d3if ضعيف
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“d3if” (ضعيف) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning weak, lacking strength.
Meanings
- weak, lacking strength
- thin, skinny
- vulnerable, fragile
Usage
D3if means "weak" in the physical, moral or academic sense: d3if f lmath, "weak in maths". In Morocco it also very commonly means "thin", a sense that English speakers don't always guess: wllit d3if, "you've lost weight". Context tells you which of the two senses is meant. The feminine is d3ifa and the plural is d3af. The expression d3if l9lb describes a sensitive or fearful person. For someone fragile or destitute, it is also used with a nuance of compassion: lmeskin d3if, "the poor guy, he's vulnerable".
Example
أنا ضعيف ف المطه
ana D3if f lmath
“I'm weak in maths.”
Forms
| feminine | D3ifa |
|---|---|
| plural | D3af |
| feminine plural | D3ifat |
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 “d3if” but also “da3if” and “d3ef”. 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.
Type “d3if” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “weak, without strength”; “thin, skinny”: dh3if in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “weak, without strength”; “thin, skinny”: dh3if in Tunisian.