wah واه
Moroccan Darija · interjection
“wah” (واه) is an interjection in Moroccan Darija meaning yes.
Meanings
- yes
- oh! (surprise, exclamation)
Usage
Wah is the most common way to say "yes". It is more casual than na3am, which is reserved for formal or respectful situations. It is often doubled to confirm or to show impatience: wah wah, "yes, yes". With a rising intonation or drawn out, it also expresses surprise or admiration: wah! "really! / wow!". Do not confuse it with wach, the particle that introduces yes/no questions. The opposite is la, "no".
Example
واه، غادي نجي معاك
wah, ghadi nji m3ak
“Yes, I'm coming with you.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wah” but also “wa”, “waah” and “wh”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “wah” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “yes”; “well yes (agreement, emphasis)”: wah in Algerian.