Learn Arabic › B1 › أَوْشَك
أَوْشَك
to be about to (do something) /ʔawˈʃaka/
verbB1#2685 most common
Also: to be on the verge of, to almost do something, to be close to (doing something)
Example sentences
أوشكت الشمس أن تغرب.
The sun was about to set.
أوشك المطر أن ينزل.
The rain was about to fall.
أوشكنا أن نصل إلى المطار حين تعطلت السيارة.
We were about to reach the airport when the car broke down.
أوشك الفريق أن يخسر المباراة لولا تدخل الحارس في الدقيقة الأخيرة.
The team was about to lose the match, if not for the goalkeeper's save in the last minute.
يوشك الاقتصاد العالمي أن يدخل في ركود جديد بحسب تقارير الخبراء.
The global economy is about to enter a new recession, according to experts' reports.
أوشكت العلاقات بين البلدين أن تنهار لولا التدخل الدبلوماسي العاجل الذي أعاد الأمور إلى نصابها.
Relations between the two countries were about to collapse, if not for the urgent diplomatic intervention that set things right.
Conjugation
| Present Active | Simple Past Active | Simple Future Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | أُوشِكُ | أَوْشَكْتُ | سَأُوشِكُ |
| 2sg | تُوشِكُ | أَوْشَكْتَ | سَتُوشِكُ |
| 3sg | يُوشِكُ | أَوْشَكَ | سَيُوشِكُ |
| 1pl | نُوشِكُ | أَوْشَكْنَا | سَنُوشِكُ |
| 2pl | تُوشِكُونَ | أَوْشَكْتُمْ | سَتُوشِكُونَ |
| 3pl | يُوشِكُونَ | أَوْشَكُوا | سَيُوشِكُونَ |
Word family
وشيكimminent, near at hand
الوشكquickness, speed, imminence
مُوشِكactive participle: one who is about to (do something)
كادrelated verb of imminence: to almost do somethingEtymology
The root و-ش-ك carries the idea of speed and nearness in time. Classical dictionaries tie it to quickness and imminence. The Form IV verb أوشك grew from this root to mean drawing close to an action, almost always paired with أن and a subjunctive verb. Grammarians group it with كاد and عسى under أفعال المقاربة, the verbs of imminence.
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