bit lma بيت الما
Moroccan Darija · noun
“bit lma” (بيت الما) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning toilet, restroom.
Meanings
- toilet, restroom
- washroom
Usage
Bit lma literally means "the room of water". It is the most common expression in Morocco for the toilet, at home as well as in a public place. It is neutral and polite, and can be used freely in front of anyone. One commonly says "fin kayn bit lma?" to ask where the toilet is. The word is almost always used with the article: "bit lma". It should not be confused with the hammam, which means the steam bath. Depending on the house, it can also mean a small washroom with a basin. "Twalit", borrowed from French, is also heard.
Example
سمح ليا، فين كاين بيت الما؟
sme7 lia, fin kayn bit lma?
“Excuse me, where is the toilet?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bit lma” but also “bit l-ma”, “bit elma” and “beit lma”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “bit lma” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “toilet, WC”: bit lma in Algerian.