i3dadi إعدادي
Moroccan Darija · noun
“i3dadi” (إعدادي) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning middle school (lower secondary education).
Meanings
- middle school (lower secondary education)
- preparatory
Usage
In the Moroccan school system, the i3dadi is the cycle that follows the ibtida2i (primary) and precedes the tanawi (high school). People say l-i3dadi or l-i3dadiya for the school itself: ana f l-i3dadi, "I'm in middle school". The word is very common among pupils and parents. It alternates with the French "collège", which is also widely used. Pitfall: as an adjective, i3dadi can also mean "preparatory". A school context almost always points to the meaning "middle school".
Example
خويا باقي قاري فالإعدادي
khoya ba9i 9ari f l'i3dadi
“My brother is still in middle school.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “i3dadi” but also “e3dadi” and “i3dadiya”. 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.