lil2asaf للأسف
Moroccan Darija · adverb
“lil2asaf” (للأسف) is an adverb in Moroccan Darija meaning unfortunately.
Meanings
- unfortunately
Usage
The word lil2asaf means "unfortunately". It comes from Standard Arabic but is fully integrated into darija and is used in all registers, from conversation to written messages. It can go freely at the start or end of a sentence to express regret or announce bad news: lil2asaf ma jach, "unfortunately he didn't come". It is often pronounced l-l2asaf, with a reduced vowel. For a more emotional regret, darija also has the expression mskin, and khsara, "what a pity".
Example
للأسف وقتنا اليوم تقضى
lil2asaf w9tna lyouma t9ada
“Unfortunately, our time is up for today.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “lil2asaf” but also “lilasaf”, “lel2asaf” and “llasaf”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 2 is hamza (ء), a glottal stop.