lmaa3en لماعن
Algerian Darja · noun
“lmaa3en” (لماعن) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning dishes, kitchen utensils.
Meanings
- dishes, kitchen utensils
Usage
This plural noun covers all the dishes, plates, pots and utensils. It is almost always used with the article: lmaa3en. The most frequent expression is ghsel lmaa3en, "to do the dishes", very much in evidence during Ramadan after the ftour. Depending on the region, lmwa3en is also heard. The singular, mi3oun or maa3oun, means a single container. The register is everyday, domestic and neutral.
Example
روحي اغسلي الماعن قبل ما يجيو الضياف
rouhi ghesli lmaa3en qbel ma yjiw dyaf
“Go wash the dishes before the guests arrive.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “lmaa3en” but also “lmaan” and “lma3en”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.