mcha مشا
Moroccan Darija · verb
“mcha” (مشا) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to go, go away.
Meanings
- to go, go away
- to leave, disappear
- to lose (mcha lih)
Usage
Mcha is the basic verb for "to go" and "to leave". The present is kaymchi, the future ghadi ymchi. Important pitfall: the imperative is not formed on mcha; one says sir "go", siri, siro. The destination is marked by l or l: mcha l ddar. With lih or lik, the verb expresses a loss: mcha lih chi ḥaja "he lost something", mcha lih chouf "he lost his sight". Ach mcha lik? is an informal expression meaning "what's wrong with you?" or "what's up with you?".
Example
مشا ل متحف
mcha l met7ef
“He went to the museum.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanmchi | mchit | |
| nta (you, m.) | katmchi | mchiti | sir |
| nti (you, f.) | katmchi | mchiti | siri |
| howa (he) | kaymchi | mcha | |
| hiya (she) | katmchi | mchat | |
| 7na (we) | kanmchiw | mchina | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katmchiw | mchito | siro |
| homa (they) | kaymchiw | mchaw |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mcha” but also “msha”, “mchaa” and “mocha”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “mcha” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “to leave, go away”; “to go (somewhere)”: mcha in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
The same word also exists in Tunisian Derja, written مشى, where it means “to go, head to”; “to leave, go away”: mcha in Tunisian.