fennan فنان
Moroccan Darija · noun
“fennan” (فنان) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning artist (singer, actor, painter).
Meanings
- artist (singer, actor, painter)
- very talented person in their field
Usage
Fennan means an artist, especially a well-known singer or actor. The feminine is fennana, the plural fennanin. In everyday speech, the word is also a compliment for someone who does things with talent: a cook, a footballer, a craftsman. For example, "had r-rajel fennan". It can also describe someone who has mastered the art of getting by, with an amused nuance. The register is neutral. The word is very frequent in the media and in conversations about music or television.
Example
مخرج واعر فنان
mokhrij wa3r fanan
“A brilliant director, a real artist.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “fennan” but also “fannan”, “fnnan” and “fanan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “fennan” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “artist (singer, actor, painter…)”; “very gifted person, ace”: fennan in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “artist”; “skilled, gifted, clever”: fannen in Tunisian.