chitan شيطان
Moroccan Darija · noun
“chitan” (شيطان) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning devil, demon.
Meanings
- devil, demon
- mischievous or cheeky person
Usage
Chitan refers to the devil, Satan, or a demon in general. The word appears in many everyday expressions. One says l3en chitan, "curse the devil", to calm an argument or ward off a bad thought. Applied to a person, and especially to a child, chitan takes a softened meaning: someone clever, mischievous or very sharp. Depending on the tone, it can be a reproach or almost a compliment. The plural is chyaten. Do not confuse this affectionate sense with a serious insult. Context and intonation are decisive.
Example
ماكاين شي شيطان جد بنادم
makayn shi shitan gd bnadm
“There is no devil worse than a human being.”
Forms
| plural | chayaTin |
|---|
Forms as recorded in DODa, in its spelling.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chitan” but also “chitane”, “shitan” and “chaytan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “chitan” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “devil, Satan, demon”; “mischievous child; cunning person”: chitane in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “devil, demon, Satan”; “rascal, unruly child”: chitan in Tunisian.