n3na3 نعناع
Moroccan Darija · noun
“n3na3” (نعناع) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning mint (aromatic herb).
Meanings
- mint (aromatic herb)
Usage
Na3na3 means fresh mint, especially the spearmint that flavors Moroccan tea. It is bought in bunches at the market, and "mint tea" is commonly atay b na3na3. For a few leaves, say lwr9a dyal na3na3. The word is also used for other culinary purposes, such as salads. It is a collective noun: it is generally not pluralized, and you say chwiya dyal na3na3, "a little mint", rather than counting sprigs. Do not confuse it with fliyyou, another variety of mint, stronger and used in winter.
Example
جيب ليا شيا ديال نعناع
jib liya chiya dyal n3na3
“Bring me a little mint.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “n3na3” but also “na3na3”, “ne3na3” and “naanaa”. 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.
Type “n3na3” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “mint (aromatic herb)”; “sprig or bunch of mint”: na3na3 in Tunisian.