mma3en الماعن
Moroccan Darija · noun
“mma3en” (الماعن) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning dishes (plates, utensils).
Meanings
- dishes (plates, utensils)
- kitchen utensils
Usage
Lmma3en refers to all the dishes and kitchen utensils: plates, glasses, pots. The word is almost always used with the article, as a plural collective noun. The most frequent expression is ghsel lmma3en, "to do the dishes", literally "to wash the dishes". The variant lmwa3en is also heard. The word is informal and common throughout the country, especially in the context of household chores and the complaints that go with them. For a single item, people name the item itself (tebsil, "plate"; kas, "glass") rather than using a singular of lmma3en.
Example
ماكايغسلش ل الماعن
makayghselch l mma3en
“He doesn't wash the dishes.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mma3en” but also “lmma3en” and “mma3n”. 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.