l9ita3 lkhas لقطاع لخاص
Moroccan Darija · expression
“l9ita3 lkhas” (لقطاع لخاص) is an expression in Moroccan Darija meaning private sector.
Meanings
- private sector
Usage
The expression l9iTa3 lkhaS means "the private sector". It comes from Standard Arabic but is commonly used in darija, especially when talking about jobs, salaries or studies. It is heard in sentences such as khddam f l9iTa3 lkhaS, "he works in the private sector". In casual conversation it is often shortened to lkhaS or to sbitar/mdrasa dial lkhaS depending on context. The French word "privé" is also readily used. It is the opposite of l9iTa3 l3amm, "the public sector". Its register is rather serious: it turns up in discussions about work, in the news and in administration.
Example
خدام فالقطاع الخاص
khddam f l9iTa3 lkhaS
“He works in the private sector.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “l9ita3 lkhas” but also “lqita3 lkhass” and “l9ta3 lkhas”. 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.