# All dialects: sometimes, not often



## mini91

How  'sometimes' or 'not often' are expressed in dialects around the Arab world? I'm aware of the MSA "a7yaanan", so is it expressed differently in dialect?


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## Egyptlover

In Egypt, we say: "a7yaanan" or "sa3aat".


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## Xence

In Algerian it's _swaaye3_ .


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## Mahaodeh

I've heard: أحيانا، مرّات، أمرار in several eastern dialects. In IA I've also heard نوبات


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## إسكندراني

Rarely some people in Egypt might use مرّات or أوقات.


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## Imad Net

In Algeria we say "sa3aat" , "marra 3la marra" , "khatra 3la khatra"


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## Xence

Imad Net said:


> "marra 3la marra" , "khatra 3la khatra"


Yes, those are mostly used in Algiers and its surroundings.


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## el-Shinqiti

In the Hassaniya Arabic dialect (which covers Mauritania, the West Sahara, the Azaouad region of northern Mali, the Tindouf region of southwestern Algeria, and southern Morocco) the common term for "sometimes" is 'marra-marra'.


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## djara

In Tunisian, mainly "sa33aat", but also "marraat" and also, in some regions, the other Algerian expressions above.


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## samatar

In Palestinian Arabic: marrat, mish dayman
مرّات ، مش دايمًا


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## Bruss04

I heard something like "mosh dima dima" which I think meant "not often" but I'm not sure.


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## djara

Bruss04 said:


> I heard something like "moush dima dima" which I think meant "not often" but I'm not sure.



In Tunisian A, this means "not always"; "not every time"; "not all the time"


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## Arabus

I think أحيانا is a loan from Standard Arabic in many of the dialects. In Syria people tend to use such words as أوقات and أواقيت. This is what I remember now.


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## Bruss04

djara said:


> In Tunisian A, this means "not always"; "not every time"; "not all the time"



That's it. Thx
So would it be used like "not all the time" is used in english? That is, can it be used just by itself as a response to a question, for instance.


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## Milad__7

in Libya they say Marrat or Marra Marra or Mesh Deema


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## Imad Net

Xence said:


> In Algerian it's _swaaye3_ .


_We don't say it my friend,_
_We say "marraat, sa3aat, khatraat,_
_            marra marra, sa3a sa3a, khatra khatra, _
_            marra 3la marra, sa3a 3la sa3a, khatra 3la khatra"_
_Where did you hear it (Swaaye3) ?_


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## إسكندراني

Imad Net said:


> _We don't say it my friend,_
> _We say "marraat, sa3aat, khatraat,_
> _            marra marra, sa3a sa3a, khatra khatra, _
> _            marra 3la marra, sa3a 3la sa3a, khatra 3la khatra"_
> _Where did you hear it (Swaaye3) ?_



Since I see it unwise to doubt Xence's bieng Algerian, I imagine this is maybe an example of dialect variation within Algeria? I was told emphatically that the vocabulary changes from one side of the country to the other by a Moroccan friend of mine!


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## Imad Net

إسكندراني said:


> Since I see it unwise to doubt Xence's bieng Algerian, I imagine this is maybe an example of dialect variation within Algeria? I was told emphatically that the vocabulary changes from one side of the country to the other by a Moroccan friend of mine!


_I didn't doubt if he is Algerian, you see that I ask him where they say it !.. Algeria is a very vast country, and in the same "wilaya" you find many differences, so imagine the differences in 48 wilayas !! _
_Swaaye3 is the plural of Sa3a, but when we mean "sometimes", we use the other plural "saa3aat" and not "swaaye3"_


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## Xence

Imad Net said:
			
		

> We don't say it my friend,
> We say "marraat, sa3aat, khatraat,
> marra marra, sa3a sa3a, khatra khatra,
> marra 3la marra, sa3a 3la sa3a, khatra 3la khatra"
> Where did you hear it (Swaaye3) ?



Yes, all those are used. But _swaaye3 _is widely used in Eastern regions: Setif, M'sila, Khenchla, Biskra, Tebessa, etc. You can check in this forum if you wish.


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## Imad Net

Xence said:


> Yes, all those are used. But _swaaye3 _is widely used in Eastern regions: Setif, M'sila, Khenchla, Biskra, Tebessa, etc. You can check in this forum if you wish.


 Although I live eastern region in Algeria, and I have many friends from this wilayas, but I never hear them saying it !.. Thank you for the information


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## Xence

You're welcome Imad Net !


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## Hemza

In Morocco,

مرة مرة
مرات
بعض المرات
خطرة خطرة
خطرات
بعض الخطرات
شي نوبات
ساعات
There may be other but this is what I have in mind.


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## fenakhay

Hemza said:


> In Morocco,
> 
> مرة مرة
> مرات
> بعض المرات
> خطرة خطرة
> خطرات
> بعض الخطرات
> شي نوبات
> ساعات
> There may be other but this is what I have in mind.



شي مرات/خطرات
ماشي ديما/دايما
ساعة ساعة
كدا مرة


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