Learn ArabicB1 › وَعَى

وَعَى

to comprehend, to be aware of /waˈʕaː/

verbB1#2969 most common

Also: to grasp mentally, to retain in memory, to regain consciousness

Example sentences

هُوَ يَعِي الدَّرْسَ جَيِّدًا.
He understands the lesson well.
لَمْ تَعِ الطِّفْلَةُ مَاذَا حَدَثَ.
The little girl did not grasp what had happened.
وَعَى الرَّجُلُ خُطُورَةَ الْمَوْقِفِ بَعْدَ فَوَاتِ الْأَوَانِ.
The man became aware of the seriousness of the situation after it was too late.
يَجِبُ أَنْ نَعِيَ أَهَمِّيَّةَ الْحِفَاظِ عَلَى الْبِيئَةِ.
We must be aware of the importance of protecting the environment.
لَمْ يَعِ الْمَرِيضُ بَعْدَ الْعَمَلِيَّةِ الْجِرَاحِيَّةِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ سَاعَاتٍ.
The patient did not regain consciousness after the surgery until hours later.
وَعَتِ الْأُمَّةُ دَرْسَ التَّارِيخِ فَتَجَنَّبَتْ تَكْرَارَ أَخْطَائِهَا.
The nation took the lesson of history to heart, and so it avoided repeating its mistakes.

Conjugation

Present ActiveSimple Past ActiveSimple Future Active
1sgأَعِيوَعَيْتُسَأَعِي
2sgتَعِيوَعَيْتَسَتَعِي
3sgيَعِيوَعَىسَيَعِي
1plنَعِيوَعَيْنَاسَنَعِي
2plتَعُونَوَعَيْتُمْسَتَعُونَ
3plيَعُونَوَعَوْاسَيَعُونَ

Word family

وَعْيconsciousness, awareness
وَاعٍaware, mindful, conscious
وِعَاءcontainer, vessel
اللَاوَعْيthe subconscious

Etymology

Waʿā comes from the Semitic triliteral root w-ʿ-y, whose core sense is to hold or contain something so it is not lost. The same root gives wiʿāʾ, a vessel or container. The verb extends this image from the physical to the mental: the mind holds an idea the way a jar holds water, so waʿā came to mean grasping something and keeping it in mind.

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