Learn ArabicA1 › دَرَى

دَرَى

to know, to be aware /daˈraː/

verbA1#487 most common

Also: to realize, to be aware of, to have knowledge of

Example sentences

لا أَدْرِي.
I don't know.
هل تَدْرِي أين هي؟
Do you know where she is?
لا أَدْرِي لماذا تأخّر.
I don't know why he is late.
ما دَرَيْتُ بقدومك.
I was not aware of your arrival.
لم يَدْرِ المعلّمُ أنّ الطلابَ غادروا الصفّ.
The teacher did not know that the students had left the classroom.
لو دَرَى ما ينتظره من متاعبَ، لما قبِل العملَ.
Had he known the troubles awaiting him, he would not have accepted the job.

Conjugation

Present ActiveSimple Past ActiveSimple Future Active
1sgأَدْرِيدَرَيْتُسَأَدْرِي
2sgتَدْرِيدَرَيْتَسَتَدْرِي
3sgيَدْرِيدَرَىسَيَدْرِي
1plنَدْرِيدَرَيْنَاسَنَدْرِي
2plتَدْرُونَدَرَيْتُمْسَتَدْرُونَ
3plيَدْرُونَدَرَوْاسَيَدْرُونَ

Word family

دِرَايَةknowledge, know-how, awareness
أَدْرَىto inform, to let know
يَدْرِيhe knows (imperfect)
لا أَدْرِيI don't know (common expression)

Etymology

دَرَى comes from the Semitic root د-ر-ي (d-r-y), tied to knowing and perceiving. It often implies awareness reached through experience rather than formal study. The related noun دِرَايَة means practical know-how. Despite a surface echo, the verb is not connected to Indo-European words for knowing.

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