denya دنيا
Moroccan Darija · noun
“denya” (دنيا) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning life, this world.
Meanings
- life, this world
- the weather
- belongings, mess around
Usage
Dnya is used almost always with the article: ddnya. In its first sense, it is earthly life, often in fatalistic expressions such as "ddnya dwwara" (life keeps turning) or "ddnya fanya" (life is fleeting). It is also used to talk about the weather: "ddnya kat-tih chta" (it's raining), "ddnya berd" (it's cold). In colloquial language, the expression "jme3 ddnya" means to tidy up, to gather one's things. Note: it would be a mistake to translate this word systematically as "world".
Example
الدنيا دوارة
ddenya dwwara
“Life keeps turning.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “denya” but also “dnya”, “dniya”, “donya” and “danya”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “denya” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “the world, life here below”; “life, fate”: dounia in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “the world, worldly life”; “the weather”: denya in Tunisian.