Verb of the Day

Verb of the Day

Raʼá

رَأَى

 

Welcome to Verb of the Day series, where we will learn about the meanings of various verbs in the Arabic language and the ways of their conjugation with pronouns in different verb tenses. We will also look at numerous examples from everyday life situations and we will have examples from key sources of Arabic and Islamic culture, such as the Holy Quran, Hadith and poetry.

We will begin our series with the verb “رَأَى” (Raʼá), which translates to “saw”

Main Meaning

To see with your eye

The verb means to see with the naked eye. For instance,

The father saw his son playing.

Raʼá alʼabu ibnahu yalʻabu

رَأَى الأَبُ اِبنَهُ يَلعَبُ

He saw the star in the sky.

Raʼá alnaajma fī alssamāʼi

رَأَى النَّجمَ في السَّماءِ

To give an opinion

It also denotes an individual’s perspective on a specific statement or opinion. In this sense, the verb means “to believe”. Look at the following example:

My father saw (believed) that this opinion was wrong.

Raʼá aby ann hadhā alraaʼya khāṭiʼun

رَأَى أَبي أَنّ هَذا الرَّأيَ خاطِئٌ

The father saw (believed) that the television was large, and the mother saw (believed) that it was suitable

Raʼá alʼabu ann altilfāza kabyrun waraʼati alʼummu annh munāsibun

رَأَى الأَبُ أَنّ التِلفازَ كَبيرٌ وَرَأَتِ الأُمُّ أَنّه مُناسِبٌ

Present and Past Conjugations

Now let’s look at how the verb رأى conjugates with pronouns in the past and present tenses.

English

Transcription

Arabic

I saw / I see

Anā raʼaytu – anā ará

أَنا رَأَيتُ / أَنا أَرى

We saw / We see

Naḥnu raʼaynā – naḥnu nará

نَحنُ رَأَينا / نَحنُ نَرى

He saw/ He sees

Huwa raʼá – huwa yará

هُوَ رَأَى / هُوَ يَرى

They saw/ They see (M/P)

Hum raʼaw – hum yarwna

هُم رَأَوا/ هُم يَرونَ

She saw/ She sees

Hya raʼt – hya tará

هيَ رَأت / هيَ تَرى

They saw/ They see (F/P)

Hunn raʼayna – hunn yarwna

هُنّ رَأَينَ/ هُنّ يَرونَ

You saw/ You see (M/S)

Anta rʼayta – anta tará

أنتَ رأَيتَ / أنتَ تَرى

You saw/ You see (M/P)

Antum raʼaytum – antum tarwna

أَنتُم رَأَيتُم/ أَنتُم تَرونَ

You saw/ You see (F/S)

Anti rʼyti – anti tryna

أنتِ رأيتِ / أنتِ ترينَ

You saw / You see (F/P)

Antunna raʼaytunna – antunn tarwna

أَنتُنَّ رَأَيتُنَّ / أَنتُنّ تَرونَ

You saw/ You see (D)

Antumā rʼytumā – antumā tryāni

أَنتُما رأيتُما/ أنتُما تريانِ

They saw / They see (M/D)

Humā rʼyā – humā yryān

هُما رأيا / هما يريان

*P: Plural        S: Singular     D: Dual       F: Feminine      M: Masculine

Verb in the Quran

Here is an example of the usage of the verb “رَأَى “(Raʼá) “saw” in the Holy Quran:

So when the night covered him [with darkness], he saw a star.

falmmā jann ʻalyhi alllaylu raʼá kawkaban

فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّيْلُ رَأَى كَوْكَبًا. ( الأنعام: 76 )

Verb in the Hadith

We can also find an example of the usage of the verb “رَأَى “(Raʼá) “saw” in the Hadith. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says:

This Hadith means: (Whoever amongst you sees an evil, he must change it with his hand.)

man raʼá minkum munkaran falyughayyrhu biyadih

(مَن رَأَى مِنكُم مُنكَرًا فَليُغَيّرهُ بِيَدِه ..)

Verb in Poetry

The verb رأى is also used in the following line of poetry:

رَأَيتُ الدّهرّ مُختَلِفًا يَدورُ       فَلا حُزنٌ يَدومُ وَلا سُرورُ

Raʼaytu alddhrr mukhtalifan yadwru falā ḥuznun yadwmu walā surwru

This verse means the following: “I have seen time turn in varied ways; neither sorrow nor joy endures.”

It invites us to maintain a balanced perspective on life. When faced with challenges, we can find solace in knowing that difficult times will pass. Similarly, during moments of happiness, we should cherish them without becoming overly attached, understanding that they, too, are transient.

Of course, in this context, the verb رأى implies “observing” time and how it changes, rather than “seeing” it physically.

More Examples

I see the sun shining.

Anā ará alshaamsa mushriqtan

أَنا أَرى الشَّمسَ مُشرِقّةً

You see that the weather is suitable for camping.

Anta tará ann alṭṭqsa munāsibun liltaakhyymi

أَنتَ تَرى أَنّ الطّقسَ مُناسِبٌ لِلتَّخييمِ

She saw the teacher coming.

Hiya raʼat almuʻallimta qādimtan

هِيَ رَأَت المُعَلِّمةَ قادمةً

We saw the stars adorning the sky.

Raʼaynā alnnujwma tuzayyinu alsaamāʼ

رَأَينا النُّجومَ تُزَيِّنُ السَّماء

Did you see the news yesterday?

Hal raʼaytum nashrta alʼakhbāri albāriḥta?

هَل رَأَيتُم نَشرةَ الأَخبارِ البارِحةَ؟

Do you see the dress as appropriate?

Hal tarwna anaa alllibāsa munāsibun?

هل تَرونَ أنَّ اللِّباسَ مُناسِبٌ؟

Word Derivations

Furthermore, there are words derived from the same root of this verb, such as:

vision

Rāʼī

رُؤْيَةٌ

visible

marʼī

مَرْئِي

viewer

ruʼyatun

رَائِي

Similar Verbs

Lastly, there is another Arabic verb that carries the same meaning as the verb يرى “to see,” which is looking and watching somebody or an event for an extended period. In this situation, we translate رأى to ‘watch’ to convey the intended meaning. In Arabic too, the verb شاهد /Shāhada/ carries the same meaning. 

Read the following examples and notice the similarity between رأى and شاهد:

Example 1

I saw the teacher driving the car

Raʼaytu almuʻallima yaqūdu alssayyārta

رَأَيتُ المُعَلِّمَ يَقُودُ السَّيَّارةَ

I watched the teacher driving the car

Shāhadtu almuʻallima yaqūdu alssayyārta

شاهَدتُ المُعَلِّمَ يَقُودُ السَّيَّارةَ

Example 2

We saw a useful program on TV

Raʼaynā fī alttilfāzi barnāmajan mufydan

رَأَينا في التِّلفازِ بَرنامَجًا مُفيدًا

We watched a useful program on TV

Shāhadnā fī alttilfāzi barnāmajan mufydan

شاهَدنا في التِّلفازِ بَرنامَجًا مُفيدًا

Conclusion

If you like this verb, go to Verb of the Day page to learn about other important Arabic verbs. 

Finally, we would like to remind you to check our special planner that you can use to speed up your learning journey. In the planner, you will be given a rich 30-page worksheet accompanied by over 200 practical exercises and activities. It will help you back your acquired knowledge and newly learned language and push your learning journey forward with tons of practice opportunities.

You can also download the AlifBee app and begin your learning journey with a wealth of exercises designed to make learning Arabic engaging and effective. The app offers interactive lessons, quizzes, and activities that cater to all levels, ensuring a comprehensive and enjoyable experience.

Dania Ghraoui
Dania has worked as a language instructor and translator for almost 10 years. She has a special interest in the Arabic language and learning methods.
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