mas2ala مسألة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“mas2ala” (مسألة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning matter, affair.
Meanings
- matter, affair
- point, subject
- problem (math)
Usage
A frequent word in darija, often pronounced mes2ala or mas2ala. It refers to a matter or issue to be dealt with, not a question being asked, which is su2al. Typical phrases: mes2alat w9t (a matter of time), had lmes2ala (this matter), mes2ala sahla (a simple thing). In the construct state, the form becomes mes2alat. It is also found in the school sense of a "problem" to solve. In informal speech, it can alternate with 9adiya or simply chi 7aja (a thing).
Example
كانت هي مسألة وقت.
kant hi ms2alat w9t.
“It was only a matter of time.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mas2ala” but also “mes2ala”, “ms2ala” and “masala”. 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.
Type “mas2ala” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “matter, issue”; “problem to solve”: mas2la in Tunisian.