m39oul معقول
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“m39oul” (معقول) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning reasonable, acceptable, fair.
Meanings
- reasonable, acceptable, fair
- serious, decent (person)
- really? is that possible?
Usage
Ma39oul describes what is acceptable or normal. The phrase machi ma39oul, "that's not normal, not right", is very often used to express indignation. Said of a person, the word means "serious, level-headed, honest": bnadem ma39oul. The feminine is ma39oula and the plural ma39oulin. Said alone with a questioning intonation, ma39oul? expresses astonishment, like "seriously?" or "that's impossible!". It is also used for a fair price: taman ma39oul.
Example
هادشي ماشي معقول
hadchi machi m39oul
“That is not right.”
Forms
| feminine | m39ola |
|---|---|
| plural | m39olin |
| feminine plural | m39olat |
Forms as recorded in DODa, in its spelling.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “m39oul” but also “ma39oul”, “m39ol”, “me39oul” and “ma39ol”. 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.
Type “m39oul” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “reasonable, sensible”; “decent, acceptable (place, price)”: ma3koul in Tunisian.