mela مالا
Tunisian Derja · conjunction
“mela” (مالا) is a conjunction in Tunisian Derja meaning so, therefore.
Meanings
- so, therefore
- well then (sentence-initial)
Usage
Mela is a very frequent connector in speech. It marks consequence ("so, therefore") or restarts the conversation at the start of a sentence ("well, well then"). Used alone with a rising intonation, "mela ?" means "so what?" or "and then?". It often introduces a conclusion, a suggestion or a piece of advice: "mela arja3", "so come back". Do not confuse it with the exclamation mella, "what a...!", which expresses admiration ("mella nhar !", "what a day!"). Context and intonation make it possible to tell the two apart.
Example
مالا هوني لازم تفهم ال قضية ,
mele houni lezem téfhém el 9adhiya ,
“So, here, you have to understand the matter.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mela” but also “mala”, “mella”, “mele” and “emela”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “mela” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “so, then”; “in that case”: mala in Algerian.