3o9oba عقوبة

Moroccan Darija · noun

“3o9oba” (عقوبة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning punishment.

Meanings

1. punishment
2. sanction (legal, disciplinary)

Usage

3o9oba refers to a punishment, especially in a school or family setting: a teacher or a parent "gives" a punishment, using the verb 3ta (3tatna 3o9oba, "she punished us"). The word is also used for official, judicial or sporting sanctions. This word of Standard Arabic origin is well integrated into everyday speech. In conversation, it is often used figuratively to complain about an unpleasant situation: "3o9oba hadi !", "this is a real punishment!". For the action of punishing, people rather use the verbs 3a9eb or a phrase with 3ta 3o9oba.

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3o9oba” but also “3o9ouba”, “3ou9ouba”, “3oqoba” and “3u9uba”. 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; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.

Type “3o9oba” on the Arabic keyboard

In Algerian Darja

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “wish: may it happen to you too”; “coming up next, next milestone”: 39ouba in Algerian.