chta شتا
Moroccan Darija · noun
“chta” (شتا) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning rain.
Meanings
- rain
- winter, rainy season
Usage
In Morocco, chta is first of all the everyday word for "rain": "kat7ett chta" or "katih chta" means "it's raining". It also means winter, the wet season, notably in "f chta" ("in winter"). For winter, chtwa is also used. Context tells you which of the two senses is meant; in the expression "sif w chta", it is the contrast between the seasons that is meant. The corresponding verb is chtat, "it rained". Rain, eagerly awaited for the harvests, often comes up in wishes and prayers.
Example
كتيه شتا بزاف
katih chta bzaf
“It rains a lot.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chta” but also “shta”, “cheta” and “chtaa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “chta” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “rain”; “winter”: chta in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “rain”; “winter, cold season”: chta in Tunisian.