daba دابا
Moroccan Darija · adverb
“daba” (دابا) is an adverb in Moroccan Darija meaning now.
Meanings
- now
- right away, in a moment
Usage
The basic adverb for placing an action in the present: "fin nta daba?" (where are you now?). With a verb in the future or imperfect, it announces an imminent action: "daba nji" (I'm coming right away). Be careful: this promise is often elastic. "mn daba chwiya" means "in a little while". "daba" can also introduce a hypothesis or an explanation, like "well" or "suppose": "daba ila ja…" (suppose he comes…). The variant "drok" is heard mainly in the Oriental region.
Example
آه فهمت دابا
ah fhamt daba
“Ah, I understand now.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “daba” but also “dba”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.