gda قدا
Tunisian Derja · preposition
“gda” (قدا) is a preposition in Tunisian Derja meaning next to, near.
Meanings
- next to, near
- right on, exactly on
- bil gdè: properly
Usage
Gdè (often written "gda") indicates immediate proximity: "gdè el bab" (next to the door), "gdè dar jaddi" (near my grandfather's house). It can also express accuracy, hitting the target exactly: answering "gdè es-sou2el" means answering the question precisely. With the article, "bil gdè" is an adverb meaning "correctly, properly". Do not confuse it with "9add" (as much as), since the spellings are often mixed up in writing. The word belongs to the familiar register.
Example
قعدت قدا الشباك
9a3adt gdè ech-chobbek
“I sat next to the window.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “gda” but also “gdè”, “gde” and “qda”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.