derri sghir درّي صغير
Moroccan Darija · expression
“derri sghir” (درّي صغير) is an expression in Moroccan Darija meaning little boy.
Meanings
- little boy
- young child
Usage
Derri sghir literally means "little boy". The expression specifies that the child is young, since derri alone can also refer to a teenager or a young man. The feminine is derriya sghira, and the plural is drari sghar. It is also used figuratively to reproach someone for childish behaviour: ma bqitich derri sghir, "you're not a kid any more". It is an expression of ordinary register, heard in all situations.
Example
باقي درّي صغير، ما يفهمش
ba9i derri sghir, ma yfhemch
“He's still a little boy, he doesn't understand.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “derri sghir” but also “dri sghir”, “drri sghir” and “derri s8ir”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.