mn b3dma من بعدما
Moroccan Darija · conjunction
“mn b3dma” (من بعدما) is a conjunction in Moroccan Darija meaning after, once.
Meanings
- after, once
Usage
The conjunction mn b3d ma introduces a verbal clause meaning "after" or "once": mn b3d ma klina, khrejna, "after eating, we went out". It is followed by a conjugated verb, generally in the perfect. It requires neither an infinitive nor a subjunctive. The shortened form b3d ma is also very common. It should not be confused with mn b3d, which on its own is an adverb ("later") or, before a noun, a preposition.
Example
من بعدما سالا الخدمة، مشا للدار.
mn b3d ma sala lkhedma, mcha ldar.
“After he finished work, he went home.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, it is written “mn b3dma”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.