9la قلا
Moroccan Darija · verb
“9la” (قلا) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to fry.
Meanings
- to fry
- to roast (seeds, coffee)
Usage
9la means to cook in hot oil. The present tense is formed with ka: kan9li, kat9li. It is used mostly for fish, eggs and vegetables: 9la l-7ut, 9la l-bid. It also applies to dry-roasting seeds, peanuts or coffee. The past participle is m9li, as in l-7ut l-m9li. Watch out: online, 5la is sometimes written, but 5la is actually a different verb, khla, meaning to spoil or destroy. The two words are unrelated.
Example
مّي كتقلي الحوت
mmi kat9li l7out
“My mother is frying fish.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kan9li | 9lit | |
| nta (you, m.) | kat9li | 9liti | 9li |
| nti (you, f.) | kat9li | 9liti | 9li |
| howa (he) | kay9li | 9la | |
| hiya (she) | kat9li | 9laat | |
| 7na (we) | kan9liw | 9lina | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | kat9liw | 9lito | 9liw |
| homa (they) | kay9liw | 9lao |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9la” but also “qla”, “kla” and “9li”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.