abadan ابدا
Tunisian Derja · adverb
“abadan” (ابدا) is an adverb in Tunisian Derja meaning never.
Meanings
- never
- not at all
Usage
Abadan is mostly used with a negation to mean "never": "ma n3awedhech abadan", "I will never do it again". On its own, as an answer, it means "not at all!" or "never in your life!". It is also heard in wishes and religious formulas, such as "ma ya7rmek men 8ali abadan". Beware of the homograph: written without vowels, ابدا can also be the verb "to begin" (ebda, nebda). Only context tells them apart. For "never" in the past, "3omri ma" is more often used.
Example
ما نرجعش لهوني ابدا.
ma narja3ch l'houni abadan.
“I will never come back here.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “abadan” but also “abada”, “abdan” and “ebadan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.