ntama نتاما
Moroccan Darija · verb
“ntama” (نتاما) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to belong to.
Meanings
- to belong to
- to be affiliated with
Usage
Ntama (imperfect kayntami) is constructed with l-: kayntami l-chi 7izb, "he belongs to a party". It expresses membership in a group, an association, a political family or a region. It is not used for owning an object: to say "it's mine", use dyali. The word comes from Standard Arabic and keeps a fairly formal register. It is heard mostly in debates, the media and discussions about identity. The noun ntima2 means "belonging". In everyday speech, people more often say men, "he's from…", or m3a, "he's with…".
Example
هو كينتامي لواحد الجمعية فالحومة
huwa kayntami l wa7ed ljam3iya f l7ouma
“He belongs to an association in the neighbourhood.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanntami | ntama | |
| nta (you, m.) | katntami | ntamiti | ntami |
| nti (you, f.) | katntami | ntamiti | ntami |
| howa (he) | kayntami | ntama | |
| hiya (she) | katntami | ntamat | |
| 7na (we) | kanntamiw | ntamina | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katntamiw | ntamito | ntamiw |
| homa (they) | kayntamiw | ntamaw |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ntama” but also “ntami”, “intami” and “ntma”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.