bttali بتّالي
Moroccan Darija · adverb
“bttali” (بتّالي) is an adverb in Moroccan Darija meaning therefore, consequently.
Meanings
- therefore, consequently
- then, as a result
Usage
Bttali comes from Standard Arabic and serves as a logical connector introducing a consequence: "so", "therefore". It is common in the darija of educated people, in explanations, debates or work discussions, often in the form w bttali. In casual conversation, people rather use iwa, ya3ni or donc, borrowed from French. It keeps a somewhat argumentative flavor; used at every turn, it can sound pedantic. It is placed at the start of a clause.
Example
ما خدمتيش مزيان، وبالتالي ما غاديش تنجح
ma khdemtich mzyan, w bttali ma ghadich tnje7
“You didn't work well, so you're not going to succeed.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bttali” but also “bittali”, “bettali”, “betali” and “btali”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.