3ali عالي
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“3ali” (عالي) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning high, tall.
Meanings
- high, tall
- loud (sound, voice)
- superior, high-level
Usage
3ali applies to what is high in the physical sense (a wall, a building, a floor) as well as in the figurative sense: a high level, price or status. With a voice or sound, it means "loud": hder b sout 3ali, "to speak in a loud voice". The feminine is 3alya and the plural is 3alyin. For "tall" when speaking of a person, twil is used instead. The expression mostawa 3ali ("high level") is very common, notably for studies, sport or lifestyle. The opposite is hbit or mnekhfed depending on the context.
Example
عاشت في واحد المستوى عالي
3acht f wa7ed lmostawa 3ali
“She lived in an affluent environment.”
Forms
| feminine | 3alia |
|---|---|
| plural | 3alyin |
| feminine plural | 3alyat |
Forms as recorded in DODa, in its spelling.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3ali” but also “3aali”, “aali” and “3aly”. 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.
Type “3ali” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “high, tall”; “loud (voice, sound)”: 3ali in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “high, tall”; “loud (voice, sound)”: 3ali in Tunisian.