3l 3omoum عل عموم
Moroccan Darija · expression
“3l 3omoum” (عل عموم) is an expression in Moroccan Darija meaning in general, overall.
Meanings
- in general, overall
- in short, anyway
Usage
3la l3omoum (often written 3l 3omoum) means "in general" or "on the whole". It is placed at the start of a sentence to sum up a situation or qualify what precedes: 3la l3omoum, kolchi mzyan, "on the whole, everything is fine". In speech, it also works as a closing marker, meaning "in short" or "anyway", to cut an explanation short. The expression comes from Standard Arabic but is very common, including in a casual register. A close variant is f l3omoum.
Example
على العموم، الماكلة كانت زوينة
3la l3omoum, lmakla kant zwina
“Overall, the food was good.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3l 3omoum” but also “3ll 3omom” and “3ll 3omoum”. 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.