Word
بئس الشيء الفساد في المجتمع.
Meaning
What a terrible thing corruption in society is.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of بئس الشيء الفساد في المجتمع.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
شيءshay'
thing
مجتمعmujtama'
community / society
Questions & Answers about بئس الشيء الفساد في المجتمع.
What kind of word is بئس and how does it work grammatically here?
بئس is a special fixed verb in Arabic used to express strong blame or criticism, often translated as 'What a terrible...' or 'How awful is...'. It is the direct opposite of نعم ('What an excellent...'). Even though it translates like an exclamation in English, grammatically it acts as an inflexible past tense verb.
Why are there two nouns right after بئس (الشيء and الفساد)?
Sentences using verbs of praise or blame require a specific three-part structure: the verb (بئس), the general category or subject (الشيء - 'the thing'), and then the specific item being criticized (الفساد - 'corruption'). The literal structure is 'Terrible is the thing: corruption.'
Could I just say بئس الفساد and drop الشيء entirely?
No, because the grammar rules for these specific verbs require that general category subject first. If you drop the definite noun like الشيء, you would need to replace it with an indefinite accusative noun to explain the category, such as بئس شيئا الفساد (How terrible a thing corruption is). You cannot attach the specific blamed item directly to the verb.
Does المجتمع share a root with words like university or Friday?