3awwel عوّل
Moroccan Darija · verb
“3awwel” (عوّل) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to count on, to rely on.
Meanings
- to count on, to rely on
- to intend, to be determined
Usage
3awwel is constructed with 3la in the sense of "to count on" someone or something: ma t3awwelch 3liya, "don't count on me". With no complement or followed by a verb, it expresses a firm intention, a decision made. The participle m3awwel is very frequent: ana m3awwel nsafer, "I plan to leave, I'm determined to leave". In this sense, the word is stronger than a simple "to want". It stresses resolve. It is also found in 3awwel 3la Allah, "to put one's trust in God".
Example
ما تعوّلش عليه، ديما كيتعطل
ma t3awwelch 3lih, dima kayt3eTTel
“Don't count on him, he's always late.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kan3wwl | 3wwlt | |
| nta (you, m.) | kat3wwl | 3wwlti | 3wwl |
| nti (you, f.) | kat3wwli | 3wwlti | 3wwli |
| howa (he) | kay3wwl | 3wwl | |
| hiya (she) | kat3wwl | 3wwlat | |
| 7na (we) | kan3wwlo | 3wwlna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | kat3wwlo | 3wwlto | 3wwlo |
| homa (they) | kay3wwlo | 3wwlo |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3awwel” but also “3owwel”, “3wwel”, “3wwl” and “3awel”. 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.