ch8ar tes3a شهر تسعة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“ch8ar tes3a” (شهر تسعة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning September, ninth month of the year.
Meanings
- September, ninth month of the year
Usage
Chhar tes3a literally means "the month nine". In Morocco, the months of the Gregorian calendar are very often named by their number, preceded by chhar ("month"). This system is the most common in conversation, especially for administrative or school dates and appointments. The noun "chtenbir", borrowed from French, is also heard. Fi chhar tes3a means "in September". September is when the school year starts, dkhoul lmadrasa, and when many diaspora families return after the summer. Pitfall: don't confuse this calendar with the Islamic lunar months, which have their own names.
Example
الدخول المدرسي كيكون ف شهر تسعة.
dkhoul lmadrasi kaykoun f chhar tes3a.
“The school year starts in September.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ch8ar tes3a” but also “ch8er tes3a”. 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; 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.