doghfa دغفة
Tunisian Derja · adverb
“doghfa” (دغفة) is an adverb in Tunisian Derja meaning all at once, in one go.
Meanings
- all at once, in one go
- suddenly, abruptly
Usage
Doghfa means "in one go": an action done in a single time, without steps. One often says doghfa wa7da ("in one go") for emphasis. The word also marks suddenness: something happens abruptly, without warning. It is an adverb of spoken language, informal but not vulgar, common in conversation and on social media. It usually goes after the verb. Depending on context, an English speaker can translate it as "in one go", "in one gulp" or "all of a sudden". It has nothing to do with a noun naming an object.
Example
شرب الكاس دغفة وحدة
chreb el kès doghfa wa7da
“He drank the glass in one go.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “doghfa” but also “daghfa” and “do8fa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.