l9ita3 l3amm لقطاع لعامّ
Moroccan Darija · expression
“l9ita3 l3amm” (لقطاع لعامّ) is an expression in Moroccan Darija meaning public sector.
Meanings
- public sector
Usage
The expression l9iTa3 l3amm means "the public sector". It comes from Standard Arabic and is used in darija to talk about the civil service, state hospitals and schools, or employment in general. It is the opposite of l9iTa3 lkhaS, "the private sector". In everyday conversation, people more often say lwadifa l3omomiya, or simply "the State": khddam m3a ddawla, "he works for the State". The register is rather formal. It is found mainly in the media, in administration and in discussions about work.
Example
بغا يخدم فالقطاع العام
bgha ykhdem f l9iTa3 l3amm
“He wants to work in the public sector.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “l9ita3 l3amm” but also “l9ita3 l3am”, “lqita3 l3am” and “l9ta3 l3amm”. 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; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.