# All dialects: now



## MarcB

My question is for colloquial Arabic. How do you say now?  not = I haven’t found it in a standard dictionary, dico I have found it.
 
Egypt& Sudan  *دالوقتي* dico = time     Syria& Lebanon    هلق and  *الحين *dico = time
 
Most of Arabia   *الانand* *الحين  *dico = time, now
 
Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait  *هَسَّه* not
Morocco *دبا  *not
Libya, Tunisia and Chad  *توا  *dico = immediately
I would like to know how do you say now and in what country?
Do you recognize the other words? If so from fusHa or from a colloquial term used in your country or because you have heard it from people who come from another country.
By no means is my list exhaustive ,some of you,I am sure  may know more or different words. Thanks
  .


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## elroy

Fascinating question! I've always been intrigued by the plethora of variants that we have for this word.

See my answers below. 



			
				MarcB said:
			
		

> My question is for colloquial Arabic. How do you say now? not = I haven’t found it in a standard dictionary, dico I have found it.
> 
> Egypt& Sudan *دالوقتي* dico = time
> I recognize this from exposure to Egyptian Arabic.
> The precise dictionary definition is "(at) this time."
> دِ = this
> وقتِِ = time
> Syria& Lebanon هلق and*الحين *dico = time
> I recognize both; we use the former in Palestinian Arabic and the latter is standard. I believe هلق comes from هذا الوقت, i.e. "(at) this time"
> Most of Arabia *الانand**الحين *dico = time, now
> I recognize both; both are standard.
> 
> Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait *هَسَّه*not
> I recognize this; it is used in Palestinian Arabic.
> Etymology: هذه الساعة, i.e. "(at) this hour."
> Morocco*دبا *not
> I do not recognize this.
> Libya, Tunisia and Chad *توا *dico = immediately
> I do not recognize this.
> I would like to know how do you say now and in what country?
> In Palestinian Arabic, the most commonly used word is هلق (halla2), just like in Syria and Lebanon.
> However, there are many other variants:
> Galilee: إسّا ('issa); also هسّا (hassa) - etymology: هذه الساعة
> Bethlehem: هالحين (hal7iin); هالقيت (hal2eet or halkeet) - etymology: هذا الوقت
> Hebron: هالقيته (hal2eete or halkeete) - etymology: هذا الوقت
> Do you recognize the other words?
> See above.
> If so from fusHa or from a colloquial term used in your country or because you have heard it from people who come from another country.
> See above.
> By no means is my list exhaustive ,some of you,I am sure may know more or different words. Thanks
> .


 
Cultural tidbit: Because إسّا is used exclusively in the Galilee and I guess because it sounds so different from هلق, we Galileans are sometimes dubbed أهل إسّا ("issa folk") by Palestinians from other parts of the country.


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## ayed

Being grown up in a rural life and Bedouin  , I often used to hear them say (and I say)  :

*لذا الحين* 
*لهذا الحين*
*لذا الساع*
*لهذه الساعة*
*لساعتك*
*لساعتك ذي*
*لساعتك هذه*
*لحزتك *
*حزه = hour *_(__Cf.,Lisan al-Arab--The Tongue Of Arab by Ibn Mandhoor 1232 ~ 1311.AC)_
_---------------_
As for in urban life, I often hear them say:
حتى الآن
للان
لسا

__


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## zooz

I'm sure about the following versions:

- Syria & Lebanon: *هلأ، هلأتين*. their villages: *هلّق.*

- Palastine & Jordan: *هسّة ، هأيتي، هلأ.* 

- Saudi Arabia (hijazi): *الحين، دالحين، دحين.*

- Egypt: *دلوقتي.*

*توّ*ا: is used in some parts of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palastine and maybe Kuwait & Iraq but with the meaning: just. e.g. he just left.


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## elroy

zooz said:
			
		

> I'm sure about the following versions:
> 
> - Syria & Lebanon: *هلأ، هلأتين*. their villages: *هلّق.*


 
The distinction you make between هلأ and هلق calls for a clarification on my part.  In Palestinian Arabic we do not ever pronounce it هلق with a ق (at least I've never heard it pronounced this way).  We pronounce it هلأ - I simply thought هلق was a more precise spelling, just like دِالوقتِ for "dilwa*2*ti" in Egyptian Arabic.



> - Palastine & Jordan: *هسّة ، هأيتي، هلأ.*


 
Yes, "ha22eete" is another possibility.


> *توّ*ا: is used in some parts... Palastine ...


I've never heard this.  Do you know what parts of Palestine it's used in?


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## fayabundem

> Syria & Lebanon: *هلأ، هلأتين*. their villages: *هلّق.*


 
I don't know Syrian language, but some Druze Lebanese, and some country people as well, do pronounce the "qaf".


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## elroy

_The discussion about the spelling of "dilwa2ti" in Arabic has been moved __here__._


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## zooz

> I've never heard this. Do you know what parts of Palestine it's used in?


 
I knew a guy from some village south of Yatta. his accent was strong like the bedouins of Jordan.



> I don't know Syrian language, but some Druze Lebanese, and some country people as well, do pronounce the "qaf".


 
just to clear this out fayabundem, we can't say Syrian, Palestinian, Saudi, Morrocan...etc. languages. all are Arabic. so it'd be better to use "dialect".
the majoraty of the Syrian villages, the cities of eastern Syria and the cites of Lebanese mountains pronouce the "qaf", as you said.


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## SofiaB

just to add Algeria now = dork دورك not sure about spelling.
It looks like all the words are derived from Standard, except possibly Morocco and Algeria. I am surprised that even Chad's word comes from Standard.
Zooz, can you make a sentence in Arabic using * توا* as just.
Ayed is * توا*  used un Riayadh or Just Hijaz


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## MarcB

Thanks all, I learned a lot from your posts. *توا* is immediately in standard so I can see the relationship with now and just.* هَسَّه *I did not find in the dict. so thanks for the origin. *دبا* and دورك We do not have an origin for. Maybe someone can help.


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## ayed

SofiaB said:
			
		

> just to add Algeria now = dork دورك not sure about spelling.
> It looks like all the words are derived from Standard, except possibly Morocco and Algeria. I am surprised that even Chad's word comes from Standard.
> Zooz, can you make a sentence in Arabic using *توا* as just.
> Ayed is *توا* used un Riayadh or Just Hijaz


 
In colloquial , in the central provincec "Riyadh city", we say:
He has just arrived.
*توه واصل*
*------------------------------*
As for the west province"Jeddah,Makkah,al-Madina al-munawwarah...ect.", they say:
*دحين* dahheen_(pronounced as: dah-heen)_


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## zooz

> Zooz, can you make a sentence in Arabic using *توا* as just.


 


> In colloquial , in the central provincec "Riyadh city", we say:
> He has just arrived.
> *توه واصل*


 

ditto.........


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## SofiaB

دورك  in the dictionary period, turn and time.
so most of the words have to do with time.


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## Arabelle

'Now' in Moroccan dialect has many equivalents, 'daabaa' is the most common one, then there is 'druuk' that is mostly used in the south of the kingdom, then maybe 'tawwa', rarely.
So I guess you meant 'druuk' above, not 'duurek', right?


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## SofiaB

Hi Arabelle,
You maybe right, I remember dork but I maybe wrong. It was from Algeria so I do not know if it is the same as Morocco.


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## Arabelle

Moroccan and Algerian dialects have many similarities, so I am quite sure it's the same word, 'druuk'. 
I hope I won't be contradicted by some Algerian around. :--)


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## SofiaB

Arabelle,
by the way what does  *دبا *come from? etymology


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## Arabelle

SofiaB,

It's said that دابا comes from دأب, but I don't see the link between the two.


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## freelancer

Ok just for the heck of it 

Take this :

لغة أهل الشام العتيقة 
هلّئ تينية 
هلآتينية


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## Nikola

This is such an interesting thread. There are so many ways to say now,but many words are also recognized in different countries. I find it interesting that tawwa is now in Tunisia and just in Saudia. Druuk in Algeria /Morocco and daba seem to be limited to that area.


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## Bahhar 17

I just wanted to add that the word توا sometimes written توة is the form used in all parts of Libya and that we have no alternatives


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## Tariq_Ibn_zyad

Note that Egyptian “delwa2ti”,Moroccan “druuk”,Hasaniya "dhark",Algerian “dork” and its variants,and Levantine “halla2” or “hallaq” all come from the same classical root.I read they were all contractions of the sentence: “haadha-l-waqt”


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## Anatoli

Pity, most of the examples are vocalised, they can't be looked up in standard Arabic dictionaries, anyway.


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## Nikola

Actually Anatoli some can be found in the dictionaries including Hans-Wehr.


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## Anatoli

Nikola said:


> Actually Anatoli some can be found in the dictionaries including Hans-Wehr.


Yes, I can find "al-'aana" - MSA for "now" and probably other words, which are part of the written standard. The trouble is colloquial is only spoken, seldom written, so they could only appear in specialised dialect dictionaries and usually in Latin.


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## Tariq_Ibn_zyad

Anatoli said:


> Yes, I can find "al-'aana" - MSA for "now" and probably other words, which are part of the written standard. The trouble is colloquial is only spoken, seldom written, so they could only appear in specialised dialect dictionaries and usually in Latin.


You can also find Lybian/Tunisian "tawa".
But I Hardly imagine finding delwa2ti,halla2 or druk because as I said they are contractions of a sentence in MSA,so it would be absurd to fill them in a root


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## MarcB

حين, آن،توا,ساعة, وقت
​All of these can be found in any dictionary. They are often combined, even in MSA we look up words, usually not phrases.​


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## Anatoli

Thanks, MarcB. يعني, they are part of the standard Arabic and used colloquially as well?


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## MarcB

Anatoli said:


> Thanks, MarcB. يعني, they are part of the standard Arabic and used colloquially as well?


Yes. They all refer to time in MSA and Spoken.


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## djara

May I unearth this thread, more than two years later?
Maybe there is a link between Moroccan "daaba" دابا and Egyptian "ya doob" يا دوب "ya doobak" يا دوبك
Anyone knows the etymology of the Egyptian?
Also, please note tawwiika تويكة in Tunisian usage, used interchangeably with tawwa توا


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## ayed

djara said:


> May I unearth this thread, more than two years later?
> Maybe there is a link between Moroccan "daaba" دابا and Egyptian "ya doob" يا دوب "ya doobak" يا دوبك
> Anyone knows the etymology of the Egyptian?
> Also, please note tawwiika تويكة in Tunisian usage, used interchangeably with tawwa توا


 
Thanks a lot for unreathing , djara..
I see "dabaa"in Mococcan means "*right now*", doesn't it?


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## djara

ayed said:


> Thanks a lot for unreathing , djara..
> I see "daaba"in Mococcan means "*right now*", doesn't it?



I gathered from previous posts (and also from my own limited experience) that it meant "now".


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## elroy

djara said:


> tawwa توا


 Is that related to للتو?

In Palestinian Arabic, we use تو with a possessive pronoun to mean "just" (توه وصل - "tawwo wiSel" - He just arrived.), and توا reminds me of that.

Do you think there's a connection?  How would you say "just" (as in my sentence above")?


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## djara

elroy said:


> Is that related to للتو?
> 
> In Palestinian Arabic, we use تو with a possessive pronoun to mean "just" (توه وصل - "tawwo wiSel" - He just arrived.), and توا reminds me of that.
> 
> Do you think there's a connection?  How would you say "just" (as in my sentence above")?



I think it is related to للتو
He just arrived توا (وين) وصل tawwa (win) wSil or ما زال كيف وصل
Let's go now: هيا نمشو توا  hayya nimshu tawwa
I'll tell you in a moment, later: توا نقلك tawwa nqollik
It's not possible now تويكة موش ممكن tawwiika mush momkin
taw Sab ennaw تو صب النو Literally let the rain fall now or immediately. A saying used about someone who is in a hurry and is requesting something irrealistic.


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## Abu Rashid

> anyone knows the etymology of the egyptian?



هذا الوقت


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## cherine

djara said:


> Maybe there is a link between Moroccan "daaba" دابا and Egyptian "ya doob" يا دوب "ya doobak" يا دوبك
> Anyone knows the etymology of the Egyptian?


Unfortunately, I don't know the etymology of the Egyptian "ya doob(ak)". But I just want to say that it's not only used with time (like: لسة يا دوب ماشي = he just left), but can also be used with quantities: أكل يا دوب معلقة واحدة ودخل نام (he only ate one spoon and went to bed) or with the meaning of "barely", like:
يادوب قعد ساعة ومشي على طول he barely stayed for an hour, then left.



Abu Rashid said:


> هذا الوقت


But, Abu Rashid, how did هذا الوقت evolve to become يا دوبك ?  Or did you confuse the etymology with the meaning?




elroy said:


> Is that related to للتو?
> 
> In Palestinian Arabic, we use تو with a possessive pronoun to mean "just" (توه وصل - "tawwo wiSel" - He just arrived.), and توا reminds me of that.


Yes, I think توك is related to للتو and توًا .
Some Egyptian dialects use tawwak: lessa tawwak mashi (he just left), or "tawwak maftakart?"=you only remember it now?

I'm not certain if they change the pronoun with it. Maybe they do.


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## djara

cherine said:


> it's not only used with time (like: لسة يا دوب ماشي = he just left), but can also be used with quantities: أكل يا دوب معلقة واحدة ودخل نام (he only ate one spoon and went to bed) or with the meaning of "barely", like:
> يادوب قعد ساعة ومشي على طول he barely stayed for an hour, then left.



Now that you mention it, we also use دوب in دوب اللاش or دوب شويا both meaning "just a little bit" and I think a regional variant is داب شويا


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## love4ever

فهمت دحين
you understand now


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## Abu Rashid

> But, Abu Rashid, how did هذا الوقت evolve to become يا دوبك ?  Or did you confuse the etymology with the meaning?



My mistake, I thought he was asking about dilwa2ti.


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## Hemza

I'm Moroccan and I want to add "في الحين" which is also used in Morocco (but less than "daba"). There are plenty of accents and dialects in Morocco, so sometimes, each area has it own word/pronounciation


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## YanV

[Shami: how to say "now"]

is it "Essa" or "Halla" or something else? Thank you!


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## oopqoo

The possibilities in Levantine (Shami) Arabic are:
essa, hassa, halla2, hal2eet
اسّا، هسّا، هلّأ، هلقيت
There are more but I am unsure about them. Also, I've heard some people who say hassa sometimes even say hassa3.


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