How to say “difficult” in Darija
In Moroccan, you say “s3ib”; in Algerian, “wa3er” and “s3ib”; in Tunisian, “s3ib” and “sa3ba”.
In Moroccan Darija
s3ib صعيب
An adjective meaning “difficult, hard”; “tough, harsh (situation, period)”; “strict, demanding (person)”.
كان نهار صعيب: “It was a hard day.”
In Algerian Darja
wa3er واعر
An adjective meaning “hard, difficult”; “great, awesome”; “tough, formidable (person)”.
الامتحان كان واعر بزاف: “The exam was very hard.”
s3ib صعيب
An adjective meaning “difficult”; “hard, harsh (times, situation)”.
الامتحان كان صعيب بزاف.: “The exam was very difficult.”
In Tunisian Derja
s3ib صعيب
An adjective meaning “difficult, not easy”; “hard, painful to bear”; “demanding, hard-natured”.
الامتحان كان صعيب برشا.: “The exam was very difficult.”
sa3ba صعبة
An adjective meaning “difficult (feminine)”; “hard, tough to live with”.
الخدمة هاذي صعبة برشا: “This job is very difficult.”