3na عنا
Moroccan Darija · preposition
“3na” (عنا) is a preposition in Moroccan Darija meaning at our place, at home.
Meanings
- at our place, at home
- here, in our country or region
- we have
Usage
3na is a contracted form of 3ndna, the preposition 3nd ("at") followed by the first person plural suffix. The group nd is often assimilated to nn in fast pronunciation. The basic meaning is "at our place", often close to "here": 3jbek l7al 3na? ("Do you like it here?"). Depending on context, it can refer to the home, the town or the country. Like 3ndna, it can also express possession ("we have"). Note: do not confuse it with m3ana, which means "with us". The spelling 8na, with the digit 8, is sometimes seen online.
Example
بنتي راها عنا.
benti raha 8na.
“My daughter is at our place.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kan3ni | 3nit | |
| nta (you, m.) | kat3ni | 3niti | 3ni |
| nti (you, f.) | kat3ni | 3niti | 3ni |
| howa (he) | kay3ni | 3na | |
| hiya (she) | kat3ni | 3nat | |
| 7na (we) | kan3niw | 3nina | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | kat3niw | 3nito | 3niw |
| homa (they) | kay3niw | 3naw |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3na” but also “3enna”, “3ana” and “3nna”. 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 “3na” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “we have”; “at our place, where we live”: 3ana in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “we have, at our place”; “at our place, available to us”: 3anna in Tunisian.