chchra الشرا
Moroccan Darija · noun
“chchra” (الشرا) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning buying, the act of purchasing.
Meanings
- buying, the act of purchasing
- shopping, errands
Usage
Chchra refers to the action of buying. It is the verbal noun of chra, ychri (to buy). It is often found in the pair "chchra w lbi3", buying and selling, which refers to trade, business, or haggling at the souk. It is also used for household spending: "chchra dyal ramdan". It belongs to the everyday register. It should not be confused with chchrab (alcohol), despite the similarity of the two words. In spoken language, the verb is more frequent than the noun.
Example
الشرا والبيع ولّا صعيب ف هاد الوقت
chchra w lbi3 wella s3ib f had lwe9t
“Business has become difficult these days.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chchra” but also “chra”, “ch-chra”, “shshra” and “shra”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.