7ofra حفرة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“7ofra” (حفرة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning hole, pit.
Meanings
- hole, pit
- pothole in the road
- trap (figurative)
Usage
7ofra refers to a hole dug in the ground, a pit or a pothole in the road. This sense is very common when talking about the state of the roads. The usual plural is 7fari. Figuratively, the word evokes a trap set for someone, notably in the proverb li 7fer chi 7ofra kiTi7 fiha. It also refers to a difficult situation one cannot get out of. The pronunciation of the first vowel varies by region: 7ofra, 7efra or 7fra. For a small hole in clothing or a wall, other words are preferred, such as teqba.
Example
كاينة حفرة جدام الباب
kayna 7ofra gdam lbab
“There is a hole in front of the door.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7ofra” but also “7fra”, “7efra”, “hofra” and “7oufra”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.
Type “7ofra” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “hole, pit”; “pothole”: hofra in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “hole, hollow in the ground”; “pothole in the road”: 7ofra in Tunisian.