blhdawa بلهداوة
Moroccan Darija · adverb
“blhdawa” (بلهداوة) is an adverb in Moroccan Darija meaning gently, calmly.
Meanings
- gently, calmly
- carefully, cautiously
- without getting upset, calmly
Usage
Bl-hdawa is formed from the preposition b- ("with"), the article and hdawa, "calm, gentleness". Literally "with calm", it is used to ask someone to act without roughness or to describe a measured way of doing things: speaking, driving, handling a fragile object, settling a conflict. It is very often used alone as a command: "bl-hdawa!", "gently!". It is also heard in advice such as "dir kolchi bl-hdawa". It is close to "b chwiya", but puts more emphasis on calm and self-control than on slowness. The register is neutral and informal.
Example
هضر معاه بلهداوة باش يفهمك
hder m3ah bl hdawa bach yfhmek
“Talk to him calmly so that he understands you.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “blhdawa” but also “bl8dawa” and “bl8adawa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.