s9a سقى

Moroccan Darija · verb

“s9a” (سقى) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to water, to irrigate.

Meanings

1. to water, to irrigate
2. to give a drink to

Usage

S9a means to bring water to plants, a field or an animal: "s9a nnwar" (water the flowers), "s9a lb9ar" (water the cows). It is also used for giving someone a drink, especially in a traditional or religious register. In the past tense, one says s9it and s9iti. The noun s9i means irrigation, and sa9ya means a channel or a fountain. To water with a spray or to sprinkle someone, rechch is used instead.

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “s9a” but also “sqa”, “se9a”, “s9aa” and “sa9a”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.

Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.

Type “s9a” on the Arabic keyboard

In Tunisian Derja

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “to water, to irrigate (plants, soil)”; “to drench a dish (syrup, sauce)”: s9a in Tunisian.