tmenna تمنّا
Moroccan Darija · verb
“tmenna” (تمنّا) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to wish, desire.
Meanings
- to wish, desire
- to hope
Usage
Tmenna expresses a wish, often for something distant or uncertain. The construction with the preposition l- is used to wish something for someone. "Kantmenna lik ghir l-khir" means "I wish you nothing but good". The verb can also take a clause: "kantmenna ykoun mezyan" (I hope he is doing well). It is very common in good wishes, congratulations and end-of-year messages. The corresponding noun is l-omniya, meaning a wish. For a more concrete hope, "nchallah" is also often used.
Example
كنتمنّا ليك غير الخير
kantmenna lik ghir lkhir
“I wish you nothing but good.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kantmnna | tmnnit | |
| nta (you, m.) | kattmnna | tmnniti | tmnna |
| nti (you, f.) | kattmnnay | tmnniti | tmnnay |
| howa (he) | kaytmnna | tmnna | |
| hiya (she) | kattmnna | tmnnat | |
| 7na (we) | kantmnnaw | tmnnina | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | kattmnnaw | tmnnito | tmnnaw |
| homa (they) | kaytmnnaw | tmnnaw |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tmenna” but also “tmnna”, “tmena” and “tmna”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.