sawwer صوّر
Moroccan Darija · verb
“sawwer” (صوّر) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to take a photo of.
Meanings
- to take a photo of
- to film
- to get, to earn (informal)
Usage
Sawwer mainly means "to take a picture of". The object is direct (sawwer dar, sawwerni) or introduced by l-: sawwer liya, "take a picture of me". The verb is also used for video, in the sense of "to film". The reflexive form tsawwer means "to have one's picture taken" or "to take a picture of oneself". In informal register, sawwer can also mean "to get, to earn", for example sawwer chi flous, "to make a bit of money". Context makes it possible to tell the two senses apart. Do not confuse this verb with the noun soura, "image, photo".
Example
صوّرني حدا البحر
sawwerni 7da lb7er
“Take my picture by the sea.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanSowwer | Sowwert | |
| nta (you, m.) | katSowwer | Sowwerti | Sowwer |
| nti (you, f.) | katSowwri | Sowwerti | Sowwri |
| howa (he) | kaySowwer | Sowwer | |
| hiya (she) | katSowwer | Sowwrat | |
| 7na (we) | kanSowwro | Sowwrna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katSowwro | Sowwerto | Sowwro |
| homa (they) | kaySowwro | Sowwro |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sawwer” but also “sowwer”, “sawer”, “swwer” and “sowr”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “sawwer” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “to take a photo of”; “to film, record a video”: sawer in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “to photograph, take a picture”; “to film”: sawer in Tunisian.