wenta وينتا
Algerian Darja · adverb
“wenta” (وينتا) is an adverb in Algerian Darja meaning when? (interrogative).
Meanings
- when? (interrogative)
- when, at the time that
Usage
Wenta is an interrogative adverb meaning "when?". It goes at the start of the sentence, directly followed by the verb: wenta tji ?, "when are you coming?". It competes with wqtach, waqtach and wektach, depending on region and speaker. Wenta is especially common in the West and in part of the East. It can also be used exclamatively to signal a sudden change in a situation: wenta tbeddlet ?, "since when has that changed?". The word is informal and common. It does not exist in Modern Standard Arabic, which uses mata.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wenta” but also “wanta”, “wantaa”, “ouenta” and “wnta”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.