9a3ida قاعدة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“9a3ida” (قاعدة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning rule, norm.
Meanings
- rule, norm
- base (military), foundation
- principle, established custom
Usage
9a3ida first means a rule: a grammar rule, a rule of a game, or a rule of conduct. It is also used for a military base or the foundation of a building or an argument. In conversation, people often say "hadi 9a3ida" to state a general principle. The word belongs to a somewhat formal register, often school or administrative, but everyone understands it. For a rule of life or a custom, you also hear "l-3ada". The plural is "9awa3id". With the article, it is "l-9a3ida".
Example
فهمتي هاد القاعدة ديال النحو؟
fhemti had l9a3ida dyal nna7w?
“Did you understand this grammar rule?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9a3ida” but also “qa3ida”, “ka3ida”, “9aa3ida” and “9a3eda”. 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; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.
Type “9a3ida” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “in the middle of doing (female subject)”; “sitting, staying (feminine)”: ga3da in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “rule, principle”; “base, foundation”: 9a3da in Tunisian.