tsewwer تصوّر
Moroccan Darija · verb
“tsewwer” (تصوّر) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to imagine, picture.
Meanings
- to imagine, picture
- to have one's picture taken
- to earn a living
Usage
Tsewwer has several uses. In the imperative, it often introduces a surprising story: tsewwer!, "imagine!". It also means to have one's picture taken: tsewwer m3a s7abou, "he had his picture taken with his friends". In a colloquial register, tsewwer khbiztou means to earn one's crust. Be careful not to confuse it with tsewwer as the second person of the verb sewwer (to photograph): bla ma tsewwer, "don't take a photo". Only context distinguishes the two.
Example
تصوّر شنو وقع ليا البارح!
tsewwer chno w9e3 liya lbare7!
“Imagine what happened to me yesterday!”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kantSowwer | tSowwert | |
| nta (you, m.) | kattSowwer | tSowwerti | tSowwer |
| nti (you, f.) | kattSowwri | tSowwerti | tSowwri |
| howa (he) | kaytSowwer | tSowwer | |
| hiya (she) | kattSowwer | tSowwrat | |
| 7na (we) | kantSowwro | tSowwrna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | kattSowwro | tSowwerto | tSowwro |
| homa (they) | kaytSowwro | tSowwro |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tsewwer” but also “tswr”, “tsowwer”, “tsawer” and “tsower”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “tsewwer” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “imagine, picture”; “photograph, film (you photograph)”: tsawar in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “to imagine, picture”; “to have one's picture taken”: tsawer in Tunisian.