mo7tarem محترم
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“mo7tarem” (محترم) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning respectable, decent.
Meanings
- respectable, decent
- respected, esteemed
Usage
Mo7tarem describes a person who is correct, polite and well-mannered. It is a common compliment: wled mo7tarem, "a well-behaved boy". The expression mo7tarem rou7ou means "he respects himself", that is, he keeps his dignity and stays out of trouble. The word also applies to a family, a place or a serious job. The feminine is mo7tarma, the plural mo7tarmin. With an ironic tone, it can refer to someone who plays at being respectable.
Example
راجل محترم، عمرو ما قلقني.
rajel mo7tarem, 3omrou ma 9ala9ni.
“He's a respectable man, he has never bothered me.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mo7tarem” but also “m7tarem”, “mohtarem”, “mou7tarem” and “mo7tarm”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.
Type “mo7tarem” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “respectable, respected”; “polite, well-mannered”: mo7taram in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “respectable, worthy of respect”; “decent, proper, as it should be”: mohtaram in Algerian.