ittifa9 إتّفاق
Moroccan Darija · noun
“ittifa9” (إتّفاق) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning agreement, understanding.
Meanings
- agreement, understanding
- deal made between people
Usage
Ittifaq is a word of standard origin, common in darija for talking about an agreement, whether formal or private. It is used with dar "to make": daru ittifaq "they reached an agreement". You also say 3la ittifaq "agreed, okay" to confirm an arrangement. The word is masculine. In casual conversation you also often hear the French "d'accord" or the expression mtafqin "we agree". In the press and on television, it refers to political or commercial agreements.
Example
راه مدايرين اتفاق سري
rah mdayrin itifa9 sirri
“They have made a secret agreement.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ittifa9” but also “itifa9”, “ttifa9”, “ittifaq” and “itifaq”. 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.