# عسى



## Josh_

I am curious about the word عسى.   I am wondering how it is used and what exactly it signifies.  Is it similar to either ربما or  يمكن?  For example, can I say عسى أن / عساه (أن) يذهب إلى المحل?  And if so, would it mean something similar to would mean ربما يذهب إلى المحل or يمكنه يذهب إلى المحل?

I have tried to use the word two times on the forum, although I am not sure  if I used them correctly?  Here are the sentences:

" *عسى* أن أفضلها لأني حينما أفكر في الجملة الإنجليزية أعتقد أن قصد الشاعر إلى تشبيهها بيوم منفرد عن بقية أيام الصيف..."ـ
(from here)

And
"لا أظن أن "فر بـ" عبارة مناسبة في هذه الجملة ولكنني غير متأكد مما نستطيع استعماله فأطلب مساعدتكم. *عسى* أن نستعمل يُكتشف: لقد غش الطلاب في الامتحان ويُكتشفوا؟ ما آرائكم؟"ـ
(from here)

Did I use them correctly?


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## shafaq

It is to say "It is hoped that..."  as it was at  عسى الله يرحمه ;which means "It is* hoped (asked)* that Allah has mercy on him !".


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## cherine

Yes, it's like hopefully. So, I don't think it works well in the sentences you gave.
Here's a couple of examples:

ذهبت إلى النادي اليوم، عسى أن أرى أصدقائي.
أدعو الله عسى أن يغفر لي.


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## makandés66

does عسى exist in any of the dialects aside from the fixed religious expressions that shafaq supplied?


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## suma

I doubt that you'd hear it in any of the dialects. 
Even in MSA it's considered very eloquent speech or writing.


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## Kinan

I think Gulf people use it much.


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## suma

I was just guessing above and I knew I'd soon be proven wrong.
You have some examples of Gulf dialect?


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## Kinan

Not really, but I just remember I hear this word a lot by Saudis.
Let's wait for someone from there to confirm.


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## gonzalomunar

I've heard that used in the Gulf, especially in songs. The first song is sung by Ahlam and the second, by Salah Al Zadjali:
عساك بخير
عسى ما يوحشك غالي


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## Masjeen

makandés66 said:


> does عسى exist in any of the dialects aside from the fixed religious expressions that shafaq supplied?



yes.. it's exist in the dialects of arabian peninsula
for example

عسى ما شر = i hope there is no problem 
عساك بخير = i hope you are fine


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## إسكندراني

Yes, Gulf arabs will mixed their dialects with eloquent speech, as will some people from other countries, and might say things like عساني أراك قريبًا


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## suma

So you're saying when 3asaa is used it's not really dialect speech, but an example of pulling from the fuS-haa and mixing it with colloquial for certain emphasis or style?
Then all dialects do that, at times don't they?


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## Schem

إسكندراني said:


> Yes, Gulf arabs will mixed their dialects with eloquent speech, as will some people from other countries, and might say things like عساني أراك قريبًا



I don't know what you mean by mixing the dialects with "eloquent speech" when the dialects themselves evolved from Fus'Ha/Classical Arabic. 3asa عسى is not a modern addition made to make our speech sound 'eloquent', it's been part of Najd-Khaleeji vocabulary for centuries and was used by our illiterate grandmothers.


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## WadiH

suma said:


> I doubt that you'd hear it in any of the dialects.
> Even in MSA it's considered very eloquent speech or writing.



It's a very common-place word in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.  I don't even know what possible alternative to it there would be!  As Schem said, it is an inherited feature of the traditional dialects and not the result of any mixing with Classical Arabic / MSA.


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## إسكندراني

It's how outsiders would percieve words which are not used in their dialects. We would feel that their speech is richer in vocabulary than ours.


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## uas60

I thought la3alla had the meaning of 'hopefully' - in which case, what is the difference between 3asaa and la3alla (by the way, is 3asaa from akhawat kaana?).
(Sorry for use of transliteration only!)


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## WadiH

"la3alla" means "maybe" or "perhaps" (لعلّه قد نسي = perhaps he forgot) though it can carry an element of hopefulness in some contexts (سأتحدث إليه لعلّه يغيّر رأيه = I will speak to him in the hope that he might change his mind), in which case it may be interchangeable with "3asa".  "3asa" on the other hand is unambiguously used to express hopefulness.


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## uas60

Wadi Hanifa said:


> "3asa" on the other hand is *unambiguously used to express hopefulness*.



That would make sense in a lot of cases but there are a couple where it still seems to mean a general "maybe"/"it could be..." e.g.
وعسى ان تكرهوا شيئا وهو خير لكم وعسى ان تحبوا شيئا وهو شر لكم
It seems unlikely to say "_hopefully _you would love something while it is bad for you..."

(Whereas I do feel like la3alla would be more of a meaning of "hopefully" but I'm not native this is just the impression I've got!)


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## WadiH

I think this example is identical with the situations I mentioned earlier where لعل has the meaning of hopefully.  The example is not a neutral "perhaps"; it is "perhaps" mixed with hope for the outcome, almost like a prayer.  It's like saying عساه يكون درساً لكم ("may it be a lesson to you").


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