chwiya شوية
Moroccan Darija · adverb
“chwiya” (شوية) is an adverb in Moroccan Darija meaning a little.
Meanings
- a little
- some, a small amount of
- slowly, gently
Usage
Chwiya is one of the most frequently used adverbs. After a verb, it means "a little": "t7errek chwiya" (move a bit). Followed by dyal, it indicates a small quantity: "chwiya dyal l-ma" (a little water). Several expressions are fixed. "Chwiya b chwiya" means "little by little" and "men daba chwiya" translates as "in a moment". "Chwiya chwiya" means "slowly, without rushing". The word also softens an adjective: "mrid chwiya" (a little ill). The spellings chwiya and chwia are both common.
Example
نوض حرك شوية
nod t7rek chwia
“Get up, move a bit.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chwiya” but also “chwia”, “shwiya”, “chwiyya” and “chwya”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “chwiya” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “a little, a bit of”; “slowly, gently”: chwiya in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “a little, a bit”; “a moment, a while”: chwaya in Tunisian.