fze3 فزع
Moroccan Darija · verb
“fze3” (فزع) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to start, to be suddenly frightened.
Meanings
- to start, to be suddenly frightened
- to be afraid
Usage
The verb fze3 denotes a sudden, physical fear, the kind that makes you jump, rather than lasting fear. It is mostly used in the past tense: fze3t (I jumped), fze3 mn n3as (he woke up with a start). The cause is introduced with mn or melli (when). For a more general or lasting fear, one rather says khaf. To say "to frighten someone", the causative form fezze3 is used: fezze3tini (you made me jump). The register is informal and everyday. Note that the word evokes first of all the start, not anxiety.
Example
فزعت ملي سمعت الباب تسد
fze3t melli sme3t lbab tsedd
“I jumped when I heard the door shut.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “fze3” but also “fza3”, “fz3”, “fzee3” and “fzaa3”. 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.