# Morrocan Arabic: Amadra A waldi? Ach darti?



## karenhassan

What does this sentence which is in Moroccan dialect mean in English please? *'Amadra A waldi? Ach darti?'*


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## Hemza

It means "what's up my son? What did you do?" 

"dar/yidir" means in MSA "to organize", but it's often used in Maghrebian dialects (Mauritanian, Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian and Libyan) as "to do". It depends of the area, in my area, we use more "3mal".


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## Aloulu

In Tunisian and Libyan we do not use the verb "dar/yidir" as "to do" actually. We say "3amala" as do, I do (ena na3mel). 

A question: why is it dirt*i* whereas it is said to a boy? In Tunisia the *i* at the end (example: 3amalt*i* = what have you done (female)) is used when u talk to females only.

In Tunisian & Libyan this sentence would be: *"Ech bik ya wildi! Fech 3amelt?"*


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## Hemza

Really? Sorry, I thought it was used... In my area, we say "ana n3mal" too.

oh yes, it's typically Moroccan: when we conjugue verbs, we always use (for the past form) the feminine form, like "ta2akherti" (you're late), "kamalti" (you have finished), etc, even for males.

The only area which doesn't use the feminine form is the North East, near the border with Algeria.


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## Aloulu

Hemza said:


> Really? Sorry, I thought it was used... In my area, we say "ana n3mal" too.
> 
> oh yes, it's typically Moroccan: when we conjugue verbs, we always use (for the past form) the feminine form, like "ta2akherti" (you're late), "kamalti" (you have finished), etc, even for males.
> 
> The only area which doesn't use the feminine form is the North East, near the border with Algeria.



No problem bro. I know it because before I didnt really understand what "ndiro" meant when listening to Moroccan songs. Later on I found the meaning out myself. 
In rural/southern Tunisia we only use the feminine ending (i at the end of the verb) when talking to females, such as "femt*i*? instead of just femt?. 
But in urban Tunisia (Grande Tunis and whole Sahel) they do not use at all and it would be "femt" to both male and female.


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## Hemza

Thank you ^^.

So in Morocco (at least, most of areas) we make the opposite as Northern Tunisian ^^.


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## Aloulu

lol Yes, that's why I asked you.


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## Hemza

"*Ech bik ya wildi! Fech 3amelt?"

*In my area, we say *"shnu bik (or "malek") a waldi? shnu 3amalti?"*


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## Bakr

مثل هذه الجملة تحتاج إلى سياق ليتضح المعنى أكثر، فعلى سبيل المثال تستخدم كثيرا في مثل هذا السياق : شخص ذهب للبحث عن عمل أو الاطلاع على نتائج امتحانات اجتازها...وعند عودته يقول له شخص أكبر منه سنا :ـ
أمضرا آولدي؟ آش درتي؟
كيف جرت الأمور يا بني؟ ماذا كانت النتيجة؟​


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## Xence

In Algeria, the same sentence would be worded (for a male) : *yadra ya weldi/wlidi, wesh dert* ?

By the way, I am wondering if the Moroccan *amadra *(and the Algerian* yadra*) doesn't come from the classical Arabic *ya man dara* (_who knows ?_)


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## tounsi51

Aloulu said:


> In Tunisian and Libyan we do not use the verb "dar/yidir" as "to do" actually. We say "3amala" as do, I do (ena na3mel).
> 
> A question: why is it dirt*i* whereas it is said to a boy? In Tunisia the *i* at the end (example: 3amalt*i* = what have you done (female)) is used when u talk to females only.
> 
> In Tunisian & Libyan this sentence would be: *"Ech bik ya wildi! Fech 3amelt?"*



"dir" in Tunisia is used in some regions of Tunisia, southern I think like Medenine...there is also the verb "danna" used in Kasserine for example

In Libya 'dir" is widely used

for "fech 3amelt" I will say rather "cha3melt"?


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## Bakr

Xence said:


> By the way, I am wondering if the Moroccan *amadra *(and the Algerian* yadra*) doesn't come from the classical Arabic *ya man dara* (_who knows ?_)


معك حق
في أغنية "يوم ملقاك" لمجموعة ناس الغيوان، وهي المجموعة التي لديها اطلاع كبير على التراث الشفوي المغربي، تأتي بهذا المعنى 
وا مدرى يا ليام...واش لقاه قريب را القلب مكدر 
...
اللي علينا احنا درناه... اللي على الله به أدرى 
...
أيا مدرى ماذا لي...ـ​


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## إسكندراني

دار يدير means to run something, e.g. A company or device, in standard arabic, rather than to organize


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## Bakr

لعلك تعلم أن دار يدير باللهجة/الدارجة المغربية تعني فعل يفعل، أليس كذلك؟​


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## tounsi51

Is it the same verb as in the Levantine expression "dir balak"?


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## إسكندراني

Bakr said:


> لعلك تعلم أن دار يدير باللهجة/الدارجة المغربية تعني فعل يفعل، أليس كذلك؟​


نعم كلامي موجه للرد الثاني مداخلة الزميل حمزة


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## Hemza

إسكندراني said:


> نعم كلامي موجه للرد الثاني مداخلة الزميل حمزة



Yes, you're right, it means "to run" (mathalan, sharika) ^^. I forgot about this meaning


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## Bakr

إسكندراني said:


> نعم كلامي موجه للرد الثاني مداخلة الزميل حمزة


غياب الألف عن دار(أي أدار يدير) جعلني أظن أنك تتحدث عن دار باللهجة المغربية


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