stamta3 استمتع
Moroccan Darija · verb
“stamta3” (استمتع) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to enjoy, take pleasure in.
Meanings
- to enjoy, take pleasure in
Usage
Stamta3 is constructed with b (stamta3 b nhar, "enjoy the day") or with m3a for a person. It sounds a bit refined: it is often found in greetings, written messages or dubbed content. In spontaneous conversation, Moroccans more often say dowwez wa9t zwin, tfrrej or stafed. The imperative stamta3 is mostly used as a polite wish, the equivalent of "enjoy!". The related noun is stimta3 ("pleasure"), which is rather rare in speech.
Example
استمتع ب نهار دكتور
stamta3 b nhar doctor
“Enjoy the day, doctor.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “stamta3” but also “stamte3”, “istamta3” and “stemte3”. 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.