stefser ستفسر
Moroccan Darija · verb
“stefser” (ستفسر) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to inquire, to find out.
Meanings
- to inquire, to find out
- to ask for clarification
Usage
Stefser means to seek to obtain information, to inquire about someone or something. It is constructed with 3la: "stefser 3la had l-khedma" (inquire about this job). The register is fairly formal: the word belongs to administrative, professional and media vocabulary. In everyday conversation, people more readily say "sewwel 3la" (ask about) or "tsewwel". It is used, for example, before a purchase, a rental or an administrative procedure, or when asking for news about a matter. The corresponding noun is stifsar, "request for information".
Example
كانتسنّا فيك ت ستفسر على ديك دار
kantsenna fik t stfser 3la dik dar
“I'm waiting for you to find out about that house.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanstfser | stfsert | |
| nta (you, m.) | katstfser | stfserti | stfser |
| nti (you, f.) | katstfsri | stfserti | stfsri |
| howa (he) | kaystfser | stfser | |
| hiya (she) | katstfser | stfsrat | |
| 7na (we) | kanstfsro | stfsrna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katstfsro | stfserto | stfsro |
| homa (they) | kaystfsro | stfsro |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “stefser” but also “stfser”, “stafser”, “steffser” and “istafsar”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.