3awen عاون
Moroccan Darija · verb
“3awen” (عاون) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to help, assist.
Meanings
- to help, assist
- to lend a hand
Usage
3awen is the common verb for "to help". It is used in two ways. With a direct object: 3awenni, "help me"; 3awen mamah, "he helped his mother". With m3a: 3awen m3aya, "give me a hand", which is a bit more informal. The blessing lah y3awnek, "may God help you", is extremely common. You say it to someone who is working or going through a difficulty, and it often doubles as a greeting. The corresponding noun is l-m3awna, "help".
Example
إمتا غادي ت عاون معايا
imta ghadi t 3awn m3aya
“When are you going to help me?”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kan3awn | 3awnt | |
| nta (you, m.) | kat3awn | 3awnti | 3awn |
| nti (you, f.) | kat3awni | 3awnti | 3awni |
| howa (he) | kay3awn | 3awn | |
| hiya (she) | kat3awn | 3awnat | |
| 7na (we) | kan3awno | 3awnna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | kat3awno | 3awnto | 3awno |
| homa (they) | kay3awno | 3awno |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3awen” but also “3awn”, “3awenni”, “aawen”, “3aawen” and “3aawn”. 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 “3awen” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “to help someone”; “to assist, lend a hand”: 3awen in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “to help, assist”; “to help oneself”: 3awen in Tunisian.