3ziz عزيز
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“3ziz” (عزيز) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning dear, precious.
Meanings
- dear, precious
- my dear (term of address)
Usage
3ziz describes a person or thing one is attached to. The typical construction is 3ziz 3lia ("dear to me"). The feminine is 3ziza, and with a possessive 3zizi, 3zizti ("my dear", masculine and feminine). These forms are used to address someone affectionately, sometimes with a touch of irony. The word is also a common male first name. Note that 3ziz never refers to price. To say that something is expensive, use ghali.
Example
انا وايّاك يا عزيزتي
ana wayyek ya 3zizti
“You and me, my dear.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3ziz” but also “3zizi”, “aziz” and “3ziza”. 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.
Type “3ziz” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “dear, precious (affectionately)”; “to be very fond of (3ziz 3la)”: 3ziz in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “dear, beloved”; “precious, much valued”: 3ziz in Algerian.