mtwetter متوتّر
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“mtwetter” (متوتّر) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning tense, nervous.
Meanings
- tense, nervous
- stressed, on edge
Usage
A common adjective for a nervous or stressed person, for example before an exam or an interview, or for a tense situation. It combines readily with chwiya, bezzaf or dima. The feminine is mtwettra and the plural mtwettrin. Colloquial speech also has more vivid equivalents, such as mqalle9 ("upset, annoyed") or m3asseb. To calm someone down, people rather say hdden rassek or ma tqelle9ch. The word comes from the standard register but is very well integrated.
Example
راه متوتر كتر من القياس
rah mtwetter ktr mn l9yass
“He is more stressed than he should be.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mtwetter” but also “mtwttr”, “mtwtter”, “matwatar” and “motawatir”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.