m3affen معفن
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“m3affen” (معفن) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning rotten, moldy.
Meanings
- rotten, moldy
- filthy, dirty
- lousy, rotten (pejorative)
Usage
M3affen (feminine m3affna) is said of spoiled or moldy food, then of anything dirty or foul-smelling. Figuratively, very common, it contemptuously describes a person, behavior, match, or service: "lousy, rotten, no good". Addressed to someone (ya m3affen), it becomes a fairly strong insult, to avoid outside a familiar setting. The corresponding verb is t3affen, "to rot". The word is very common in online sports and political commentary.
Example
الطماطم هاذي معفنة، ارميها
e-tmatem hedhi m3affna, armiha
“These tomatoes are rotten, throw them away.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “m3affen” but also “m3afen”, “m3afn” and “m3affan”. 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.