3dhim عظيم
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“3dhim” (عظيم) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning great, wonderful.
Meanings
- great, wonderful
- grand, mighty, majestic
Usage
3dhim is used to praise a performance, an idea or a piece of news, often on its own as a reply ("3dhim!"), like "great" or "excellent". The register is slightly more formal than bahi or mezyen, which remain the ordinary words of approval. It is also used in the sense of "grand, majestic", especially in religious formulas such as "Rabbi el 3dhim". The adjective follows the noun ("mmathel 3dhim", a great actor). The feminine is 3dhima. It is not a colloquial word: said in an ironic tone, it can mean the opposite.
Example
الفيلم هذا عظيم، لازم تتفرج فيه.
el film hedha 3dhim, lazem tetfarrej fih.
“This film is great, you have to watch it.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3dhim” but also “3adhim”, “a3dhim” and “3dim”. 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.