Learn Arabic › B1 › بَرَى
بَرَى
to sharpen (a pencil or pen); to whittle, pare, trim /baˈraː/
verbB1#2237 most common
Also: to shape by paring, to cut into shape
Example sentences
بَرَى القَلَمَ.
He sharpened the pencil.
أَبْرِي قَلَمِي كُلَّ صَباح.
I sharpen my pencil every morning.
هَل بَرَيْتَ القَلَمَ الرَّصاصَ قَبْلَ الامْتِحان؟
Did you sharpen the pencil before the exam?
كانَ الوَلَدُ يَبْرِي عُودًا مِنَ الخَشَبِ بِسِكِّينِه.
The boy was whittling a stick of wood with his knife.
بَرَى الكاتِبُ قَلَمَ القَصَبِ بِعِنايَةٍ حَتَّى صارَ سِنُّهُ رَفيعًا.
The scribe pared the reed pen carefully until its nib grew fine.
مَنْ بَرَى قَلَمًا رَديئًا لا يَلومَنَّ إِلّا نَفْسَهُ عَلى رَداءَةِ الخَطِّ.
Whoever sharpens a poor pen should blame only himself for the bad handwriting.
Conjugation
| Present Active | Simple Past Active | Simple Future Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | أَبْرِي | بَرَيْتُ | سَأَبْرِي |
| 2sg | تَبْرِي | بَرَيْتَ | سَتَبْرِي |
| 3sg | يَبْرِي | بَرَى | سَيَبْرِي |
| 1pl | نَبْرِي | بَرَيْنَا | سَنَبْرِي |
| 2pl | تَبْرُونَ | بَرَيْتُمْ | سَتَبْرُونَ |
| 3pl | يَبْرُونَ | بَرَوْا | سَيَبْرُونَ |
Word family
مِبْراةpencil sharpener
بُرايةshavings, parings
بارٍone who sharpens or pares
مَبْرِيّsharpened, pared
Etymology
The verb comes from the Semitic root b-r-y, carrying the sense of cutting or paring something into shape. In classical usage it named the act of trimming a reed pen to a writing point, a daily task before metal nibs. The related root b-r-ʼ, with a final hamza, means to create or fashion, and the two ideas of shaping and making sit close together.
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