7ram حرام
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“7ram” (حرام) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning forbidden by religion, haram.
Meanings
- forbidden by religion, haram
- unfair, what a shame
Usage
7ram describes what religion prohibits (alcohol, corruption, theft), as opposed to 7lal (permitted). In conversation, it is also used to denounce an injustice or a waste: "7ram 3lik!" (shame on you!), "7ram tlou7ha" (it's a shame to throw it away). "Ma 7ram ma 7lal" is used for someone who respects nothing. The word is invariable and very frequent, even among speakers who are not very observant. An English speaker may know it as "haram", but Moroccan usage is broader than the religious sense alone.
Example
راه رشوة حرام
rah rechwa 7ram
“Corruption is forbidden.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7ram” but also “hram”, “haram” and “7aram”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.
Type “7ram” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “forbidden by religion, unlawful”; “what a pity, it's unfair”: 7ram in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “forbidden by religion, unlawful”; “a shame, unfair”: 7ram in Tunisian.