chem3a شمعة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“chem3a” (شمعة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning candle.
Meanings
- candle
Usage
Chem3a is the ordinary word for a candle, whether it is used for light during a power cut, or to decorate or scent a room. The word is feminine. The usual plural is chm3at. You light a candle with che3el or ch3el: che3el chi chem3a, "light a candle". You put it out with tfa: tfi chem3a. The word also appears in festive contexts, for example the candles on a birthday cake or those used in religious celebrations. There is no particular difficulty.
Example
هاد شمعة فيها ريحة زوينة
had chm3a fiha ri7a zwina
“This candle smells nice.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chem3a” but also “chm3a”, “cham3a”, “chema3a” and “shem3a”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.
Type “chem3a” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “candle”; “candle (festive, birthday)”: sham3a in Tunisian.