debbana دبّانة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“debbana” (دبّانة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning a single fly.
Meanings
- a single fly
Usage
Debbana is the singular unit noun of debban (flies) and refers to one fly. It is feminine: debbana kbira (a big fly). To count, one says jouj debbanat. The word appears in informal expressions: ma kayqtelch debbana, literally "he wouldn't kill a fly", is said of a harmless person, as in English. It is also used to stress how small or insignificant something is. It is used in all registers.
Example
دخلات دبّانة للدار
dekhlat debbana l dar
“A fly came into the house.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “debbana” but also “dbana”, “dbbana” and “debana”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.