marra marra مرة مرة
Tunisian Derja · adverb
“marra marra” (مرة مرة) is an adverb in Tunisian Derja meaning sometimes, now and then.
Meanings
- sometimes, now and then
- little by little, one at a time
Usage
Marra marra is the most common way to say "sometimes" in Tounsi. It goes at the start or end of the sentence: "marra marra nemchi lel bhar". It can be contrasted with dima (always) or with marrat (sometimes), which some speakers prefer. The register is neutral and familiar, usable anywhere in speech. Depending on the context, the expression can also mean "one time after another" or "slowly, gradually", for example when advising someone not to do everything at once. Intonation and situation resolve the ambiguity. Not to be confused with marra wahda, which means "just once" or "all at once".
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “marra marra” but also “mara mara”, “marra mra” and “mra mra”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “marra marra” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “sometimes, from time to time”: mrra mrra in Moroccan.