fa9ir فقير
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“fa9ir” (فقير) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning poor, destitute.
Meanings
- poor, destitute
- a poor person, someone in need
Usage
Fa9ir means "poor", in the sense of "without resources". The feminine is "fa9ira". The plural "fu9ara" means "the poor", especially in a context of charity or zakat. It is used as an adjective or as a noun. The word is understood by everyone, but it is a little more neutral or formal than colloquial forms such as "mzelot" or "ma3ndou walou". Pitfall: "meskin" first means "poor thing" in the sense of pity, not lack of money. In Morocco, the form "fqir" also refers to a member of a Sufi brotherhood.
Example
دكشي علاش أنا فقير
dkchi 3lach ana fa9ir
“That's why I'm poor.”
Forms
| feminine | fa9ira |
|---|---|
| plural | fo9ara |
| feminine plural | fa9irat |
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 “fa9ir” but also “faqir”, “fe9ir” and “fa9ira”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.
Type “fa9ir” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “poor, destitute”; “poor in something”: fqir in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “poor, without means”; “a poor person, a destitute person”: fa9ir in Tunisian.