3adem عادم
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“3adem” (عادم) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning worthless, rubbish, lame.
Meanings
- worthless, rubbish, lame
- useless, incompetent (of a person)
Usage
The adjective 3adem is a blunt, colloquial negative judgment: a match, a film, an argument or a person that is worth nothing. "Mantqou 3adem" means "his reasoning doesn't hold up". Applied to a person, it calls them incapable or pathetic. It's not a crude insult, but the word is frankly derogatory and can offend. The feminine is 3adma and the plural is 3admin. It goes after the noun or is used as a predicate, with or without the verb ken. It is heard a lot in sports commentary and on social media.
Example
الماتش البارح كان عادم
el match lbare7 ken 3adem
“Yesterday's match was rubbish.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3adem” but also “adem”, “3adim”, “3edem” and “adam”. 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.