tmanna تمنى
Tunisian Derja · verb
“tmanna” (تمنى) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to wish, to hope for.
Meanings
- to wish, to hope for
- to wish someone something
Usage
Tmanna means "to wish", "to hope strongly". In the present, one says netmanna ("I wish") and tetmanna ("you wish"). For an unreal wish or a regret, it is built with law kén ("if only"): netmanna law kén… It can also be followed directly by a verb: netmanna nemchy, "I wish to leave". To wish something to someone, the preposition l- is used: netmannélek ennaja7, "I wish you success". It is a common word of neutral register, heard in conversation as well as in wishes, messages and songs.
Example
قبل اليوم كنت نتمنّى لو كان يرجع بنا ال وقت ,
9bal lyoum kont netmana law kén yarja3 bina el wa9t ,
“Before today, I wished time could take us back.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tmanna” but also “tmana”, “tmenna” and “temanna”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.