}

### Praise and Blame in Context

These classical verbs are frequently used to draw a sharp contrast between noble ethics and flaws within a longer sentence or observation.

{{item:1151006}}

{{item:1150989}}

{{item:1150998}}

Verbs of praise and blame (نِعْمَ / بِئْسَ)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

interrogative

noun

numeral

particle

prefix

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The definite article and locatives (الـ)

Basic noun gender (ة)

Sun and moon letters

Singular subject pronouns (أنا، أنت، هو، هي)

Indefinite nouns and nominal sentences (ـٌ)

Demonstrative pronouns for 'this' (هذا / هذه)

Separate prepositions (في، من، إلى، على)

Attributive adjectives

Predicative adjectives

Yes/No questions (هل، أ)

Basic questions (من، ما، أين)

Singular possessive pronouns (ـي، ـك، ـه، ـها)

Plural subject pronouns (نحن، أنتم، هم)

Plural possessive pronouns (ـنا، ـكم، ـهم)

Noun possession

Attached prepositions (بـ، لـ، كـ)

Pronouns with prepositions

Having and possessing (عند، لـ، مع)

Regular plural nouns (ـون، ـين، ـات)

Broken plurals

Dual nouns (ـان / ـين)

Plural and distant demonstratives (هؤلاء، ذلك، تلك)

Non-human plural agreement

Present tense singular verbs

Verbal sentences (VSO)

Present tense plural verbs

Topicalized sentences (SVO)

The indefinite accusative case (ـاً)

Verb object pronouns (-ني، -ك، -ه)

Present tense negation (لا)

Question words with verbs (متى، كيف...)

Adverbs of time and place

The future tense (سـ / سوف)

Intentions and desires (أن)

Negating states and possession (ليس)

Past tense singular suffixes

Past tense plural suffixes

Negating past events (ما)

Singular commands

Numbers 1 to 10

Number agreement for 1 and 2 (واحد، اثنان)

Asking how many (كم)

Numbers 3 to 10 (ثلاثة إلى عشرة)

Ordinal numbers 1 to 10 (الأول، الثاني)

Basic conjunctions (فـ، أو، لكن)

Ordering at a café (واحد، اثنان)

Food and drink with conjunctions (و، ف، أو، لكن)

There is and there are (هناك / ليس هناك)

Direct address (يا)

Giving reasons (لأنّ)

Relative pronouns (الذي / التي)

Quantifiers (كل / بعض)

The past tense of 'to be' (كان)

Past possession

Numbers 11 to 19 and tens to 80

Telling time (الساعة)

This book vs this is a book (هذا الكتاب، هذا كتاب)

Greetings (مرحبا، السلام عليكم)

How are you? and goodbye (كيف حالك، مع السلامة)

Nationalities (مصري، مصرية)

Roots and patterns (كتب، كتاب، مكتب)

Politeness (من فضلك، آسف)

Complex possession chains

Colors and traits (أفعل / فعلاء)

Plural colors and traits (فُعْل)

Comparative adjectives (أفعل من)

Superlative adjectives (أفعل)

Adverbs of manner (ـاً)

The nominative case (ـُ)

The genitive case (ـِ)

The accusative case (ـَ)

Dual noun cases (ـان / ـين)

Masculine plurals and 'the best of' (أفضل النجارين)

Emphasizing sentences (إنّ)

Connecting clauses (أنّ)

Reporting speech (قال إنّ)

Expressing contrast (لكنّ)

Comparison and probability (كأنّ, لعلّ)

Distant plural pointing (أولئك)

Plural relative pronouns (الذين, اللواتي)

Past habits (كان + present)

Ongoing actions (ما زال)

Masculine plurals online (مبرمجون، مؤثرون)

Perfective past (قد)

Probability (قد)

The subjunctive mood (أن)

Question	Answer
what an excellent	نعمni'ma
trait / character	خلقkhuluq
trustworthiness / honesty	أمانةamâna
What an excellent trait trustworthiness is.	نعم الخلق الأمانة.ni'ma al-khuluqu al-amânatu
to be wretched / what a terrible	بئسbi'sa
betrayal	خيانةkhiyâna
What a terrible trait betrayal is.	بئس الخلق الخيانة.bi'sa al-khuluqu al-khiyânatu
People love trustworthiness, whereas betrayal is a terrible trait.	الناس يحبون الأمانة بينما بئس الخلق الخيانة.an-nâsu yuhibbûna al-amânata baynamâ bi'sa al-khuluqu al-khiyânatu.
companion	رفيقrafîq
What an excellent companion a friend who helps you so that you do not fail is.	نعم الرفيق صديق يساعدك لئلا تفشل.ni'ma r-rafîqu sadîqun yusâ'iduka li'allâ tafshala
hypocrisy	نفاقnifâq
What a terrible trait hypocrisy among friends is.	بئس الصفة النفاق بين الأصدقاء.bi'sa s-sifatu n-nifaqu bayna l-asdiqa'
sincerity	إخلاصikhlâs
What an excellent trait sincerity at work is.	نعم الخلق الإخلاص في العمل.ni'ma al-khuluqu al-ikhlâsu fi al-'amali
generosity	كرمkaram
stinginess	بخلbukhl
I realized that generosity brings people together, and what a terrible trait stinginess is.	أدركت أن الكرم يجمع الناس، وبئس الخلق البخل.adraktu anna al-karama yajma'u an-nâsa, wa bi'sa al-khuluqu al-bukhlu.
The conflict continued in the team, and what a terrible trait hypocrisy is.	استمر الصراع في الفريق، وبئس الخلق النفاق.istamarra as-sirâ'u fil-fariqi, wa bi'sa al-khuluqu an-nifaqu.
arrogance	تكبرtakabbur
The manager ignored the employee, and what a terrible behavior arrogance is.	تجاهلت المديرة الموظف، وبئس السلوك التكبر.tajâhalati al-mudîratu al-muwazzafa, wa bi'sa as-sulûku at-takabburu
What an excellent companion a woman famous for generosity is.	نعم الرفيقة امرأة مشهورة بالكرم.ni'ma ar-rafîqatu imra'atun mash-hûratun bil-karami
Do arrogance and stinginess destroy society?	هل التكبر والبخل يفسدان المجتمع؟hal at-takabburu wal-bukhlu yufsidâni al-mujtama'a?
Avoid hypocrisy so that you do not reach betrayal.	تجنب النفاق حتى لا تصل إلى الخيانة.tajannabi n-nifâqa hattâ lâ tasila ilâ l-khiyâna.
The people who prefer betrayal are hated by everyone.	الأشخاص الذين يفضلون الخيانة يكرههم الجميع.al-ashkhâsu alladhîna yufaddilûna al-khiyânata yakrahuhumu al-jamî'u
What a terrible trait hypocrisy is, and what an excellent trait loyalty is.	بئس الخلق النفاق ونعم الخلق الإخلاص.bi'sa al-khuluqu an-nifâqu wa ni'ma al-khuluqu al-ikhlâsu