dha3 ضاع
Tunisian Derja · verb
“dha3” (ضاع) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to get lost, be lost.
Meanings
- to get lost, be lost
- to be wasted, go up in smoke
Usage
Dha3 (imperfect ydhi3) means that something has been lost or has disappeared: "dha3li telifouni" (I lost my phone, literally "my phone got lost for me"). The grammatical subject is the lost object, and the person who loses it is introduced by li: a common pitfall for an English speaker. It also applies to time, money or a right that is lost: "dha3 el wa9t". A person can also "dha3" in the sense of going astray. The participle dhaye3 (lost) is used as an adjective. The transitive form is dhayya3 (to lose, to waste).
Example
خاف لا حقّوا يضيع و خاف لا ال وقت يفوته ,
5af le 7a99ou ydhi3 ou 5af le el wa9t yfoutou ,
“He was afraid his right would be lost and afraid time would slip away from him.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dha3” but also “dhe3”, “da3” and “dhaa3”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.