m7a محا
Moroccan Darija · verb
“m7a” (محا) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning erase, rub out.
Meanings
- erase, rub out
- remove, wipe out
Usage
M7a is used to erase something written or drawn: the board, a word in pencil, a message. The present is yem7i, the imperative m7i. To remove a stain by rubbing, msa7 (to wipe) is more often used. M7a remains the verb for erasing in the literal sense. Figuratively, it can mean to wipe out or forget something, especially in a formal or religious register. The passive participle mem7i means "erased". Don't confuse it with ma7, which doesn't have this meaning. It is conjugated like verbs with a final vowel, on the model of mcha.
Example
مْحي السبورة عافاك
m7i sbbora 3afak
“Erase the board, please.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “m7a” but also “mha”, “m7aha”, “yem7i” and “m7i”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.