Morocco Peace Corp

PEACE CORPS MOROCCO
Moroccan Arabic
Introduction
Table of Contents
Getting Started with Moroccan Arabic Describing Yourself
Learning Moroccan Arabic................................................................................................................. 1 Transcription of Moroccan Arabic...................................................................................................... 1 Greetings ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Independent Pronouns ...................................................................................................................... 7 Possessive Pronouns..........................................................................................................................9 Masculine and Feminine Nouns....................................................................................................... 10
Nationalities, Cities, and Marital Status........................................................................................... 12 The Possessive Word dyal ..............................................................................................................15 Demonstrative Adjectives & Demonstrative Pronouns..................................................................... 16 Asking about Possession .................................................................................................................. 19 Useful Expressions .........................................................................................................................22
Numerals
Getting Started Shopping Family
Cardinal Numbers............................................................................................................................ 25 Ordinal Numbers / Fractions...........................................................................................................32 Time ................................................................................................................................................33 Money..............................................................................................................................................36 At the Hanoot .................................................................................................................................. 37 Verb to want .................................................................................................................................39 Kayn for There is...........................................................................................................................40 Family Members..............................................................................................................................42 Verb to have..................................................................................................................................44 Prepositions..................................................................................................................................... 47 Directions........................................................................................................................................48 Time Vocabulary..............................................................................................................................50 Past Tense Regular Verbs...............................................................................................................51 Past Tense Irregular Verbs............................................................................................................ 53 Negation .......................................................................................................................................... 57 Have you ever... / Ive never............................................................................................................. 59 Object Pronouns ..............................................................................................................................60 Question Words............................................................................................................................... 61 Present Tense Regular Verbs ........................................................................................................64 Present Tense Irregular Verbs with Middle a .............................................................................66 Present Tense Irregular Verbs with Final a .................................................................................71 Using One Verb after Another.......................................................................................................... 76 The Imperative ................................................................................................................................ 77 Bargaining .......................................................................................................................................80 Clothing...........................................................................................................................................82 Adjectives ........................................................................................................................................89 Comparative and Superlative Adjectives ..........................................................................................92 Fruits and Vegetables....................................................................................................................... 95 Buying Produce................................................................................................................................ 97 Spices and Meat............................................................................................................................. 100
Directions
Past Events
Daily Routines
Bargaining
Shopping For Food
Food and Drink Medical & Body Travel
Food and Drink...............................................................................................................................101 The Reflexive verb to please / to like........................................................................................... 104 The Verb to need, to have to, must, should.................................................................................. 108 The Verb to want, to like ..............................................................................................................110
Body Parts .......................................................................................................................................111 Health Problems............................................................................................................................. 112 Site Visit Expressions.................................................................................................................... 114
At the Hotel
Future Tense................................................................................................................................... 116 Travel ............................................................................................................................................ 120 Hotel Accommodation ....................................................................................................................125 The Conditional ..............................................................................................................................126 The Post Office............................................................................................................................... 128 Using Prepositions with Pronoun Endings & Verbs........................................................................ 130 Peace Corps ....................................................................................................................................136 Youth Development ........................................................................................................................137 Environment.................................................................................................................................. 138 Health............................................................................................................................................ 140 Small Business Development .......................................................................................................... 141 Finding a House..............................................................................................................................142 Furnishing a House.........................................................................................................................144 Sexual Harassment .........................................................................................................................147 At the Taxi Stand ............................................................................................................................149 At Work ..........................................................................................................................................150 Forgetting a Wallet in a Taxi / Filing a Report ................................................................................ 151 Butagas...........................................................................................................................................153 Hash...............................................................................................................................................154 Theft...............................................................................................................................................155 House Security / Doors and Windows.............................................................................................157 Political Harassment.......................................................................................................................159
At the Post Office
Describing the Peace Corps Mission
Renting a House
Safety and Security
Pronunciation of Moroccan Arabic Supplementary Grammar Lessons
Appendices
Understanding How Sounds Are Made...........................................................................................162 Pronunciation of Non-English Consonants .....................................................................................162 Pronunciation of Shedda.................................................................................................................164 The Definite Article.........................................................................................................................165
Making Intransitive Verbs into Transitive Verbs.............................................................................166 Passive Verbs..................................................................................................................................167 The Past Progressive...................................................................................................................... 168 The Verb to remain......................................................................................................................169 Verb Participles ..............................................................................................................................169 Conjunctions ..................................................................................................................................172 More Useful Expressions .............................................................................................................176
Moroccan Holidays
Religious Holidays..........................................................................................................................178 National Holidays...........................................................................................................................181 Glossary of Verbs .......................................................................................................................... 182 Grammar Index..............................................................................................................................212 Vocabulary Index...........................................................................................................................213
Introduction
Learning Moroccan Arabic Even under the best conditions, learning a new language can be challenging. Add to this challenge the
rigors of Peace Corps training, and youre faced with what will be one of the most demandingand rewardingaspects of your Peace Corps experience: learning to communicate to Moroccans in their own language. But it can be done. And rest assured that you can do it. Here are a few reasons why: You are immersed in the language: Some people may need to hear a word three times to remember it; others may need thirty. Learning Moroccan Arabic while living and training with Moroccans gives you the chance to hear the language used again and again. You have daily language classes with Moroccan teachers: Youre not only immersed in the language; you also have the opportunity to receive feedback from native speakers on the many questions that predictably crop up when one learns a new language. Peace Corps has over forty years of experience in Morocco: Your training, including this manual, benefits from the collective experience gained by training thousands of Americans to live and work in Morocco. You will benefit from and contribute to that legacy. Despite these advantages, at times you may still feel like the task of learning Moroccan Arabic is too much to handle. Remember that volunteers having been doing it for decades, however. One of the most rewarding aspects of your time will be communicating with Moroccans in Arabic, surprising them and yourself with how well you know the language. When that time arrives, your hard work will have been worth it.
like you
system of transcription that substitutes characters of the Latin alphabet (a, b, c, d, . . . ) for characters from Arabic script ( ). With this system, it isnt necessary for a trainee to learn all of Arabic script before he or she begins to learn the language. On the contrary, once you become familiar with the system of transcription, you will be able to read and write Moroccan Arabic fairly quickly using characters you are familiar with. You will learn Arabic script during training, but with transcription it isnt necessary to know it right away. Throughout the book, therefore, you will always see both the original Arabic script the transcription. Becoming familiar with the Peace
. . .
Transcription of Moroccan Arabic In order for trainees to move quickly into Moroccan Arabic (also called Darija), Peace Corps uses a
also
Corps system of transcription is one of the best things you can do, early on, to help yourself learn Moroccan Arabic. Practicing the different sounds of Moroccan Arabic until you can reproduce them is another. This introduction is intended mainly to help you get
and
The large majority of consonants in Moroccan Arabic are similar to sounds that we have in English. The vowels in Arabic are also similar to English vowels. In the following table, each transcription character that represents a sound you already know will be explained. The sounds are not necessarily what you may expect, but each character was matched with a sound for good reasons.
Transcription Character a b d e
_ /
Sounds You Already Know

Arabic Character
/ _ /
started with the system of transcription, and as a result it will mention only briefly the different sounds of Arabic. However, a fuller explanation can be found on page 162.
Description sometimes the // in father, sometimes the /a/ in mad the normal English sound /b/ the normal English sound /d/ the short e sound /e/ as in met (this transcription character is not used
2 Moroccan Arabic
often, only when confusion would be caused by using the transcription character a)
f g h i j k l m n o p r s t u v w y z
the normal English sound /f/ the normal English sound /g/ as in go the normal English sound /h/ as in hi.
_/
the long ee sound // as in meet the /zh/ sound represented by the s in pleasure the normal English sound /k/ the normal English sound /l/ the normal English sound /m/ the normal English sound /n/ the long o sound // as in bone (this transcription character is not used
often, mainly for French words that have entered Moroccan Arabic)
the normal English sound /p/ this is not the normal English r, but a flap similar to the Spanish r or to the sound Americans make when they quickly say gotta as in I gotta go. the normal English sound /s/ the normal English sound /t/ the long oo sound // as in food the normal English sound /v/ the normal English sound /w/ the normal English sound /y/ the normal English sound /z/ the normal English sound /sh/ as in she Some vowel combinations
ay au iu
the ay as in say the ow as in cow the ee you as in see you later
New Sounds
There are
eight consonants in Moroccan Arabic that we do not have in English. It may take you some time to be able to pronounce these correctly. At this point, whats important is that you learn the
Peace Corps / Morocco 3
transcription character for each of these sounds. See page 162 for more information on how to pronounce the sounds in Moroccan Arabic.
Transcription Character Arabic Character the Arabic emphatic d the Arabic emphatic s the Arabic emphatic t Sound These sounds are pronounced like their non-emphatic counterparts, but with a lower pitch and a greater tension in the tongue and throat.
d s t
q x
like the English /k/ but pronounced further back in the throat like the ch in the German Bach; some people use this sound to say yech! like the x sound above, but pronounced using your voice box; similar to the French r like the English h, except pronounce deep in the throat as a loud raspy whisper. This sound will be difficult at first. It can be approximated by pronouncing the a in fat with the tongue against the bottom of the mouth and from as deep in the throat as possible
If you see a transcription character doubled, that means that a shedda is over that character in the Arabic script. For example, in the following table, you will see how the transcription changes for shedda, and thus the pronunciation.
English Translation woman time (as in: Ive seen
him one time)
Shedda
Transcription mra mrra
Arabic Script
This small character, which looks like a w, is the shedda. That is why the transcription has a doubled r.
Notice that these two words are spelled differently in the transcription. The word woman does not have a shedda on the r in Arabic script, and that is why there is only one r in the transcription. The word time does have a shedda in the Arabic script, and that is why the transcription doubles the letter r. These two words are pronounced differently, so you must pay attention to doubled letters in transcription. To learn more about how we pronounce the shedda in Arabic, see page 164. For now, whats important is that you understand the transcription.
Other Symbols
Sometimes, you will see a hyphen used in the transcription. This has three purposes: 1. It indicates the definite article: For some letters, the definite article (the word the) is made by adding the letter l. For others, it is made by doubling the first letter. In both cases, a hyphen will be used to indicate to you that the word has the definite article in front of it. See page 165 for more info on the definite article. 2. It connects the present tense prefix: The present tense prefix (kan, kat, or kay) will be connected to the verb with a hyphen. This will make it easier for you to understand what verb you are looking at. 3. It connects the negative prefix (ma) and the negative suffix () to a verb.
4 Moroccan Arabic
does not necessarily indicate a change in pronunciation. The hyphen is there to make it easy for you to see when a definite article is being used, for example, or which verb is being used. It is a visual indicator, not an indicator of pronunciation. Sometimes the rhythm of speech may seem to break with the hyphen; other times the letters before and after the hyphen will be pronounced together.
In these instances, the hyphen
Another symbol you will sometimes see is the apostrophe ( ' ). When you see an apostrophe, it indicates a glottal stop, which is the break between vowels as heard in the English exclamation uh oh. That is to say, if you see an apostrophe you should not connect the sounds before the apostrophe with the sounds after the apostrophe. Pronounce them with a break in the middle. Sometimes you will see syllables or even whole words without any vowels written in them. This is normal in Moroccan Arabic. To the English speaker, however, this seems impossible, since we have always been taught that all words must contain a vowel sound. Which side is correct? Well, in a sense they both are. In reality, it is indeed possible to pronounce consonants together without articulating a vowel sound; we do it a lot in English at the beginning of words. Think about the word . We pronounce three consonants , , and without any vowels between them. So it is possible. The only challenge with Arabic is that the consonant combinations are new for English speakers (we dont put the /sh/ sound next to the /m/ sound, for example, but in Arabic they do). However, try for a moment to pronounce the letters str, not the whole word street. In this case, most English speakers will hear something that the word stir. With certain consonant combinations, that is to say, it sounds to the English speaker like there is a vowel in the middle, even if there isnt. The vowel is in reality just the normal sound made as one consonant sound transitions to another. Part of learning Moroccan Arabic is becoming comfortable with new consonant combinations practicing those combinations without necessarily placing a vowel in the middle. The transcription words, you will notice, only include characters for vowels when there really is a vowel in the word. It may seem difficult at first, but it is better to accustom yourself to this as early as you can.
street s t r only sounds like and
Words & Syllables Without Vowels
A final point about the transcription. At times it may seem overly complicated to someone beginning Moroccan Arabic. For example, why doesnt it just use sh for the /sh/ sound? The answer is this: every sound must have just a single character to represent it. Why? Well, in Arabic it is normal for the /h/ sound to follow the /s/ sound. If we used sh to represent the /sh/ sound, there would not be any way to represent an /s/ plus /h/ sound, because it too would look like sh. Using the symbol to represent /sh/ makes it possible to represent /s/ plus /h/ and /sh/ plus /h/ (yes, in Arabic both these combinations are used). All of this concerns a larger point: the transcription system used in this book may appear complex at first, but it has been carefully thought out and in the end it is the easiest system possible. That said, the sooner you can make the transition to reading Arabic script, the easier it will be to pronounce Arabic correctly.
Why Not Just Write sh?
Getting Started with Moroccan Arabic

Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: greet people and introduce yourself use independent pronouns to make simple sentences use possessive pronouns to indicate possession distinguish between masculine and feminine nouns
Greetings
Cultural Points
Greetings and farewells (good byes) are two important aspects of Moroccan life. Greetings are not to be compared with the quick American hi. It takes time for two people to exchange different questions and answers which interest them about each other, their families, and life in general. Greetings change from one region to another, both in the questions posed and in the fashion of the greeting (i.e. shaking hands, kissing cheeks head or hands, or putting ones hand over ones heart after shaking hands). If you greet a group of people, then the way you greet the first person is the way you should greet everyone in the group. Dont be surprised if you are greeted by a friend but he does not introduce you to other people with whom he may be talking. Do not be surprised if you are in a group and you are not greeted as others are in the group (people may be shy to greet a stranger.) It is also not necessary to give an overly detailed response to a greetingonly the usual response is expected. For example, How are you? requires only a simple Fine, thanks be to God.
How do people greet each other in different cultures?
Greeting expressions and appropriate responses
A: Peace be upon you B: And peace be upon you (too) A: Good morning B: Good morning A: Good afternoon / evening B: Good afternoon / evening
s-salamu alaykum wa alaykum s-salam
sba l-xir sba l-xir

msa l-xir msa l-xir
6 Moroccan Arabic
name Whats your name? my name... your name... his name... her name... Nice to meet you. How are you (masc.)? How are you (fem.)? Are you fine? Good, thanks be to God. Good, thanks be to God. Everything is fine. Good-bye Good night
Greetings Dialogue
smiya nu smitk? smiti... smitk... smitu... smitha... mtrfin kif dayr? kif dayra? labas? labas, l-amdullah bixir, l-amdullah kuli bixir bslama layla saida
... ... ... ...
John: s-salamu Mohamed: wa
alaykum.
: : : . : : : . : : : :
alaykum s-salam.
John: kif dayr? Mohamed: labas, l-amdullah. u nta? John: bixir, l-amdullah. Mohamed: nu smitk? John: smiti John. u nta? Mohamed: smiti Mohamed. John: mtrfin. Mohamed: mtrfin.
Transcription Reminder
characters.
see page 1 for the full table with all transcription
: the /sh/ sound as in she x: the ch in the German Bach or the
a: the a in father or the a in mad i: the ee in meet
Exercise: Put this dialogue in the correct order.
Chris:
sba l-xir.
: : : : : : . : : : :
Amy: mtrfin. Chris: kif dayra? Amy: nu smitk? Chris: labas, l-amdullah. Amy: smiti Amy. Chris: smiti Chris. u nti? Amy:
sba l-xir.
Chris: mtrfin. Amy: bixir, l-amdullah. u nta?
Independent Pronouns
We call the following pronouns independent because they are not attached to other words, such as nouns, verbs, or prepositions (see Possessive Pronouns, next page, and Object Pronouns, page 60). The pronouns are often used in a number of different ways.
I you (masc. singular) you (fem. singular) he she we you (plural) they ana nta nti huwa hiya
na
ntuma huma
When they are followed by a noun or an adjective, the verb to be is not necessary. It is implied already, and simple sentences can be made by using independent pronouns with a nouns or adjectives.
I am a teacher. ana ustad.
.
8 Moroccan Arabic
She is tired. hiya
iyana.
characters.
h: the normal English /h/ sound as in hello.
: like the English h, except pronounce it

deep in the throat as a loud raspy
Possessive Pronouns
my your (singular) his her our your (plural) their i / ya* k u / h* ha na kum hum
In Darija, a suffix (ending) may be added to the end of words in order to express possession.
/
* For the my and his forms, the first ending is used for words ending in consonants, while the second is used with words ending in vowels. For example, smiti (my name), but xuya (my brother). Example of possessive pronouns with the noun book.
book my book your (sing.) book his book her book our book your (plur.) book their book ktab ktabi ktabk ktabu ktabha ktabna ktabkum ktabhum
Most feminine nouns in Arabic have an a sound at the end of the word. In Arabic script, this a is actually a that is only pronounced on certain occasions. For all feminine words ending in this silent t ( ), we drop the sound a and substitute it with t before adding a possessive pronoun. For example, the feminine noun magana (a watch).
silent t
watch my watch your (sing.) watch his watch her watch our watch your (plur.) watch their watch
magana maganti magantk magantu magantha magantna magantkum maganthum
10 Moroccan Arabic
Exercise: Use the following words with the appropriate possessive pronoun.
dar (house)
in Arabic script) are feminine. For example:

name city chicken (a single one) television
Masculine and Feminine Nouns In Arabic, all nouns are either masculine or feminine. In general, nouns ending in (the silent t ( )
a smiya mdina djaja tlfaza
1. your (plur.) house 2. my place 3. his book 4. our place 5. your (sing.) ticket
blasa (place)
ktab (book)
wrqa (sheet of paper, ticket)
6. their place 7. her house 8. his ticket 9. your (sing.) book 10. their house
The feminine is formed from the masculine (for nouns indicating professions or participles) by adding a (the silent t ( ) in Arabic script) to the end of the word. For example:
male teacher female teacher working (masc. participle) working (fem. participle) ustad ustada xddam xddama
Some words without a (the silent t ( ) in Arabic script) are nonetheless feminine. First, words and proper names which are by their nature feminine:
mother Amal (girls name) om amal
Second, most (though not all) parts of the body that come in pairs are feminine:
an eye a hand a foot an ear
in
yd rjl udn
Third, a small number of nouns which do not fall into any category and yet are feminine:
the house the sun
d-dar
-ms
Peace Corps / Morocco 11 Transcription Reminder

characters. see page 1 for the full table with all transcription
j: the /zh/ sound, like the s in the word pleasure.
Remember that if two characters in a row are the same, a shedda is used, and we pronounce
12 Moroccan Arabic
Describing Yourself
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: ask and answer questions about nationalities, cities, age, and marital status use the possessive word dyal to indicate possession use demonstrative pronouns and adjectives in simple sentences ask questions about possession Cultural Points
Avoid asking about the salary and age (sometimes) of people, especially women. Men should not enquire about the wives or other female relations of someonethis could be seen as expressing an inappropriate interest. People wont always tell you about their jobs and other personal concerns if not asked. Religion can be a sensitive issue and sometimes people are not willing to express their views.
Nationalities, Cities, and Marital Status
Vocabulary and Expressions
Where are you (masc.) from? Where are you (fem.) from? I am from the U.S. I am American. I am from Morocco. I am Moroccan. Are you ... ? Are you from the U.S.? Where are you from in the U.S.? And you? city state big (fem.) small (fem.) Excuse me. (to man / woman) I am not ... but engaged (fem.) married (masc. / fem.) No, not yet. Are you a tourist? I work with the Peace Corps.
mnin nta? mnin nti? ana mn mirikan. ana mirikani(ya). ana mn l-mrib. ana mribi(ya). we nta/nti ... ? we nta/nti mn mirikan? mnin nta/nti f mirikan? u nta/nti? mdina wilaya kbira
... . .( ) . .( ) / / / /
sira
sm li / smi li ana mai ... welakin
/ ...
mxtuba
mzuwj / mzuwja lla mazal / lla baqi we nta/nti turist? ana xddam(a) ma hay'at s-salam.
. / / () /
Dialogue
Fatima: s-salamu Tom: wa
alaykum.
: : : . : : . . : : : . . : : : . . . . . : : : : :
alaykum s-salam.
Fatima: sm li, we nta fransawi? Tom: lla, ana mirikani. Fatima: mnin f mirikan? Tom: mn mdint Seattle f wilayat Washington. u nti? Fatima: mn Rabat.
mrk? Fatima: tnayn u rin am. u nta? Tom: rba u tlatin am.
Fatima: we nta mzuwj wlla mazal? Tom: mazal. u nti?
Tom: al f
Fatima: lla, baqiya. we nta turist? Tom: lla, ana xddam ma hay'at s-salam. Fatima: bslama. Tom: n-ufk mn bd.
14 Moroccan Arabic
Exercise: Complete each section of this dialogue.
In Moroccan Arabic, you have already learned that possession can be expressed by adding the possessive pronouns to the end of a word (see page 9). Another way to express possession is through the word dyal. It is placed after a noun with the definite article the, which in Arabic may be either the letter l or a doubling of the first consonant of a word (see page 165 for more information on the Arabic definite article). The same possessive pronouns you learned before are attached to the end of dyal. You can also use a name with dyal. Some examples:
Using Possessive Pronoun book ktab the book Using dyal l-ktab
The Possessive Word dyal
my book
ktabi
my book
l-ktab dyali
Johns book
l-ktab dyal John
Here is a list of dyal with all of the possessive pronoun endings:

my / mine your / yours (sing.) his / his her / hers our / ours your / yours their / theirs dyali dyalk dyalu dyalha dyalna dyalkum dyalhum
As the list above shows, the forms dyali, dyalk, etc. also mean mine, yours, etc.
This pen is mine. That rug is yours. had s-stilo dyali. dik z-zrbiya dyalk.
. .
Exercise:
Substitute the underlined words by the corresponding
possessive pronoun endings.
1. s-stilu dyal John. 2. l-ktab dyal Amber. 3.
. . .
d-dar dyal Driss u Zubida.
16 Moroccan Arabic
Arabic we must be aware of whether they act as adjectives or pronouns. Think about how we use these words in English. Sometimes, we use them before a noun. When we use them before a noun, they are called demonstrative adjectives. This car is Johns. I like these towels. I want that book. Those flowers smell lovely. Sometimes, we use them by themselves. In this case, they are called demonstrative pronouns. This is Johns. I like these. I want that. Those smell lovely. It isnt necessary to know their names, but it is necessary to pay attention to whether they are before a noun or not. Lets first look at the pronoun forms in Arabic, which you will use often even as a beginner.
Demonstrative Adjectives & Demonstrative Pronouns This, that, these, and those are used often in Arabic, like in English. But, unlike in English, in
Demonstrative Pronouns
this (masc.) this (fem.) these (plur.) that (masc.) that (fem.) those (plur.) hada hadi hadu
hadak hadik haduk
These forms may be used at the beginning of a sentence, in the middle or at the end of a sentence, or in questions. In Arabic, these pronouns can represent people.
This is a chair. This is a table. This is Abdallah. This is Aicha. Whats this? (masc. object) Whats this? (fem. object) Who is this? (masc.) Who is this? (fem.) What is that? (masc. object) Who is that? (fem.) hada kursi. hadi
.
tbla.
hada Abdallah. hadi Aicha. nu / a hada? nu / a hadi? kun hada? kun hadi? nu / a hadak? kun hadik?
At first, you may have difficulty knowing whether to use the masculine or feminine form of this or that. Moroccans should understand you even if you make an error with gender, however.
Exercise: Write as many correct sentences as you can using the words from the following table.
e.g. hada rajl mzyan. (This is a good man.) hada hadi hadu hadak hadik haduk wld (masc. sing.) bnt (fem. sing.) qhwa (fem. sing.) wlad (masc. plur.) rajl (masc. sing.)
.
mzyan (masc. sing.) mzyanin (masc. plur.) mzyana (fem. sing.) mzyanat (fem. plur.) kbir (masc. sing.) kbira (fem. sing.) kbar (masc./fem. plur.) fran (masc. sing.) franin (masc. plur.) frana (fem. sing.) franat (fem. plur.)
dar (fem. sing.) yalat (fem. plur.)

mdina (fem. sing.)
bnat (fem. plur.)
blad (masc. sing.)
18 Moroccan Arabic
characters.
: the /sh/ sound as in she x: the ch in the German Bach or the Scottish loch See page144.
a: the a in father or the a in mad i: the ee in meet u: the oo in food k: the normal /k/ sound q: like the English /k/ but pronounced further back in the throat. See page 144.
: the French r, like a light gargle

See page 145.
t: d:
Demonstrative Adjectives
this/these (masc. / fem. / plur.) that (masc.) that (fem.) those (plur.)
this/these
pronounced like t, d, and s, but with a lower pitch and a greater tension in the tongue and throat.
had dak dik duk
As you can see, the form (had) is the same for masculine, feminine, and plural. For all the demonstrative adjectives, you must use the definite article in front of the nouns that follow them. This means using an l in front of moon letters or doubling the first letter of sun letters (see page 165).
this man this woman these men these women This city is big. That house is big. had r-rajl had l-mra had r-rjal had l-yalat had l-mdina kbira. dik
. .
d-dar kbira.
I
Talking about a General Situation

NTERMEDIATE TOPIC
Sometimes in English, we use the words and to talk about general situations, not about specific things. Some of the students are always late for class. I dont like that In Arabic, different expressions are used for these meanings.
this that
.
this (general situation) that (general situation)
had -i dak -i
After some experience hearing native speakers, you should be able to know when to use the normal demonstrative pronouns and when to use these expressions. Some examples:
What is this? (this thing, this object) What is this? (situation, affair) I want that. (that thing, that object) Thats what I want. (a situation or outcome) a hada? a had -i? bit hadak. dak -i l-li bit.
I
. .
With a present tense verb form, an active participle expressing current activity, or an equational sentence, the demonstrative pronoun hadi is used to express duration, like the English present perfect tense or present perfect progressive tense. It is used with a time expression and u (and) followed by the rest of the sentence:
hadi
Using a Demonstrative Pronoun to Express Duration

NTERMEDIATE TOPIC
+ time expression + u + rest of sentence

hadi satayn u ana kan-tsnak. hadi muda u huwa nas. hadi tlt snin u huwa f l-marib.
Ive been waiting for you for two hours. (Literally: This is two hours and I am waiting for you.) Hes been asleep for a long time. (Literally: This is a long time and he is sleeping.) Hes been in Morocco for three years. (Literally: This is three years and he is in Morocco.)
Asking about Possession

Whose book is this? This is Ambers book. Is this Hichams book? No, its not his. Whose house is this? This house is Malikas. Is this house Malikas? Yes, its hers.
The possessive word dyal ( ) may be used with mn ( ) to mean whose.

dyal mn had l-ktab? had l-ktab dyal Amber. we had l-ktab dyal Hicham? lla, mai dyalu.
dyal mn had had
d-dar?
.
d-dar dyal Malika. we had d-dar dyal

Malika? iyeh, dyalha.
20 Moroccan Arabic
d-dar dyal
Malika?
we had
iyeh, dyalha.
Exercise: Ask a question about possession for each picture. Then, give the correct answer. The first one is done for you.
Hassan Q: dyal mn had l-bisklit? A: had l-bisklit dyal Hassan.
?
Q: _______________________? A: ___________________Said. Said
_______________ . ____________
?
Ahmed
Q: _______________________? A: __________________Ahmed.
_______________ . ____________
?
Aziz
_______________
Q: _______________________? A: ___________________Aziz.
____________
22 Moroccan Arabic
Useful Expressions
Here are some expressions to help you with homestay, travel, and other situations where your language may not yet be at a point where you are able to communicate well in Moroccan Arabic. If you follow the pronunciation of the transcriptions, Moroccans should understand you. More expressions can be found in the appendix. See page 176.
Mealtime Expressions
In the name of God (said when you
begin an activity: eating, drinking, working, studying, traveling, etc.) .
bismillah
Thanks to God (said after finishing a

meal, or after expressing that all is well in life).
l-amdullah ma-kan-akul-...l-lm l-bid l-ut d-djaj
I dont eat ... meat eggs fish chicken
/ .
/ . / . . . ... . . . . . .
kan-rb atay / l-qhwa I drink tea / coffee without sugar. bla skkar. I eat everything. I eat vegetables only. I dont feel like eating. I want just/only ... I dont want to have breakfast. The food is delicious. Im full. I want to learn how to cook.
(said after a meal to thank host)
kan-akul kuli. kan-akul
ir l-xodra.
ma-fiya ma-y-akul. bit
ir ...
ma-bit- n-ftr. l-makla bnina. bt. bit n-tllm n-tiyb.
May God replenish / reward you. lla y-xlf. To your health (said to someone after eating, drinking, coming out of the hammam, wearing new clothes, having a hair cut, etc.) May God grant you health too.
(response to the above)
bssa.
lla y-tik
ssa
Thanking Expressions
Thank you. Youre welcome. ukran. bla jmil.
Expressions for Nighttime / Sleeping

Im tired. (male speaker) Im tired. (female speaker) I want to read a little bit. I want to go to bed. Where I am going to sleep? Excuse me, I want to go to bed.
(addressing a group of people)
ana ana
iyan. iyana.
. .
. .
bit n-qra wiya. bit n-ns. fin
adi n-ns.
. . . .
smu li, bit n-mi n-ns. bit n-ns bkri. bit n-fiq bkri. bit wad l-manta.
I want to go to bed early. I want to get up early. I want a blanket.
Hygiene/Cleanliness Expressions
I want to wash my hands with soap. I want to brush my teeth. I want hot water, please. I want to take a shower. I want to go to the hammam. I want to change my clothes. Where is the toilet? I want to do laundry. Where can I do laundry?
bit n-sl yddi b s-sabun. bit n-sl snani. bit l-ma s-sxun afak. bit n-duw. bit n-mi l-mmam. bit n-bddl
. . . . . .
wayji. wayji. wayji.

.
fin bit l-ma? bit n-sbbn
fin ymkn n-sbbn
Offering Help / Asking for Favors

Can I help you? Excuse me. (to a man) Excuse me. (to a woman) Give me ... please. we n-awnk? sm li. smi li.
. . . ...
tini ... afak.
24 Moroccan Arabic
Being Sick
Im sick. (male speaker) Im sick. (female speaker) I want to rest a bit. Do you feel better? ana mrid. ana mrida. bit n-rta swiya. briti wiya?
. . .
Transportation Expressions
I want to go to ... Take me to ... please. Stop here, please. Is the meter on? Turn on the meter, please. bit n-mi l ... ddini l ... afak. wqf hna afak. we l-kuntur xddam? xddm l-kuntur afak.
. ... . ... .
Responses to Problems/Difficulties/Apologies
Its not a problem. There is no problem. mai mukil. ma-kayn mukil.
. .
Congratulations
Congratulations. Happy holiday. May God grant you grace.
mbruk mbruk l-id. lla y-bark fik.

. .
Communication
I dont understand. I dont know. Slowly please. Repeat please. (to a man) Repeat please. (to a woman) What did you say? ma-fhmt-. ma-n-rf. b wiya afak.
. . .
awd afak. awdi afak.

nu glti?
.
Numerals
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to : count in Moroccan Arabic combine numbers with nouns to indicate amounts ask and answer questions about time
When we talk about numerals, we want to be able to do two things. First, we have to be able to count. That is, we have to learn our numbers. Second, we have to be able to use the numbers with objects. In other words, we have to be able to say things like five apples or twenty-seven students or one hundred forty-three volunteers. In English, we never think of these two tasks separately. We simply use a number in combination with the plural form of some object. In Arabic, however, we have to learn how to combine different numbers with objects, sometimes using a plural form, sometimes a singular, sometimes with a letter in between the two, sometimes not. As in all things Arabic, what seems difficult now becomes natural with time.
Cardinal Numbers Cardinal numbers refer to the normal numbers we use (one, two, three...). They are different than
Numbers 1 thru 10
wad wda juj tlata rba xmsa stta sba tmnya tsud tlt rb xms stt sb tmn ts
ordinal numbers (first, second, third...) and fractions (one-half, one-third, one-fourth...). For now, we start with the cardinal numbers. We will work with ordinal numbers and fractions later. In Moroccan Arabic, there are two ways to combine the numbers 3 thru 10 with an object. We sometimes use the full or normal form of the number, and sometimes we use a short form of the number. Here is a table listing the full form of numbers 1 thru 10 and the short form of numbers 3 thru 10.
Full Forms one (masc.) one (fem.) two three four five six seven eight nine ten Short Forms
ra
26 Moroccan Arabic
number (full form) + d ( )+ plural noun with definite article For the numbers 3 thru 10, we combine the short form of a number and a noun like this: number (short form) + plural noun (no definite article)
Eight books (using full form) Five dirhams (using full form) Five dirhams (using short form) tmnya d l-ktub xmsa d d-drahm xms drahm
For the numbers 3 thru 10, we combine the full form of a number and a noun like this:
The numbers one and two have some special qualities. The number one (wad/wda) differs from all other numbers because in Arabic, it acts like an adjective. This means that it comes a noun, like other adjectives, and that it must with the noun, like other adjectives.
after agree in gender
one book (book is masc.) one girl (girl is fem.)
ktab wad bnt wda
NTERMEDIATE T OPIC
Sometimes, you may hear wad (not wda) used before a noun. In this case, it is not acting as a number, but rather as an indefinite article (like the English a or an). Dont worry about it now, just be aware of it.
a book a girl wad l-ktab wad l-bnt
The number two (juj) can be used as a full or short form with plural nouns.
two books two books juj d l-ktub juj ktub
However, when two is part of a compound number (as in twenty-two), a different form is used. Here, we use the form tnayn ( ). This will be shown in the section on numbers from 20 thru 99. In English, nouns have a singular and a plural form. In Arabic, nouns also have a singular and plural form, but a small number of nouns also have a dual form. The dual form is used for these nouns when we refer to two of something. For nouns that have a dual form, therefore, we dont use juj. The dual form includes the idea of two. The dual form is usually made by adding ayn to the end of the singular form. In the following tables, the first three examples have dual forms, but the last two are normal and therefore use their plural form.
Dual noun forms
Singular Form day month year yum hr yumayn hrayn
Dual Form
am
amayn
But...
Singular Form week minute simana dqiqa Plural Form juj d s-simanat juj dqayq
Numbers 11 thru 19
eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen
The numbers 11 thru 19 do not have a short form. Only numbers 3 thru 10 have a short form.
da
tna tlta
rbta
xmsta stta
sbta
tmnta
tsta Yes the singular! In Arabic, the plural form is only used for numbers 2 thru 10. The singular is used for everything else!
For numbers 11 thru 19, we can combine a number and a noun like this:
number +
sixteen years sixteen years eighteen girls eighteen girls
r () l ()
or
+ singular noun (no definite article)

stta r am stta l am tmnta r bnt tmnta l bnt
28 Moroccan Arabic
Numbers 20, 30, 40 ... 99
For a multiple of ten (20, 30, 40 etc.) in Arabic, we simply use the name for that number, like in English. For numbers such as 21, 22, or 23, however, it is not like English. In Arabic, the ones digit is pronounced first, followed by the word and, then followed by the tens digit. For example, in Arabic the number 21 is literally one and twenty while the number 47 is literally seven and forty. Also, remember that for the numbers 22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, and 92, we do not use juj. Rather, we use tnayn. Here is a list of the multiples of ten, with examples of numbers between each multiple:
twenty twenty-one literally: one and twenty twenty-two literally: two and twenty
Remember: tnayn, not juj
rin
wad u tnayn u
rin rin rin rin
twenty-three literally: three and twenty twenty-four thirty thirty-one thirty-two thirty-three forty forty-one forty-two fifty sixty seventy eighty ninety ninety-nine
tlata u rba u tlatin
wad u tlatin tnayn u tlatin tlata u tlatin rbin wad u rbin tnayn u rbin xmsin sttin sbin tmanin tsin tsud u tsin
For numbers 20 thru 99, we can combine a number and a noun like this:
forty-two years ninety dirhams thirty-eight books tnayn u rbin tsin drhm tmnya u tlatin ktab
number + singular noun (no definite article)

am
The Arabic word for 100 is miya. For 200, there is a dual form of miyatayn. For 300 thru 900, we use the short form of the numbers 3 thru 9 plus miya. For numbers such as 107 or 257, we will use the appropriate multiple of 100 followed by the word and and then the rest of the number. Some examples:
one hundred one hundred one
literally: one hundred and one
Numbers 100, 200, 300 ... 999

miya
miya u wad miya u juj miya u miya u
one hundred two

literally: one hundred and two
one hundred ten

literally: one hundred and ten
ra da rin rin
one hundred eleven one hundred twenty-one

literally: one hundred and one and twenty
miya u wad u
one hundred twenty-two

literally: one hundred and two and twenty
miya u tnayn u
one hundred ninety-nine two hundred two hundred fifty-seven

literally: two hundred and seven and fifty
miya u tsud u tsin miyatayn miyatayn u sba u xmsin tlt miya tlt miya u xmsa u rbin rb miya xms miya stt miya sb miya tmn miya ts miya ts miya u tsud u tsin
three hundred three hundred forty-five

literally: three hundred and five and forty
four hundred five hundred six hundred seven hundred eight hundred nine hundred nine hundred ninety-nine
Exact multiples of 100 (100, 300, 400, etc. not 137 or 278) are combined with a noun like this: number + t ( ) + singular noun
30 Moroccan Arabic
four hundred chairs six hundred ryal rb miyat kursi stt miyat ryal
But when a number between 100 and 999 is not an exact multiple of 100 (e.g. 167, 492, 504), we combine the number with a noun according to the rule for the final digits of the number.
105 books (use the rule for 5) 214 books (use the rule for 14) 657 books (use the rule for 57) miya u xmsa d l-ktub miyatayn u rbta r ktab stt miya u sba u xmsin ktab
Exercise: Match the number with the correct Arabic translation.

199 2 11 149 137 75 69 156 miya u tsud u rbin tsud u sttin miya u stta u xmsin xmsa u sbin miya u tsud u tsin
da
miya u sba u tlatin juj
The word for thousand has the singular form alf, the dual form alfayn, and the plural form alaf. The plural form is used with the short form of the numbers 3 thru 10 from 3 thousand to 10 thousand. Then we return to the singular form (like we do for all Arabic nouns). Like the word for hundred, it is followed by and when the number is not an exact multiple of 1000 (e.g. 1027 or 4738). From 1000 onward:
one thousand one thousand one one thousand fifteen one thousand three hundred sixty-seven (literally: one
thousand and three hundred and seven and sixty)
Numbers 1000, 2000, 3000 ...
alf alf u wad alf u xmsta alf u tlt miya u sba u sttin alfayn alfayn u tnayn u rin tlt alaf
two thousand two thousand twenty-two three thousand
three thousand seven hundred and fifty four thousand five thousand six thousand seven thousand eight thousand nine thousand nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine ten thousand eleven thousand two hundred thousand 999,999
tlt alaf u sb xmsin rb alaf xms alaf stt alaf sb alaf tmn alaf ts alaf
miya u
ts alaf u ts miya u tsud u tsin
r alaf da r alf
miyatayn alf ts miya u tsud u tsin alf u ts miya u tsud u tsin
Exact multiples of 1000 can be combined with nouns in two ways: number + singular noun number + d ( ) + plural noun with definite article
five thousand boys five thousand boys xms alaf wld xms alaf d l-wlad
Or...
Numbers larger than 1000 that are not exact multiples of 1000 are combined with nouns according to the rules for the final digits, as you saw with numbers that were not exact multiples of 100.
Larger Numbers
million(s) billion(s)
Singular mlyun mlyar mlayn mlayr
Plural
32 Moroccan Arabic
Exercise: Correctly combine numbers with nouns by filling in the blanks using the following numbers and any necessary letters: 1, 3, 8, 13, 20, 400, or 1000. There may be more than one correct answer for each.
3 d l-bnat (the girls) (house) (pen) (dirham) (volunteer) (men) (teacher) (hotel) (watch) (the women)
dar
stilu drhm
mutatawwi
rjal ustad
otil
magana l-yalat
Ordinal Numbers / Fractions

Ordinal Numbers
first second third fourth fifth sixth seventh eighth ninth tenth
For numbers 1 thru 12, there is a separate form for cardinal and ordinal numbers. From 13 on there is no difference between the cardinal and ordinal number.
l-luwl t-teni t-talt r-rab l-xams s-sat / s-sads s-sab t-tamn t-tas l-ar
/
eleventh twelfth
l-ad
t-tan
Ordinal numbers act like adjectives, and therefore must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Listed are the masculine singular forms. To make the feminine form, add a ( ) to the ordinal number. To make it plural, add in ( ).
Masculine l-luwl first t-talt third t-talta t-taltin Feminine l-luwla Plural l-luwlin
Fractions
half third fourth
ns tulut rubu / rb
hadi and the appropriate number (see page 165 for more info on the definite article). This means that for 1:00, 5:00, 10:00, and 11:00, we will use the letter l ( ) before the number, while for the others, we will double the first consonant.
with the definite article
Time To express time, we use the demonstrative pronoun

one two three four five six l-wda j-juj t-tlata r-rba l-xmsa s-stta
seven eight nine ten eleven twelve
s-sba t-tmnya t-tsud l-ra l-da
t-tna
Like in English, Arabic uses certain words to express things like quarter to five, half past seven, etc.
before and exactly quarter ql u nian rb twenty minutes half quarter to five minutes tulut
ns
lla rob
qsm
34 Moroccan Arabic
ten minutes
qsmayn
Some examples of asking and answering about time:

What time is it? It is exactly one oclock. It is five minutes past two. It is ten minutes past three. It is a quarter past four. It is twenty minutes past five. It is twenty-five minutes past six. It is seven thirty. It is eight thirty-five. It is twenty minutes to nine. It is a quarter to ten. It is ten minutes to eleven It is five minutes to twelve. 6:30 A.M. 5:15 P.M. al hadi f s-saa? hadi l-wda nian. hadi j-juj u
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
qsm. qsmayn.
hadi t-tlata u
hadi r-rba u rb. hadi l-xmsa u tulut. hadi s-stta u xmsa u rin. hadi s-sba u
ns.
hadi tmnya u xmsa u tlatin. hadi t-tsud ql tulut. hadi l-ra lla rob. hadi l-da ql qsmayn. hadi
t-tna ql qsm. ns d s-sba
s-stta u
l-xmsa u rb d l-iya
Exercise: Match the times with the correct Arabic translation.

10:30 12:00 1:05 2:20 11:10 9:40 l-wda u l-da u
qsm qsmayn
t-tna nihan
l-ra ql tulut l-ra u
ns
j-juj u tulut
Exercise:
Give the time in Arabic for each clock or watch.
36 Moroccan Arabic
Getting Started Shopping
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: convert between dirhams, ryals, and franks buy items you need from a store use the verb ba in simple sentences to indicate a desire indicate the presence or absence or someone or something with kayn
Money
l-flus 5 100 20
100 frank
100
1 dirham
20 5
20 ryal
When converting ryals to dirhams, divide by 20. e.g. 100 ryals: 100 20 = 5 DH. From franks to ryals, divide by 5. For example, 200 franks 5 = 40 ryals. From franks to dirhams, divide by 100. For example, 200 franks 100 = 2 DH. From ryals to dirhams, divide by 20. For example, 40 ryals 20 = 2 DH. From ryals to franks, multiply by 5. For example, 40 ryals 5 = 200 franks. From dirhams to ryals, multiply by 20. For example, 2 DH 20 = 40 ryals. From dirhams to franks, multiply by 100. For example, 2 DH 100 = 200 franks.
Exercise: Convert the money amounts.

1. Convert to dirhams 35 ryal 150 ryal 2. Convert to ryals 10 DH 30 DH 365 ryal 25 DH 270 ryal 125 DH 555 ryal 19 DH
At the Hanoot
Vocabulary
store store keeper soda chocolate candies gum cookies juice bread jam butter eggs yogurt milk coffee tea sugar
anut
mul l-anut l-monada -klat l-lwa l-mska l-biskwi l-asir l-xubz l-konfitur z-zbda l-bid danon l-lib l-qhwa atay s-skkar
peanuts almonds bottle bottle of water Kleenex toilet paper tooth paste soap shampoo detergent bleach batteries razor tobacco store cigarettes package(s)
kaw kaw l-luz l-qra qra d l-ma kliniks ppapiyi jinik dontifris
s-sabun
-ampwan tid javel l-jrat d r-radyu r-razwar
s-saka
l-garru bakiya(t)
38 Moroccan Arabic
cheese oil l-frmaj z-zit money change l-flus
s-srf
Expressions
Do you have ... ? Yes, I do (have). No, I dont (have). Is there ... ? Yes, there is. (masc.) Yes, there is. (fem.) No, there isnt. (masc.) No, there isnt. (fem.) Give me ... please. What do you want maam / sir? How much? Do you have change? Do you have change for ... ?
we
ndk ... ? ndi.
... . . ... / /
iyeh,
lla, ma-ndi-. we kayn ... ? iyeh, kayn / mujud iyeh, kayna / mujuda lla, ma-kayn-. lla, ma-kayna-.
tini ... afak.

nu biti a lalla/sidi? bal? we we
. /
...
ndk s-srf? ndk s-srf dyal..?

...
Liter
liter liter liter 1 liter 2 liters I want a liter of milk.

Dialogue
itru rubu itru
ns itru
wad itru juj itru bit
ns itru d l-lib.
Karla: s-salamu
alaykum.
.
mul l-anut: wa alaykum s-salam. nu biti a lalla? Karla: we
: : :
ndk klat?
mul l-anut: iyeh, mujud a lalla.
tini juj bakiyat. bal? mul l-anut: tna l drhm.

Karla: Karla: hak, barak llah u fik. mul l-anut: bla jmil 1. feen kayna Karla? 2. we rat l-lib? 3. nu rat mn l-anut? 4. al mn bakiya? 5. bal?
.
1 2 3 4 5
In Moroccan Arabic, the verb to want is ba ( ). This verb uses the past tense but has a present tense meaning. When conjugated in the present tense, ba means to like (see page 110).
I want you want (sing.) he wants she wants we want you want (plur.) they want bit biti ba bat bina bitu bau
Verb to want
Verb + Noun Examples

I want tea. Do you want coffee with sugar? Ali wants a glass of water. Driss and Fatima dont want soda.
bit atay.
we biti l-qhwa b skkar? Ali ba kas d l-ma. Driss u Fatima ma-bau- l-monada.
. . .
40 Moroccan Arabic
Exercise: Make as many sentences as you can.

e.g. Hicham ba kuka. Hicham hiya Fatima huwa huma ana bgit ba bau bat biti bina bitu atay l-lib
lwa b klat
l-qhwa
asir l-limun
qhwa bla skkar kuka
na
ntuma nta nti
Listening Exercise
garsun: s-salamu Amy, Jack, & Chris: wa
alaykum.
: : : . : : . : : . . : :
alaykum s-salam. garsun: a b l-xatr?

Jack: ana bit
asir l-limun. ns ns.
garsun: waxxa a sidi, u nta? Chris: ana bit qhwa
garsun: waxxa a sidi, u nti? Amy: bit qhwa kla. garsun: mrba, l-in. 1. nu ba Jack? 2. we Amy bat
la r-ras u
1 2 3
lib sxun?
. .
3. nu ba Chris?
The words kayn, kayna, and kaynin are actually the participles for the verb to be. In Darija, however, we use them most often in the sense of there is or there are.
Kayn for There is
Affirmative
there is (masc. sing.) there is (fem. sing.) there are (plur.)

Negative
kayn kayna kaynin
there is not (masc. sing.) there is not (fem. sing.) there are not (plur.) Driss is at home. Is there water in the bottle? Tom is not at the caf. There is food in the fridge. There are many books on the table.
ma-kayn- ma-kayna- ma-kaynin-
kayn Driss f
d-dar.
. . .
we kayn l-ma f l-qra? ma-kayn- Tom f l-qhwa. kayna l-makla f t-tlaja. kaynin bzzaf d l-ktub fuq tbla.
42 Moroccan Arabic
Family
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: describe family members use the verb to have in simple sentences Cultural Points
Family ties are very strong in Morocco. Children remain in touch or live with the family even if they get married (taking into consideration space available within the house). Men are not expected to help in the kitchen. Roles of men and women may differ in the city and in the country.
Family Members
Vocabulary
woman/wife man/husband girl/daughter boy/son girls/daughters boys/sons/ children the parents
mra rajl bnt wld bnat wlad l-walidin
in-law(s) step-son step-daughter grandfather grandmother uncle (paternal) aunt (paternal)
nsib / nsab rbib rbiba jdd jdda
mm mma
uncle (maternal) xal the father the mother the brother the sister l'ab l'om l'ax l'oxt
These forms are rarely used in Moroccan Arabic. Sometimes they are used with dyal. More often, we use the forms my father, my sister, etc.
aunt (maternal) my nephew (brothers side) my niece (brothers side) my nephew (sisters side) my niece (sisters side)
xala wld xuya bnt xuya wld xti bnt xti wld
(my) brother
xu(ya)
my cousin (mas., paternal)
mm(t)i
brothers/ siblings xut (my) sister xt(i)
my cousin wld xal(t)i (mas., maternal) my cousin (fem, paternal) my cousin (fem, maternal) bnt
mm(t)i
/
sisters
xwatat
bnt xal(t)i
/
father, mother, brother, sister, aunt, and uncle, the word is almost always used with a possessive pronoun. Thus, we say my father or his mother or your brother, but rarely ever use them alone. The words brother, sister, aunt, and uncle take the possessive pronoun endings you already learned (see page 9), but father and mother have a couple irregularities.
For
my father your father his father her father
bba bbak bbah bbaha
my mother your mother his mother her mother
mmi mmk mmu mha
Exercise: Add the possessive endings to the following:

sister brother uncle aunt
Expressions
xt xu
mm mma
How is Mohamed related to you? How is Amina related to you? My mom doesnt work. My mom and dad are divorced. I have two twin siblings. How many siblings do you have? How many sisters do you have? Whats your fathers name? How old is your brother? I have a younger brother. My (male) cousin and I are the same age. My older sister is a teacher. My younger brother goes to school.
a kay-jeek Mohamed? a kat-jeek Amina? mmi ma-xddama-. bba u mmi mtllqin.

.
ndi juj xut twam.

al d l-xut ndk? al mn oxt ndk? nu smit bbak? al f mr xuk?
ndi xuya sr mnni.

ana u wld mmi qd qd. xti lli kbr mnni ustada. xuya lli sr mnni kay-qra.
. .
44 Moroccan Arabic
Exercise: Describe the relationships between family members for each arrow.
ex: 1. Fatima ______ Samira.
Fatima
Aziz
Ahmed
Karima
11
Samira
12
Mohamed
Rachid
13
Youness
Verb to have
The verb to have
nd
) in the present tense:
I have you have (sing.) he has she has we have you have (plur.) they have Moha and Fatima have two daughters and a son. We have a good teacher.
To negate the verb, use
ndi ndk ndu ndha ndna ndkum ndhum

Moha u Fatima bnat u wld.
ndhum juj
. .
ndna ustad mzyan. ...

we
).
ma ... (
Do you have a house in Morocco?
ndk dar f l-mrib?
No, I dont. I have a house in the U.S.
lla, ma-ndi-. f mirikan.
ndi dar
. . .
. .
.
24 ________ 2 ________
________
Exercise: Put the verb nd in the correct form.

1. xti _________ 24
am.
2. xuya _________ 2 wlad. 3. na _________ wld u tlata d l-bnat. 4. huma _________ famila kbira. 5. we Mohamed _________ 6. lla, _________.
________ ________ .________
tomobil?
Exercise: Put sentences A thru I in the correct order for this letter from Karim to Tom.
sabi Tom, bitini n-hdr lik la l-famila dyali?
A. bba smitu Ali. B. mmi ndha ir 52 am. C. Hassan ndu 15 am u Mohamed ndu 20 am. D. (kay-sknu mana f d-dar) welakin xti mzuwja. E. rajlha smitu Moha. ndhum wad l-bnt smitha Nadia. F. ndoo 26 am. G. smitha Hakima H.
. .
.A .B
52 15
( )
20
.C .D .E
. . . ! .
26
.F .G .H .I
ndi juj xut.
I. ana deba xal!
hdr liya la l-famila dyalk ta nta. sabk, Karim
46 Moroccan Arabic
Practice Text smiti John. baba smitu Stephen u mama smitha Judy. ndi tlata d l-xut: juj bnat u wld. xuya smitu Brian. huwa xddam f wad -arika. xti Kathy. mzuwja u ndha jooj drari: wld u bnt. l-wld mazal sir ndu tlt hur. l-bnt ndha tmn snin u kat-mi l l-mdrasa. xti s-sira, Mary, mazal kat-qra f l-jamia.
. . : . . . . . :
. . .1
.
1. bat John, nu smitu? 2. u mmu, nu smitha? 3. al d l-xut
nd John? 4. kun s-sir f l-a'ila d John?

5. we bnt xt John xddama?
2 .3 .4 .5
Directions
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: use prepositions to describe the locations of objects give and receive directions to places around town
Prepositions
to / for in / at from with (someone) with / by / by means of without on / about between of, belonging to l f mn ma b bla until above / on below / under in front of facing behind next to before
tta l
fuq tt qddam mqabl ma mura
la
bin d / dyal
da
qbl bd
/
kora
after
snduq
Exercise:
fin l-kora?
4 l-kora fuq
s-snduq.
48 Moroccan Arabic
Directions
Vocabulary
hotel post office train station bus station city bus stop bank public bath restaurant caf cyber caf school weekly market
l-otil l-bosta la-gar l-matta d l-kiran l-matta d t-tubisat l-banka l-mmam r-ristora l-qhwa s-siber l-mdrasa s-suq
hospital / health center pharmacy mosque public phone store avenue street alley far (from) close (to) here there
s-sbitar l-frmasyan j-jam t-telebutik l-anut -ari z-znqa d-drb bid (mn) qrib (mn) hna tmma
( ) ( )
Expressions
Where is ... please? Is there a ... close? Go straight. Turn right. Turn left. Go ahead a bit. Pass the first street. The 2nd street, yes.
fin kayn(a) ...
afak.
()
. ...
... ( ) () . . . . . .
we kayn(a) i ... qrib(a)? sir nian.
dur l limn. dur l lisr.

zid wiya l qddam. fut z-znqa l-luwla. z-znqa tenya iyeh.
Dialogue
Jason u Brahim f l-matta d l-kiran. Jason: s-salamu Brahim: wa
. . . : : : : . . . ! . : : : :
alaykum.
alaykum s-salam.
afak? Brahim: sir nian tta l z-znqa t-talta u dur l lisr, u mn bd zid nian tta l l-bar u dur l limn.
Jason: fin la-gar tmma la-gar. Jason: barak llah u fik. Brahim: kat-tkllm l-rbiya mzyan! Jason: wiya u
safi.
lla
Brahim: we nta fransawi? Jason: lla, ana mirikani. y-hnnik. Brahim: bslama.
. .
: :
sbitar and wants to go to l-bosta. 2. Anna is in the matta and wants to go to l-otil. 3. Stephen is in the mari and wants to go to s-siber. 4. Hakim is in the anut and wants to go to l-mmam.
1. Dave is in the
Exercise: Using the same map, give each person directions.
l-mmam
r-ristora
la gar
s-siber
l-bar
l-qhwa

l-frmasyan
l-banka
l-mdrasa
l-mari
j-jrda
t-telebutik
anut
l-otil
l-bosta
j-jam mat t at l-kiran s-sbitar
50 Moroccan Arabic
Past Events
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: talk about past activities with regular and irregular verbs talk about what you did
not
do using negative sentences
ask about past experiences (Have you ever...) and respond (Ive never...) use object pronouns with verbs
Time Vocabulary Before we begin the past tense, lets learn some words that will help us describe when past events took
ask varied questions with different question words
place. Then we will be ready to talk about some of our past activities.
Days of the Week
day week Sunday Monday
yum / nhar simana l-dd l-tnin

( ( ) )
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
t-tlat l-arb l-xmis j-jma s-sbt
( ( )
Months of the Year
month year January February March April May
hr
June July August September October November December
yunyu yulyuz
am
yanayr fbrayr mars abril may
ut
utnbir oktobr nuwanbir dujanbir
The Seasons
season seasons spring
fasl fosul
r-rbi
summer fall winter
s-sif
l-xrif -ta
For information about the months of the Islamic calendar and some of the major religious events of the year, see Moroccan Holidays on page 160.
Time Expressions
this year last year last month last week yesterday today on (+ day of the week) on Friday in (+ month) in August at (+ time) at 9:00 at dawn in the morning in the afternoon / evening at night at midnight
had l-am l-am lli fat -hr lli fat s-simana lli fatt l-bar l-yum nhar nhar j-jma f hr f hr ut f hr tmnya f f t-tsud f l-fjr f
... ...
s-sba
f l-iya f l-lil f
ns l-lil
Past Tense Regular Verbs
When learning verbs in a foreign language, we usually learn the infinitive form of the verb (e.g. to eat), and then learn how to conjugate from that infinitive (I eat, he eats, they eat). In Arabic, there are not infinitives for verbs in this way. Rather, we learn the he form of the verb (i.e. third person masculine singular) in the past tense, and then learn how to conjugate the other forms (I, you, she, etc.) from the he form. Because we use this past tense he form like an infinitive for the purposes of learning verbs, if you see something referred to as an infinitive, it is this form. Some examples: past tense he form: like an infinitive
he drank he hit he sat rb
Verbs in General
drb
gls
Whenever you are given a new verb in this book or by your teacher, it will be given to you in this form. You will be able to conjugate verbs in the past or present tense based upon this infinitive form. The vast majority of Darija (Moroccan Arabic) verbs are made up of (see the verbs above). To these stems we can add prefixes (letters that we attach to the beginning of a word) and suffixes (letters we attach to the end of a word) in order to conjugate the verb. Stems with a vowel in the middle and stems with a vowel at the end will differ from verbs with three consonants.
three letters
52 Moroccan Arabic
When we say regular verb, we mean a verb that is conjugated according to rules that the large majority of verbs in the language use. An irregular verb is conjugated according to different rules. There are regular and irregular verbs for both the past and present tense in Darija. However, irregular verbs that are similar in the past may be different in the present. So, you need to realize that the groups of verbs categorized together for the past tense may not always correspond to the groups in the present tense. In general, regular verb refers to: All 3-letter verbs without the long vowel a ( ) in the middle or end position (i.e. 3-letter verbs made up only of consonants) All verbs with more than 3 letters and not ending in a ( ) To conjugate a regular verb in the past tense, we add the following suffixes (endings):
/ /
Regular Verbs in the Past Tense
to write
ktb ktbt ktbti ktbti ktb ktbat ktbna ktbtu ktbu

In the past tense, you (masc.) and you (fem.) are the same. In the present tense, they will be different.
Remember that the infinitive is the same as the past tense he form.
I wrote you wrote (masc. sing.) you wrote (fem. sing.) he wrote she wrote we wrote you wrote (plur.)
Some Regular Verbs

to drink to know to play to draw to sleep to wear to stay / sit to enter to go out to return to watch rb
they wrote
to understand to work to hit to stop / stand up to arrive to hear / listen to ask to travel to help to send to wash
fhm xdm
rf
lb rsm ns lbs gls dxl xrj rj tfrrj
drb
wqf
wsl
sm suwl safr
awn sift sl
to use
Some examples:
stml
to speak l-bar, rbt atay bla skkar. s-simana lli fatt, Said ktb bra l sabu. l-am lli fat, safrna l New York.
tkllm
Yesterday, I drank tea without sugar. Last week, Said wrote a letter to his friend. Last year, we traveled to New York.
Exercise:
. .
Mohamed: we (ns) bkri l-bar? Hassan: lla Mohamed:
Put the verbs in parentheses in the correct form.

( ) . : : : ( ( .( ) . ) ) .( ( ){ ) ( } ( . ( ){ } ) ) :
la?
Hassan: (gls) ma l-a'ila dyali u (tkllm) mahum wiya. mn bd, {na}(xrj). mlli (rj), (lb) l-karta u (tfrrj) f t-tlfaza. mn bd {ana}(dxl) l l-bit dyali u (ns). l-dd lli fat, (awn) xti f l-kuzina: (sl) l-mman u (tiyb) l-da.
):
) . ( )
When we speak about irregular verbs for the , we refer to three categories: 1. three-letter verbs with the long vowel a ( ) in the middle position, 2. any verb with the long vowel a ( ) at the end, and 3. two-letter verbs.
past tense
/
Past Tense Irregular Verbs
To conjugate a three-letter verb in the past tense with the long vowel a in the middle position, remove forms before adding the past tense the long vowel a for the endings. For the form, only add a t. The and forms are like regular verbs.
I, you (sing.), we, and you (plur.) he they she
1st Category: long vowel a ( ) in the middle position

In these forms, we remove the middle a and then add the endings.
to be I was you were (masc. sing.) you were (fem. sing.) he was kan knt knti knti kan kant knna
In these forms, we keep the middle a and then add the endings.
she was we were
54 Moroccan Arabic
you were (plur.) they were kntu kanu
Some Irregular Verbs with long vowel a ( ) in the middle position

to see to do / make to swim to sell to bring to say to fast to drive af dar to get up / stand up to throw to pass / pass by to pass to love / be dying for to increase to be scared to live
nad
la daz fat mat zad xaf
am
ba jab gal
la
sam sag
Some examples:
This morning I got up at 7:00. What did you do yesterday? Whats done is done. (proverb) had
s-sba ndt f s-sba.
nu drti l-bar? lli fat mat.

.
Exercise: Put the verbs in parentheses in the correct form.

s-simana lli fatt, ana u f la-ppisin. Sara (a) f mirikan
sabi (am)
. . ( )
( ) . . ( ( ) )
amayn. nhar s-sbt f l-iya, ana u sabati (kan) f l-mmam. mlli xrjna (daz) l
/
l-qhwa.
2nd Category: long vowel a (

we, and you (plur.) they
) at the end
I, you (sing.), he she
To conjugate a verb with the long vowel a at the end, change the vowel to i for the forms, then add the normal endings. For the form, only add a t. The and forms are like regular verbs.
In these forms, we change the final a to i then add the endings.
to eat I ate you ate (masc. sing.) you ate (fem. sing.) he ate kla klit kliti kliti kla
In these forms, we keep the final a and then add the endings.
she ate we ate you ate (plur.) they ate
klat klina klitu klau

/
Some Irregular Verbs with the long vowel a ( end

to go to start to buy to sing to give to forget to cry to want to take ma bda ra to rent to run to finish to have lunch to have dinner to hope to wait to read / study to meet to come kra jra sala tdda ta tmna tsna qra tlaqa ja
) at the
nna ta
nsa bka ba xda
Some examples:
Last Sunday, I went to the medina and bought a jellaba. They sang at the party on Saturday. l-dd lli fat, mit l l-mdina u rit jllaba. huma nnau f l-fla nhar s-sbt.
. .

John u Amy (kra) Marrakech.
dar zwina f
( ( )
) .
.
l-bar ana u Paul (tlaqa) ma sabna f r-ristora u (tdda) mjmuin. s-simana lli fatt, huma (sala) l-xdma dyalhum f l-mrib.
) (
56 Moroccan Arabic
Moroccan Wisdom:
l-li ba l-sl y-sbr l qris n-nl.
3rd Category: two-letter verbs
The one who wants honey must tolerate bee stings.
When we say two-letter verbs, some confusion can arise. When we write them in Arabic, they have only two letters. However, there is a shedda on the second letter (see pages 3 and 164), so in the transcription we double the second letter, making them look like three-letter verbs. In this case, you can still recognize them because the second and third letters are the same. Or, look at the Arabic script and you can be sure of the fact that they are, indeed, two-letter verbs. To conjugate this type of verb, we add the long vowel i to the forms, then add the normal endings. The forms are like regular verbs.
I, you (sing.), we, and you (plur.) he, she, and they
to open
In these forms, we add i to the verb, then add the normal endings.
ll llit lliti lliti ll llat llina llitu llu

A two-letter verb with shedda on the second letter.
I opened you opened (masc. sing.) you opened (fem. sing.) he opened she opened
In these forms, we simply add the normal endings.
we opened you opened (plur.) they opened
Some two-letter verbs

to close to smell to hand to answer / return back to pour to feel sdd mm mdd rdd kbb
to be able to pick up to think to be bored to take / catch to pull / drag
qdd hzz
dnn
mll dd jrr
ss
to put
tt
Some examples:
I opened the window and I closed the door I felt cold
llit s-srjm u sddit l-bab. ssit b l-brd.

l-bar f s-sba, Mary (rdd) l-ktab l l-xizana. mlli kan l-jaj, {ana} (sdd) s-srajm. {na} (tt) l-wayj f l-makina d s-sabun.
. ( . ) ( ) { } ( ) { }
Negation
Normal Negative Form

In order to express the negative of a verb (i.e. didnt, or dont, or doesnt), we add the prefix to the beginning of a verb and the suffix
ma (
) to the end of a verb.
We drank. We didnt drink.
rbna ma-rbna-
Exercise: Conjugate the verbs in parentheses in the negative form.

huwa (safr) s-simana lli fatt. l-bar f l-lil (qra) l-ktab dyali it knt iyan. iya (gls) mana it (sala) l-xdma dyalha.
. ( ) ( )
na (ns) bkri it (ta) bkri. Kari (lbs) l-kswa j-jdida f l-fla it (kan) ndha l-wqt. mlli ja l l-mrib (sift) bra l
l-walidin dyalu. kant l-brd u {ana} (ll) s-srajm.
.
}
) {
The following negative forms replace the ( ) we use for the normal negative form. We still use ma ( ) before the verb, but we use these forms after the verb or, sometimes, before the verb (and thus before ma).
nothing nothing walu
Additional Negative Forms
tta aja
58 Moroccan Arabic
nothing no one no one neither ... nor only / just
tta i tta wad

(tta)
dd
( ...
la ... wala
ir
ma-rft walu. ma-kleet
Some examples:
I knew nothing. I ate nothing. No one came. He saw no one. I met neither Mohamed nor Amber. I drank only water.
.
.
tta aja.
. / .
tta wad ma-ja.

ma-af
tta wad / dd.
ma-laqit la Mohamed wala Amber. ma-rbt
ir l-ma.
Exercise: Put the verbs in parentheses in the proper form.

l-dd lli fat (gls) f d-dar, (xrj negative) laqqa (kan) -ta. f l-iya sabi (ja) u (ma) l s-siber bjooj. mn bd (ma) l s-sinima. (af) wad l-film zwin. mlli (xrj), (daz) l s-suq. (ra) l-xodra. mn bd (dd) tobis u (rj) l d-dar.
. ( . . )
( ) . ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) . ( ( ) .
) . (
Exercise: Write a paragraph from these pictures.
Have you ever... / Ive never...

Have you ever...? We can use the word mmr (
) to express the English equivalent of the present perfect tense: Have We conjugate it as follows:
you ever...? and I have never...
Have I ever... Have you (sing.) ever... Has he ever... Has she ever...
we we we we
mmri / mmrni mmrk mmru mmrha
60 Moroccan Arabic
Have we ever... Have you (plur.) ever... Have they ever...
The verb that follows
we we we
mmrna mmrkum mmrhum
mmr is often in the past tense.

we
Some examples:
Have you ever gone to France?
mmrk miti l Fransa? mmrhum klau l-ksksu?
Have they ever eaten couscous? we Have you ever drunk mint tea in America?
Ive never...
we mmrkum rbtu atay b n-nna f mirikan?
This is like the conjugation above, with the addition of ma ( ) at the beginning of mmr ( ).
I have never... you (sing.) have never... he has never... she has never... we have never... you (plur.) have never... they have never... ma-mmri / ma-mmrni ma-mmrk ma-mmru ma-mmrha ma-mmrna ma-mmrkum ma-mmrhum
/
Some examples:
Ive never eaten hamburger. She has never been abroad. He has never spoken Arabic. ma-mmrni kleet l-hamborgr. ma-mmrha safrat l l-xarij. ma-mmru tkllm l-rbiya.
. . .
Object Pronouns
object pronouns
In English, we have pronouns for the subject of a sentence: I, you, he, she, we, and they. But we also have that we use : He hit me. I saw her. Ask him a question. We gave them some cake.
after verbs
So far, you have learned the independent pronouns (see page 7) and the possessive pronouns (see page 9). Here are the that we use in Moroccan Arabic :
object pronouns after verbs
me you (sing.) him / it
ni k u / h
her / it us you (plur.) them
ha na kum hum
These pronouns are the same as the possessive pronouns, with the exception of me. The him form uses u after consonants and h after vowels, exactly like the possessive pronoun form. Some examples:
Omar gave a book to Mohamed. Omar gave it to Mohamed. Did you write the letter to Hassan? Yes, I wrote it to Hassan. Why did you leave us with him? She saw me at the movie theater.
omar ta wad l-ktab l

Mohamed.
omar tah l Mohamed.

we ktbti l-bra l Hassan? iyeh, ktbtha l Hassan.
la xllitina mah?
aftni f s-sinima.
directly to the verb after
.
As you can see, these pronouns are attached object pronoun is made , the ( ) is used
negative
. As a result, when a verb with an the pronoun. Some examples:
You saw me. You didnt see me.
ftini ma-ftini-
Did you see Hakima and Karim? we fti Hakima u Karim? No, I didnt see them. lla, ma-fthum-.
.
Exercise:
1. qrit dik l-jarida l-bar f s-sba. 2. nsau s-sarut dyalhum f
Replace the underlined nouns by the corresponding pronouns.
. . . . . .
d-dar.
3. zrt duk n-nas f Fes l-bar. 4. ddau wldhum mahum l s-sinima. 5. wqqfna ffar f z-znqa. 6. bba
awn xuk f l-sab.
Question Words
who Who are you?
Some of these you already know. Some will be new for you.
kun kun nta / nti?
62 Moroccan Arabic
what What did you do yesterday? which Which bus did you take? where Where did you eat pizza? how How did you get to the hotel? from where Where did you come from? when When did you sleep yesterday? When did you arrive? why Why did you come late? Because I didnt get up early. a / nu / anu nu drti l-bar? amn amn
tobis xditi?
fin / fayn fin kliti l-ppitza? kifa kifa mnin mnin jiti? fuqa / imta fuqa nsti l-bar? imta
wslti l l-otil?
wslti?
la la jiti mttl? laqqa ma-ndt- bkri.
The word mn ( ) is used after some prepositions to create question words.

with whom ma mn With whom did you travel to Rabat? (In the US: Who did you travel ma mn safrti l Rabat?
to Rabat with?)
whose how many / how much
dyal mn al
The question word al ( ) may is followed by either d ( ) or mn ( ), depending upon the noun following it. Uncountable nouns are nouns that do not have a plural because they speak about something that can be measured, but not counted (e.g. tea, air). Countable nouns are nouns that have plural forms and, therefore, nouns with which we use numbers (e.g. 5 cats, 3 books). With al:
al + d + singular uncountable noun al + d + plural countable noun al + mn + singular countable noun How much time? al d l-wqt?
or or
How many books? How many books?
al d l-ktub? al mn ktab?
In referring to prices, al is almost always preceded by the preposition b ( ).

How much is this shirt? How much did you pay for them? bal had l-qamija? bal ritihum?
.
Exercise: Write your time line of activities for last Sunday. Use the following time expressions and verbs to write as many sentences as you can.
e.g. f l-weekend tit ma r-ristora.
sabi f
Time Expressions
f l-weekend f tfrrj dar
Verbs
awn sam
kbb dqq
ta safr tsnna ja ma tlaqa
s-sba bkri
f l-iya f l-lil mn bd l-dd lli fat f (time)

( )
xaf af duw lbs
wsl
qra tkllm
sift
64 Moroccan Arabic
Daily Routines
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: talk about your daily activities using the present tense use one verb after another to express complex thoughts give commands with the imperative
Present Tense Regular Verbs
In Arabic, the present tense normally expresses both habitual and progressive actions. habitual action: I eat couscous every Friday. progressive action: I am eating couscous now. For a small number of verbs, the present tense expresses only habitual actions (see page 169 for more information on these verbs). Unlike the past tense, which uses only suffixes (endings) to conjugate a verb, the present tense uses both suffixes and prefixes. The present tense prefix is written with ka ( ) and another letter (n, t, or y). Present tense suffixes (i or u) may be added as well. Verbs that were regular in the past tense are still regular in the present tense. In addition to these, in the present tense. Therefore, they will be conjugated like ktb ( ) in the present tense. See page 56 for more information on two-letter verbs. Here is the conjugation of the verb ktb in the present tense, with prefixes and suffixes underlined:
two-letter verbs are also regular
Present Tense in General
Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
to write I write you write (masc. sing.)

Yes, these are the same. You understand the speaker by context.
ktb kan-ktb kat-ktb kat-ktbi kay-ktb kat-ktb kan-ktbu kat-ktbu kay-ktbu

These have different conjugations. In the past tense, they had the same conjugation.
you write (fem. sing.) he writes she writes we write you write (plur.) they write
Q:
What changes are brought to the verb when conjugated in the present tense?
Time Expressions
always usually sometimes from time to time once a ... once a year once a month once a week everyday on (day of the week) on Saturday every ... every morning every Friday now dima
aliban
bd l-mrrat mrra mrra mrra f ... mrra f l-am mrra f l-hr mrra f s-simana yawmiyan nhar ... nhar s-sbt kul ... kul
... ...
sba
kul jma deba
Some examples:
Greg speaks Darija well. Malika drinks milk every morning. Amina and her friend travel to France once a year. Aicha is pouring tea. I dont drink coffee. Greg kay-tkllm d-darija mzyan. Malika kat-rb l-lib kul sba. Amina u sabtha kay-safru l fransa mrra f l-am. Aicha kat-kbb atay. ma-kan-rb- l-qhwa.
. . . .
Exercise: Answer the following sentences (based on the examples above) in the negative.
1. we Greg kay-tkllm tamazit mzyan? 2. we Malika kat-rb atay kul
.
1 2 3
sba?
3. we Amina u sabtha kay-safru l mirikan mrra f l-am?
66 Moroccan Arabic
4. we Aicha kat-kbb l-ma?
.
Exercise:
Describe in the present tense the following activities.

/ /
nu kay-dir / kat-dir / kay-diru?
Present Tense Irregular Verbs with Middle a

Irregular General Verbs in
V b
Categories of Present Tense Irregular
a becomes u long vowel
Irregular verbs in the present tense are a in a becomes i the middle more complicated than in the past tense. In the , verbs with the same a remains a structure (a in the middle, a at the Present end) were conjugated the same way. In Tense the , verbs that look the Irregular same in their infinitive form may be Verbs conjugated differently. a becomes i long As a result of this difference, in the vowel a a remains a present tense you will have to remember at the end of conjugation each irregular verb belongs to. These categointernal changes ries are listed in the diagram to the right, and each will be shown individually. The glossary of verbs in the appendix (see page 182) also shows, by example, how an irregular verb is conjugated.
past tense present tense which category
We will deal with two large groups of irregular verbs: 3-letter verbs with a long vowel a in the middle and all verbs with a long vowel a at the end. Within each of these general groups, there will be three categories of different conjugations. At times, it may seem like too much information to handle. But Peace Corps trainees have been learning the irregular present tense for years; youll do great. Practicing irregular verbs with your homestay family is one way to remember how each verb is conjugated. The more you use the verbs, the quicker they will stick in your memory.
68 Moroccan Arabic
Remember, here we are dealing with 3-letter verbs with a ( ) in the middle. The long vowel a ( ) changes to the long vowel u ( ), with the same prefixes and suffixes as regular verbs in the present tense.
to say I say you say (masc. sing.) you say (fem. sing.) he says she says we say you say (plur.) gal kan-gul kat-gul kat-guli kay-gul kat-gul kan-gulu kat-gulu kay-gulu
1st Category: Long a Becomes Long u
Verbs like gal

to be to blame to die to drive / ride to fast to melt to pass kan lam mat
they say
to pass to see to swim to taste to throw to turn to visit
fat af
am
daq la
sag sam
dab daz
dar
zar
Some examples:
Muslims fast Ramadan every year. Lisa swims well. This driver doesnt drive well. l-mslmin kay-sumu rmdan kul am. Lisa kat-um mzyan. had -ifur ma-kay-sug- mzyan.
. . .
When the verb to be, kan ( ) is conjugated in the present tense, it expresses a habitual action or activity, not a current state or condition.
Where are you (every) Saturday fin kat-kun nhar s-sbt f l-iya? afternoon?
In order to express current states or conditions, use independent pronouns with adjectives or nouns (see page 7) or use the participles of kan ( ) (see page 40). You have already learned both!
Exercise:
In this category, the long vowel a ( ) in the middle of the verb changes to the long vowel i ( ), with the same prefixes and suffixes as regular verbs in the present tense.
to bring I bring you bring (masc. sing.) you bring (fem. sing.) he brings she brings we bring you bring (plur.) jab kan-jib kat-jib kat-jibi kay-jib kat-jib kan-jibu kat-jibu kay-jibu
2nd Category: Long a Becomes Long i
Verbs like jab

to add to be absent to be cooked to do / make to fall zad
they bring
to fly to leak to wake up sell to touch
tar
sal faq ba qas
ab tab
dar
ta
70 Moroccan Arabic
to trust taq
Some examples:
Hassan sells (is selling) vegetables in the souq. I dont wake up early on Sundays. What do you do on Saturdays? Hassan kay-bi l-xodra f s-suq. ma-kan-fiq- bkri nhar l-dd. nu kat-dir nhar s-sbt?
.
.
Exercise:
3rd Category: Long a Remains Long a

to spend the night I spend the night you spend the night (masc. sing.) you spend the night (fem. sing.) he spends the night she spends the night we spend the night you spend the night (plur.) they spend the night bat kan-bat kat-bat kat-bati kay-bat kat-bat kan-batu kat-batu kay-batu
In this category, the long vowel a ( ) remains the same, without any changes, with the same prefixes and suffixes as regular verbs in the present tense.
Verbs like bat
to appear to look like
ban ban bal
to owe to be scared
sal xaf
Some examples:
The mouse is scared of the cat. You look like you are sick. l-far kay-xaf mn l-qt. kat-ban bal ila mrid.
. .
Now we change our focus from verbs with a long vowel a ( ) in the middle of the verb to those with a long vowel a ( ) at the end of the verb. In this category, the long vowel a ( ) changes to the long vowel i ( ), with the same prefixes and suffixes as regular verbs in the present tense.
to run
These have the same conjugation in this category.
Present Tense Irregular Verbs with Final a
1st Category: Long a Becomes Long i

jra kan-jri kat-jri kat-jri kay-jri kat-jri kan-jriu kat-jriu kay-jriu
I run you run (masc. sing.) you run (fem. sing.) he runs she runs we run you run (plur.)
Verbs like jra

to build to buy to cry to clean to come bna ra bka nqqa ja
they run
to go to pray to like / love to show to sing
ma
slla
ba wrra
nna
72 Moroccan Arabic
to fold to fry to finish
twa
qla sala
to smoke to teach to turn off
kma qrra
tfa
Some examples:
Hassan sings (is singing) in the shower. I dont smoke hash. Do you run every morning?
Exercise:
Hassan kay-nni f d-du. ma-kan-kmi- l-i. we kat-jri kul
. .
sba?
In this category, the long vowel a ( ) remains the same, without any changes, with the same prefixes and suffixes as regular verbs in the present tense.
to read / study I read you read (masc. sing.) you read (fem. sing.) he reads qra kan-qra kat-qra kat-qray kay-qra
2nd Category: Long a Remains Long a
she reads we read you read (plur.) they read

Verbs like qra
kat-qra kan-qrau kat-qrau kay-qrau
to forget to find to hope to meet to go shopping to walk around
nsa lqa tmnna tlaqa tqdda tsara
to defy to eat lunch to eat dinner to be cured to be finished to take care (of) mrra mrra kan-tau f r-ristora. ma-kan-tqdda- kul yum.
tdda tdda ta bra tsala thlla (f)
( )
Some examples:
From time to time we eat dinner at the restaurant. I dont go shopping every day.
. .
How many books do you read in al mn ktab kat-qra f -hr? a month?
74 Moroccan Arabic
Exercise: Describe in the present tense the following activities.
Moroccan Wisdom: .
drb l-did maddu sxun.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Two verbs in Moroccan Arabic are conjugated in the present tense by changing their internal structure in addition to adding the normal prefixes and suffixes.
to eat kla kan-akul kat-akul kat-akuli kay-akul kat-akul kan-aklu kat-aklu kay-aklu
rd Category: Verb Has Internal Changes
In these forms, the u is pronounced very quickly. Thus, one shouldnt say kan-akuuuuul, but rather kan-akul
I eat you eat (masc. sing.) you eat (fem. sing.) he eats she eats we eat you eat (plur.) they eat
Another Verb like kla

to take xda
Some examples:
Every Friday we eat couscous. She takes medicine before she goes to bed.
Exercise:
kul jma kan-aklu ksksu. kat-axud d-dwa qbl ma t-ns.
. .
76 Moroccan Arabic
Using One Verb after Another Sometimes, we will want to use one verb directly after another. This is true in English:
I want to read. We forgot to call you. He likes to cook. She began to study yesterday.
As the examples show, in English we use the infinitive after a verb (to read, to cook, to call, to study). But in Arabic, as you recall, there isnt actually an infinitive for verbs (see page 51). Instead, we use the This will serve as the equivalent of the English infinitive when we use one verb after another.
present tense of a verb without the opening ka.
Present Tense I want to go. You want to go. He wants to go. She wants to go. We want to go. You want to go. They want to go. kan-mi kat-mi kay-mi kat-mi kan-miu kat-miu kay-miu
Without ka n-mi t-mi y-mi t-mi n-miu t-miu y-miu
Used after ba bit n-mi biti t-mi ba y-mi bat t-mi bina n-miu bitu t-miu bau y-miu
. . . .
Some more examples:

I hope to speak Darija well. He forgot to bring the book. kan-tmnna n-tkllm d-darija mzyan. nsa y-jib l-ktab.
. .
This same construction is used after other words and expressions. The most important of these is bash ( ). This word is the equivalent of the English in order to. Some examples:
Latifa went to the post office in order to send a letter. I went to Marrakech in order to see my friend.
Using with Other Expressions
Latifa mat l l-bosta ba t-sift bra.

mit l Marrakech ba n-uf sabi.
. .
Exercise: Combine the following words into sentences, using the proper conjugations of verbs and pronouns.
1. Amina / ma / l l-bosta / ba / ra / kart d t-tilifun. 2. huwa / ba / ma / l mirikan / ba / qra. 3. na / ja / l l-mrib / ba / awn / nas dyalu / u / trrf / {huma} rf {na} / mzyan.
lihum / u /
positive imperative tells someone to do something, the negative imperative tells someone not to do something. The positive imperative is formed by dropping both the ka ( ) and the prefix t ( ) from the singular and plural you forms of the present tense. In the following table, all the examples are equal to the English command, Write!
Present Tense you (masc. sing.) you (fem. sing.) you (plur. sing.) kat-ktb kat-ktbi kat-ktbu ktb ktbi ktbu Imperative
The Imperative The imperative is used to give commands: Go to the store! Open the window! Study Arabic! The
The negative imperative is formed by dropping the ka ( ) and using the negative form ma... ( ... ). In the following table, the first verb is gls, to sit, and the negative imperatives are equivalent to the English Dont sit! The second verb is wqf, to stand / stop and the negative imperatives are equivalent to the English Dont stand up!
Present Tense you (masc. sing.) kat-gls you (fem. sing.) you (plur. sing.) kat-glsi kat-glsu gls glsi glsu wqf wqfi wqfu Imperative Negative Imperative ma-t-gls- ma-t-glsi- ma-t-glsu- ma-t-wqf- ma-t-wqfi- ma-t-wqfu-
you (masc. sing.) kat-wqf you (fem. sing.) you (plur. sing.) kat-wqfi kat-wqfu
Some Irregular Imperatives

1. to go ma sir Go. siri siru 2. to come ja aji Come. aji ajiu 3. to give
For the following three verbs, the positive imperative is not regular.
ma-t-mi- Dont go. ma-t-mi- ma-t-miu-
ma-t-ji- Dont come. ma-t-ji- ma-t-jiu- ma-t-tini- Dont give me. ma-t-tini- ma-t-tiuni-
ta / ara
ara aray arau
Give me.
78 Moroccan Arabic
Exercise: Put the verbs between parentheses in correct form, then arrange the sentences in the correct order.
A. mn bd (lbs)
wayji.
. . ( ) . . .( ) ( )
) ( ) )
B. (sl) wjhi u snan, mn bd (fiyq) d-drari. C. ana (nad) f 7:30. D. f l-iya (tqdda) wlla (xmml) E. F. G. H. I. J.
7:30
( )
d-dar. ana (xdm) tta l 1:00 mn bd (tdda). (wjd) l-ftur. na (ta) mjmuin. ana (ns) aliban f 11:00. ana (dd) t-tubis f 8:00 ba (ma) l-xdma. d-drari (ns) f 8:00.
1:00
. . . (
( (
) )
) ( ( ) )
11:00
.
8:00 8:00
( )
Exercise: Write a paragraph out of each set of pictures.

John
Bobby
Text
kifa kat-duwz n-nhar? Susan mutatawia ma hay'at s-salam. kul nhar kat-fiq bkri u kat-jri. mn bd kat-duw u kat-ftr. dima f s-sba kat-xdm tta l 11:30. mlli kat-sali, kat-rj l d-dar. kat-wjjd l-makla u kat-tdda. f l-iya kat-tqdda u bd l-mrrat kat-laqa sabha wlla kat-mi l s-siber. f l-lil kat-ta u dima kat-qra qbl ma t-ns. 1. nu kat-dir Susan? we turist? 2. we kat-xdm f l-iya? 3. nu kat-dir qbl ma t-ns?
. . . . . . . .
11:30
1 .2 .3
.
4. nu kat-dir kul nhar?
80 Moroccan Arabic
Bargaining
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: bargain for basic items, such as clothing describe the colors of items use masculine, feminine, and plural adjectives correctly describe differences between objects using the comparative and superlative
Bargaining
General Bargaining Information
In Morocco, bargaining is a part of life. It can sometimes be tiring for people not used to it, but with some cultural and language skills, it can become much easier. Some information about bargaining can also make the process simpler. First of all, you need to know what items should be bargained for, and what items normally have fixed prices, even for Moroccans. This is not always easy to determine, since the place where you buy some things may determine whether the price is fixed or not. For example, some items that are sold at fixed prices in a anut (e.g. laundry soap, vegetables, eggs) may be bargained for in the souk or from a street vendor. Ask your host family or watch other Moroccans in order to find out. Here are some general guidelines for whether prices are fixed or not: any article of clothing things which are literally bought every day: mint, parsley, bread, coriander any household or kitchen utensil, appliance, refill on a butagas or furniture rent for a house or apartment cigarettes and alcohol taxi fares on unscheduled runs meals or beverages in restaurants anything bought in a souk (e.g. grains in bus fares between scheduled stops bulk, animals, rugs, etc.) taxi fares on regular runs anything bought from a street vendor who price-controlled staple foods: sugar, oil, tea, has no regular shop flour, milk, butter, etc. petit taxi fares if the meter does not work anything bought in a pharmacy anything used or second-hand meat and vegetables, if the price per kilo is posted domestic help and services (maid, plumber, electrician, etc. Determine the price before school supplies the work is done.) It is also good to be aware of some of the standard tactics that are used between the buyer and the seller in Morocco. If you watch Moroccans, you will see many of these.

Usually Bargained For
Seldom Bargained For
not showing too much enthusiasm for buying walking away when the seller has named the lowest price pointing out defects in the merchandise quoting a lower price for an identical item in another shop claiming not to have enough money to meet the seller's lowest price complimenting or flattering the seller (on his shop, merchandise, children, friendliness)
The Buyers Tactics
not showing too much enthusiasm for selling turning away when the buyer has named the highest price noting the superior quality in the merchandise insisting that goods in other shops are not of the same quality claiming that in selling at the buyers highest price he would be taking a loss complimenting or flattering the buyer (on his or her language ability, friendliness, expertise
The Sellers Tactics
in bargaining) acting insulted by the sellers price acting insulted by the buyers offer arguing that the difference between the arguing that the difference between the sellers price and the price offered is buyers price and his price is insignificant and insignificant; i.e. the seller should come the buyer should come up down to the offered price pulling out one's money as if the offered price wrapping up the purchase as if the asking has been agreed upon price has been agreed upon When you are looking to buy an item that you know you will have to bargain for, there are a few things that you should probably try to avoid. These include: showing too much interest in, or too great a need for, a particular item carrying large sums of money, carrying expensive, previously-bought items, looking like a tourist having no idea what an item is really worth, or what is a fair price for that type of item being in a hurry buying with a guide (he gets a percentage of what you pay) Always be prepared to pay a price you have named. Do not get too far into bargaining for something if you do not intend to buy it. If you are not clear on the currency in which you are bargaining (i.e. ryals), proceed slowly. In the end, dont let a bargaining scenario ruin your day. Most of us go unbothered by the sometimes huge markups on big-ticket items in America, yet we can be easily frustrated by a Moroccan merchant who makes an extra dollar or two off of us. Remember that ones peace of mind is worth something, too.

Bargaining Expressions
The Buyers Tactics The Sellers Tactics
Its too expensive! Lower the price. Give a good price. I wont add even a ryal. Ill add nothing. Its too much for me. A good price. A reasonable price. Whats the last price? How much will I get it for? Thats what I have (money)! Thats my last price!
ali bzzaf! nqs wiya. sawb maya f t-taman.

ma-n-zid
. .
tta ryal.
ma-n-zid walu. bzzaf
. . . .
liya.
i taman mzyan. i taman mnasb. axir taman, al? bal t-xllih (ha)? had -i l-li
( ) ! !
ndi!
hada huwa axir taman dyali!
82 Moroccan Arabic
Clothing
Clothing Vocabulary
clothes
l-wayj
2 3 1
4 5
7 9 8 10
15 13 11 12 14
16
17
18 20 19
1. sifitma 2. jean 3. srwal 4. qamija ns kmm 5. qamija 6. grafata 7. jili 8. kustim 9. triko
11. fista 12. jakita 13. pijama 14. kbbut 15. smta 16. T-shirt 17. ort 18. al 19. slip
10. triko col v
20. saya
3 4
8 10
13 11 12 14
20 18 15 16 17 19
1. kswa 2. zif / fular 3. jllaba 4. gndura 5. liba 6. sutyanat 7. ligat 8. kaskita 9. tagiya 10. tqar
Clothing Expressions
11. sbrdila
12. butyu 13. sbbat 14. sndala 15. maya 16. xatm 17.
alaqat
18. qiq 19. snsla 20. mdl
Is there anything else? Give me size ... please. Try this one on. Do you want another color? I prefer this color.
we kayna i
aja xora?
. ... . . /
tini n-nmra ... afak.

qiys hada / hadi. we biti i lun axor? kan-fdl had l-lun.
84 Moroccan Arabic
It goes well with you.
Colors
ja / jat mak. l-lwan
colors
Masculine Singular white blue black red yellow green brown orange pink purple grey golden dark light bright faded
Feminine Singular bida zrqa kla
Plural
byd
zrq kl
bidin
zrqin klin
mr sfr xdr
qhwi limuni wrdi
mra sfra xdra

qhwiya limuniya wrdiya
mrin sfrin xdrin

qhwiyin limuniyin wrdiyin
jri
mdadi rmadi dhbi mluq mftu
jriya
mdadiya rmadiya dhbiya mluqa mftua
jriyin
mdadiyin rmadiyin dhbiyin mluqin mftuin
nas
baht
nasa
bahta
nasin
bahtin
As you can see in the table above, feminine forms of colors are made by adding an a sound to the masculine form, and plurals are made by adding in to the masculine form.
Dialogue
Michael: s-salamu mul l-wayj: wa
alaykum.
.
alaykum s-salam. afak!

!
Michael: bit jllaba Michael: ma-n-rf.
mul l-wayj: mujud a sidi, amn nmra?

.
mul l-wayj: qiys hadi. Ah jat mak!
Michael: kayna
ir f had l-lun?
. . .
: : : : : .
mul l-wayj: kayna f l-byd , s -s fr u l-kl. Michael: ara n-uf l-byd Michael: bal had -i? mul l-wayj: hadi a sidi b 8000 ryal. Michael:
afak.
mul l-wayj: hak a sidi.
aliya bzzaf, adi n-tik ir 3000 ryal.
8000
.
: :
3000
.
mul l-wayj: lla, nqs ti bzzaf. xudha b 6000. Michael: lla bzzaf. mul l-wayj: aji, aji, ryal. Michael: bslama.
6000
.
. .
: : :
tini ir 5000
5000
.
adi n-tik 3500 ryal. biti mzyan ma-biti- lla y-shl.
3500
. .
mul l-wayj: ara a sidi 3500 ryal. i bas ma-kayn.
3500
.
Exercise:
Saida ndha bzzaf d t-tsbin l-yum: s-srwal r-rmadi u l-qamija l-bida dyal rajlha. jean u T-shirt dyal wldha. l-kswa l-mra u j-jakita z-zrqa dyal bntha. s-saya l-xdra u z-zif l-byd dyal Saida. welakin, dyal mn t-tqar l-kl?
Read the text and answer the questions.

: . . . .
1. dyal mn s-srwal r-rmadi? 2. dyal mn T-shirt? nu l-lun dyalu? 3. we l-kswa l-mra dyal Saida? 4. we
. . . . .
1 2 3 4 5
s-saya dyal Saida zrqa?
5. nu l-lun dyal t-tqar?
86 Moroccan Arabic
Exercise:
Write a dialogue for the following pictures. Try to write it
without looking at the previous pages.
88 Moroccan Arabic
2 1
noun is feminine and singular then the adjective that follows must be feminine and singular as well. Feminine and plural forms of adjectives are derived from the masculine base form. The feminine form is made by adding an a ( ) to the end of the masculine form. The plural form, like with nouns, is not always predictable. The two most common patterns are: adding in ( ) to the masculine form, or replacing the long vowel i ( ) in the middle of an adjective with the long vowel a ( ). An example of each plural form:
Masculine Singular happy big fran kbir Plural franin kbar we add in to form the plural we change i to a to form the plural
Adjectives Adjectives come after the nouns they modify and must agree in gender and number. For example, if a
Adjectives in this first group (forming the plural with in) also have a feminine plural form that is used when all the members of a group are feminine. If their is a mixture of masculine and feminine people or objects, the masculine plural (often just called plural) is used. The feminine plural is formed by adding at to the masculine singular base form.
Common Adjectives
English good pretty / handsome / good bad / ugly happy sad / angry clean dirty harried late soft harsh fresh zwin xayb
Masculine Singular mzyan
Feminine Singular mzyana zwina xayba frana mqllqa nqiya mussxa mzruba mttla
Masculine Plural mzyanin zwinin xaybin franin mqllqin nqiyin mussxin mzrubin mttlin
Feminine Plural mzyanat zwinat xaybat franat mqllqat nqiyat mussxat mzrubat mttlat
fran mqllq nqi mussx mzrub mttl
rtb r tri
rtba ra triya
rtbin rin triyin
rtbat rat triyat
90 Moroccan Arabic
English present absent sweet salty bland / tasteless spicy open closed fried / grilled hungry thirsty busy lazy tired reasonable / serious enough expensive wide / large married old (something) big (something) old (someone) Masculine Singular adr Feminine Singular adra Masculine Plural adrin Feminine Plural adrat
ayb lu
mal mssus
ayba luwa
mala mssusa
aybin luwin
malin mssusin
aybat luwat
malat mssusat
arr
mlul msdud mqli jian
arra
mlula msduda mqliya jiana
arrin
mlulin msdudin mqliyin jianin
arrat
mlulat msdudat mqliyat jianat
tan
mul mgaz
tana
mula mgaza
tanin
mulin mgazin
tanat
mulat mgazat
iyan
mqul kafi
iyana
mqula kafiya
iyanin
mqulin kafiyin
iyanat
mqulat kafiyat
ali
was mzuwj qdim kbir
aliya
wasa mzuwja qdima kbira
aliyin
wasin mzuwjin qdam kbar
aliyat
wasat mzuwjat
English small (something) young (someone) new far near tall / long short strong / correct weak simple / easy cheap poor sick
Masculine Singular sir jdid bid qrib
Feminine Singular sira jdida bida qriba
Masculine Plural
sar
jdad bad qrab
Feminine Plural
twil qsir si dif bsit rxis

mskin
twila qsira sia difa bsita rxisa

mskina
twal qsar sa daf bsat rxas

msakn
mrid
mrida
mrad
Exercise:
Describe the following pictures using adjectives.
1. hada kmm
qsir.
5
6 4 3 2. hada kmm _______. 7 10 8 9 11 12
92 Moroccan Arabic
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Comparative Adjectives
Adjectives good nice tall / long short big / old small / young heavy light old (thing) few cheap expensive sweet mzyan better nicer taller / longer shorter bigger / older smaller / younger heavier lighter older (thing) fewer cheaper more expensive sweeter
We use comparative adjectives when we are comparing two objects based upon some quality or characteristic. For example, in English we can say: I am John. Taller than is the comparative form of the adjective tall. Here are the comparative forms for some Arabic adjectives:
taller than
Comparatives
sn (mn) drf (mn) twl (mn) qsr (mn)

kbr (mn)
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
drif twil qsir

kbir
sir
tqil xfif qdim qlil
sr (mn)
tql (mn) xff (mn) qdm (mn) qll (mn)
rxis ali lu
rxs (mn) la (mn) la (mn)
As you can see above, for many adjectives (but not all) the comparative is formed by removing the long vowel i from the word. Here are some examples:
Sadia is younger than Malika. The train is better than the bus. Sadia t-tran
sr mn Malika. sn mn l-kar.
. .
Comparing Like Objects

the same / alike the same / alike
In order to express that two things/people/etc. are the same, we can use either of two expressions:
bal bal kif kif
Some examples:
Which is better: a blue shirt or a green one? They are the same. ama sn: qamijja zrqa wlla xdra? bal bal.
: .
As the example shows, the word ama ( ) is used for comparisons when we mean which.
Superlative Adjectives
Omar is bright. Omar is the brightest student in the class. Susan is a pretty girl. Susan is the prettiest.
The superlative adjective in Moroccan Arabic can be formed in two ways. First, by using the definite article with the adjective and inserting the personal pronoun:
Omar mujtahid. Omar huwa l-mujtahid f l-qism. Susan bnt zwina. Susan hiya z-zwina.
. . . .
Second, by prefixing a ( ) to the comparative adjective:

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco. Toubkal is the highest mountain in Morocco.
d-dar l-bida akbr mdina f l-mrib.

tubqal ala jbl f l-mrib.
. .
Exercise: Compare each pair using comparative adjectives.

t-tomobil dyal Mary
t-tomobil dyal Mike
Driss
Hassan
d-dar dyal Mohamed
d-dar dyal Judy
-klat
l-xubz
94 Moroccan Arabic
Exercise: Answer the following questions based upon the drawing.

d-dlla l-banan l-nb
1. ama 2. ama 3. ama 4. ama
la l-nb wlla l-banan? rxs d-dlla wlla l-nb? sn d-dlla wlla l-banan? la l-nb wlla d-dlla?
1 2 3 4 5 6
. . . . .
5. we l-nb huwa ala fakiha? 6. nu hiya l-fakiha r-rxisa?
Moroccan Wisdom:
.
l-li
ddu l-n, kay-xaf mn l-bl.
The one bitten by a snake is afraid of ropes.
Shopping For Food
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: shop for produce, meats, and spices
Fruits and Vegetables
At the Green Grocers
nd l-xddar
8 9
10 11
12 14 13
18 19 16 20
17
zucchini
15
vegetables 1. xizu 2. -iflur 3. lquq 4. l-btata 5. l-flfla 6. d-dnjal 7. lxyar 8. matia 9. j-jlbana 10. l-krafs
l-xodra 11. l-ful 12. l-fjl 13. l-gra 14. t-tuma 15. l-bsla 16. l-barba 17. l-lft 18. l-mkuwr 19. l-lubya 20. l-korjit
96 Moroccan Arabic
quince gourd okra coriander s-sfrjl s-slawi l-mluxiya l-qsbur parsley mint absinth verbena l-mdnus n-nna -iba l-lwiza
plum
1 2
3 4 5
9 8 6 7 10
13 12 11 14
15
nectarine
fruit 1. l-nb 2. l-limun 3. t-tfa 4. l-friz 5. l-brquq 6. l-banan 7. l-xux 8. l-amd pomegranate apricots r-rmman l-mma
l-fakiha 9. n-ngas bowid 10. t-tut 11. lavoka 12. lananas 13. d-dlla 14.
blmluk
15. -hdiya Japanese plums l-mza kiwi l-kiwi
Buying Produce
scale gram kilogram kilogram kilogram kilogram 2 kilograms l-mizan gram kilu rubu
Units of Measurement
kilu
ns kilu
kilu lla rob juj kilu
Expressions
Give me a kilo of ... Weigh me ... Give me some ... More ... please How much is a kilo of ... ? What do you need? What else? I need ... No, thats enough. Only 1 kilo, thats all!
tini kilu d ... br / wzn liya ... tini wiya d ...

zidni ...
... ... ... ...

...
afak
bal kilu d ... ? nu
xssk?
nu axor?
xssni ...
lla baraka. safi!
...
ir kilu,
98 Moroccan Arabic
Dialogue
shopping Susan: sba l-xir. l-xddar:
t-tqdya
. . : : : . . : : . ! . . : : . : : . . . . : :
sba l-xir. a b l-xatr a lalla? Susan: bit juj kilu d xizu, u kilu d matia u ns kilu d l-barba u xtar liya i aja mzyana. br liya kilu u rubu d l-bsla.
Susan: bal t-tfa?
l-xddar: safi a lalla?
l-xddar: stta l drhm l l-kilu. Susan: waxxa, br liya kilu lla rob. aah! nsit tini wiya d l-qsbur u l-mdnus. l-xddar: hani a lalla. Susan: bal kuli? l-xddar: ndk a lalla ts miya u sttin ryal. Susan: al mn drhm? l-xddar: 48 drhm. Susan: hak a sidi, lla y-awn. l-xddar: lla y-xlf a lalla.
48 :
: :
1. fin Susan? 2. nu rat Susan?
.1 .2
3. al rat mn kul 4. we rat i 5. al
aja?
3 4 5
aja xora?
. .
xllsat?
100 Moroccan Arabic

Spices and Meat
Spices
spices salt
l-triya l-mla l-bzar skinjbir l-kamun l-qrfa z-ztr l-guza
saffron turmeric hot pepper
z-zfran l-xrqum l-flfla l-ara
black pepper ginger cumin cinnamon oregano nutmeg
red hot pepper s-sudaniya cloves basil paprika l-qrnfl l-bq t-tmira
At the Butchers
butcher meat lamb beef goat meat liver ground meat meat w/o bones chicken l-gzzar l-lm l-nmi l-bgri l-mzi l-kbda l-kfta l-hbra d-djaj
Exercise: You have guests for dinner and you want to serve them tea with cakes, then a tajine. List the items you need for preparing tea/cakes and a tajine and write your shopping list. Then, write a shopping list for an American dish.
Food and Drink

Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to:
jb to please express necessity or obligation with xss to need / to have to use ba to want / to like with the proper tense
express likes and dislikes using
use the correct words and expressions concerning food and drink
Food and Drink
Food
food lunch dinner tajine salad
l-makla l-ftur l-da l-a
fish beans lentils chick peas

steamed pasta with cinnamon and sugar
l-ut l-lubya l-ds l-mms s-sffa -riya l-rira
breakfast
t-tajin
-lada l-frit z-zitun l-bstila l-lm d-djaj
vermicelli Moroccan soup vegetable soup rice couscous pizza
French fries olives bastila meat chicken
s-suba
r-ruz l-ksksu l-ppitza
At a Caf
the waiter black coffee coffee with milk half coffee, half milk hot milk weak coffee strong coffee coffee with a little milk orange juice l-garsun qhwa kla qhwa
lib
qhwa ns ns
lib sxun
qhwa xfifa qhwa qasa qhwa mhrsa
asir l-limun
102 Moroccan Arabic

apple & milk shake banana & milk shake almond & milk shake pot of tea glass of tea ... with mint Not very sweet. Some sugar, please. a glass of cold water
asir t-tfa asir l-banan asir l-luz

brrad d atay kas d atay ... b n-nna ma-y-kun-
... . . .
lu bzzaf. afak.
wiya d s-skkar, kas d l-ma bard.
At a Restaurant
the menu Please bring me ... Do you have ... ? What do you have? Is there any food without meat? I want a tajine without meat. What do you have for dessert? We want a table for (four people). outside inside The bill, please. To your health. To your health (response). How do you like the food? I have no complaints. The food is delicious. l-menu
afak jib liya ...

we nu
...
ndkum ... ? ndkum?
...
we kayna i makla bla lm? bit nu
tajin bla lm. ndkum f d-disir?

.( )
bina wad t-tbla dyal (rba d n-nas).
la brra
ldaxl l-sab b
afak. s-sa.
s-sa.
.
lla y-tik
kif jatk l-makla? ma
ndi mangul.
.
l-makla ldida / bnina.
Dialogue
Karla u Jason f r-ristora l-garsun: t-fddlu! mrbabikum. Jason: ukran. we kayna i tbla dyal juj d n-nas? l-garsun: mlum kayna. fin bitu t-glsu? Jason: bina wad t-tbla da s-srjm. l-garsun: nu bitu t-aklu? Karla: nu
. ! . : :
: : : . : :
ndkum?
.
l-garsun: ha l-menu. Karla: ana bit lada u ksksu b l-nmi. l-garsun: waxxa a lalla. u nta a sidi? Jason: ana kan-akul ir l-xdra. we kayna i makla bla lm? l-garsun: iyeh! kayna l-lubya. Jason: waxxa. jib liya lada u tbsil d l-lubya. l-garsun: we bitu t-rbu i aja? Karla: ana bit kuka barda.
. .
: :
. . .
: :
: . : :
Jason: ana bit ir l-ma afak. . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jason: l-sab afak. . l-garsun: 60 drhm. Jason: hak a sidi. l-garsun: lla y-xlf. kif jatkum l-makla? Karla/Jason: bnina! jbatna bzzaf.
. . . . . ! .
60
: : : : : :
s-sa u r-raa. Karla/Jason: lla y-tik s-sa.

l-garsun: b 1. fin mau Karla u Jason? 2. nu klau? 3. we rbu i 4. al
aja? nu rbu?
xlsu?
5. kif jathum l-makla?
1 .2 .3 .4 .5
.
104 Moroccan Arabic

The Reflexive verb to please / to like
In Darija, it is not common to say, literally, I like something. Rather, we use the construction, Something pleases me. In reality, this phrase would translate into the English I like something, but what is important is that you understand that the person who likes is actually the object of the sentence, and the thing liked is the subject. At first, it will seem backward; in fact, it is (from an English speakers perspective). In time you will use this construction naturally. The verb to please is jb. It can be tricky to conjugate because, as we said, the subject of the verb is actually the object that is liked, and the object is the person who likes. Thus, if I want to say, He likes them, I literally need to say, They please him. Also, as a result of this, the verb must always agree in gender and number with the subject, that is, the thing liked. In the present tense, therefore, the conjugation of the verb can be outlined in the following manner:
Introduce Present Tense kay
(masc. sing.)
How to Conjugate to please
Verb Root
For Plural Form Only
kat
(fem. sing.)
jb
kay
(masc/fem plur.)
Object Pronouns ni k u / h ha na kum hum
Some examples:
It (masc. sing.) pleases me. (i.e. I like it.) It (fem. sing.) pleases me. (i.e. I like it.) They (masc. plur.) please me. (i.e. I like them.) They (fem. plur.) please me. (i.e. I like them.) kay-jbni kat-jbni kay-jbuni kay-jbuni
Present Tense Examples

jb with masculine singular subject
I like couscous. I like chocolate. She likes tea. We like Morocco. He likes tajines.
In the following examples, we use the translation to like. The literal translation would be to please.
kay-jbni ksksu. kay-jbni -klat. kay-jbha atay. kay-jbna l-mrib. kay-jbu
. . . . .
t-tajin.
jb with feminine singular subject

I like salad. Do you like coffee? kat-jbni -lada. we kat-jbk l-qhwa?
She does not like beer.
ma-kat-jbha- l-birra.
jb with masculine/feminine plural subject kay-jbuni n-nas d I like the people of Morocco. l-mrib. kay-jbuh l-ktub. He likes books.
Do you (plur.) like kids? we kay-jbukum d-drari? ma-kay-jbuna-. We dont like them.
The verb jb can also be used in the past tense, as in I liked it or It pleased me. It is conjugated like all regular verbs in the past tense.
jb with masculine singular subject jbni l-a. I liked dinner.
He liked mint tea. She didnt like fat bread. Did you like the chicken?
.
Past Tense Examples
jbu atay b n-nna.

ma-jbha- xubz -ma. we
.
jbk d-djaj?
jb with feminine singular subject jbatni l-rira. I liked the soup.

He didnt like the salad. Did you like the old medina? ma-jbatu- -lada. we jbatk l-mdina l-qdima?
.
jb with masculine/feminine plural subject jbuni n-nas dyal

I liked the people of my village. Did you like these books? She didnt like the colors. d-duwar dyali. we
jbuk had l-ktub?

.
jb can be followed by another verb. The second verb is always conjugated in the present, according to the same rule that you already learned regarding verbs following other verbs (see page 76). Remember that for the second verb, therefore, we remove the ka ( ) to place it after jb.
I like to sleep after lunch. He likes to play soccer. She doesnt like to wake up early. Do you like to run early in the morning? kay-jbni n-ns mura l-da. kay-jbu y-lb l-kura. ma-kay-jbha- t-fiq bkri. we kay-jbk t-jri s-sba bkri?
.
Followed by Another Verb
ma-jbuha- l-luwan.
106 Moroccan Arabic

What do you like to do on the weekend?
Exercise:
nu kay-jbk t-dir f l-weekend?
Make correct sentences using
jb.
kat-jbk we kat-jbu kat-jbha kat-jbni iyeh kat-jbu kat-jbha l-xdma
dyalk? dyalu? dyalha?
bzzaf. wiya.
. .
Exercise: Make as many sentences (affirmative and negative) as you can with jb using these pictures.
Suzy
Ahmed
Ronny & Nancy
Aicha
Moroccan Wisdom:
ma-ri- l-ut f ql l-br.
Dont buy fish on the bottom of the sea.
108 Moroccan Arabic
should. It is conjugated by adding the object pronouns (see page 60) to the end of the verb. You do not normally conjugate it like a present tense verb; that is, you do not add kay or kat before the verb. Like other verbs, however, xss may be followed by a second verb which is conjugated in the present tense, but without the prefix ka (see page 76). Some examples:
I have to learn Arabic well. You should be on time. You shouldnt stay up late. I have to go.
The Verb to need, to have to, must, should The verb ( ) translates into all of the following in English: to need or to have to or must or
xss xssni n-tllm l-rbiya
mzyan.
. . . .
xssk t-ji f l-wqt.

ma-xssk- t-shr.
xssni n-mi.
The meaning in the above examples depends largely on the context. However, when xss is followed by a noun, it only means to need. Some examples:
I need cigarettes. She needs a notebook.
xssni l-garru. xssha dftar.
. .
The past tense of xss is formed by adding the verb kan before it. You do not conjugate kan if xss is followed by another verb. If xss is followed by a noun, however, kan must agree in gender and number with that noun. Examples:
I had to study yesterday. I needed a book. I needed a ticket. I needed books. kan kan kant kanu
xssni n-qra l-bar. xssni ktab. xssni wrqa. xssni ktub.
. . . .
Exercise:
Write the expressions that go along with these signs using the
verb
xss.
Exercise: Answer the following question in Moroccan Arabic.

nu xssk ba t-kun mutatawwi naj?
110 Moroccan Arabic

The Verb to want, to like
The verb ba translates into the English to want and to like. When conjugated in the past tense, the verb expresses to want, but with a present tense meaning (see page 39). When conjugated in the present tense, the verb expresses to like, also with a present tense meaning. An example:
I like mint tea. kan-bi atay b n-nna.
When the verb is used with object pronouns (see page 60) in the present tense, it means to love or to like someone. Examples:
I love you / I like you. I love him / I like him. I love her / I like her. kan-bik. kan-bih. kan-biha.
. . .
When this verb is followed by another verb, the second verb is always conjugated in the present tense without the prefix ka (see page 76). Some examples:
I like to drink coffee in the morning. He likes to read at night. kan-bi n-rb l-qhwa f s-sba. kay-bi y-qra b l-lil.
. .
Because the past tense of ba expresses a present tense meaning of to want, to express a past tense meaning of to want, you must first use a past tense conjugated form of the verb kan, followed by the past tense form of ba. Examples:
I wanted to leave early. She wanted to tell him something. knt bit n-xrj bkri.
. .
aja.
kant bat t-gul lih i
Exercise: For each meal, write at least three sentences in which you express Moroccan food you like or dislike for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
1. kan-bi l-bid f l-ftur 2. 3. l-ftur l-da l-a 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3.
Medical & Body
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: describe, in Darija, body parts and common illnesses
Body Parts
18 2 4 5 6 3 20 21 1
19 24 23 22
28 7 8 10 12 9 11 29 26 25 27
1. wjh 2. fmm 3. lya 4. nq
16. rjl 17. sb 18. r 19. jbha 20. wdn 21.
13
5. ktf 6. sdr
nk
14
7. dra
16
22. nif 23. in 24.
8. mrfq 9. ydd 10. sb 11. dfr 12. kr
jban
25. snan 26. lsan 27. nayf 28. musta 29. lya breast bzzula
15
17
13. fxd 14. rkba 15. gdm
112 Moroccan Arabic
Health Problems
Whats wrong with you? Whats the matter? What ails you? What aches? I have a fever I have a cold. I have a sore throat. Im constipated. Im allergic to... nu
ndk?
malek? ba mrid? nu kay-drk? fiya s-sxana. fiya rwa / drbni l-brd. fiya l-laqm.
. . / . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . / . . . /
ndi l-qbt / kri qasa. ndi l-asasiya d . . .

. . . kay-dir/kat-dir liya l-asasiya.
I have a headache. My ear aches. I feel dizzy. Im injured. Im burnt. I have a toothache. My ... hurts. I vomit / throw up. I need to see a doctor.
kay-drni rasi. kat-drni wdni. kan-s b d-duxa. tjrt. trqt. kat-drni wad d-drsa. kay-drni ... kan-tqiya.
xssni n-uf t-tbib.
Dialogue
Latifa: malek, yak labas? Amy: kay-drni kri. Latifa: we fik luj bzzaf? Amy: ay, bzzaf! Latifa: sbri wya, adi n-tbx lik wad l-kas d z-ztr, dqqa btla! Amy: lla lla afak, ma-ymkn- liya n-rb l-ub. Latifa: waxxa, kifa ymkn liya n-awnk? Amy: ttasli afak b had r-raqm d hay'at s-salam ba y-iytu liya. Latifa: hiya l-luwla, ma-y-kun bas. Amy: ahla y-wrrik i bas. 1. ba mrida Amy? 2. we tatha Latifa i dwa? 3. la ma-bat- Amy t-rb l-ub? 4. we mat Amy nd t-tbib? la?
! .
: : : : : ! . : : : . . . : :
. . .
1 2 3 4
Exercise: What might you say if you were the person in each picture?
114 Moroccan Arabic

Site Visit Expressions
Here are some useful expressions you may need during your site visit.
My name is ... I am a volunteer with Peace Corps. I will be working here for two years at ... Im going to spend two days with you (to host family). Where is the youth center? Where is the hospital / delegation? What is the name of the chief doctor? Where is the agriculture office? Where is the water and forest office? Where is the handicraft center? Where is the post office? Please, I want to open a post box. What do I have to do? How much do I have to pay (a year)? Where is the bank, please? I want to open a bank account. Where is the Gendarme / police station, please? Can you please give me your phone number, please? (at Gendarme / police station) I want to get a cart de sejour. Is there a pharmacy here? Is there a teleboutique here? Do you sell cell phone cards? smiti ... ana mutatawwi ma hay'at s-salam.
. ... .
...
adi n-xdm hna amayn f

...
adi n-gls makum

yumayn. fin kayna dar -bab? fin kayn s-sbitar / l-mndubiya? nu smit l-midsan ef afak? fin kayn mktb l-filaa afak? fin kayn mktb l-miyah u l-abat? fin kayna lartizana / s-sinaa t-tqlidiya afak? fin kayna l-bosta? lla y-xllik, bit n-ft bwat ppostal. nu xssni n-dir? al xssni n-xls (l l-am)? fin kayna l-banka afak? (l-bnk -bi) bit n-ft kont bonkir. fin j-jondarm / l-kumisariya, afak? we ymkn lik t-tini rqm t-tilifun dyalkum, afak? bit n-sawb sijur. we kayn i hna? we kayn i hna? we kat-bi l-pportabl? la-kart d frmasyan tilibutik la-kart d
( ( ) .
Which service is available here: Meditel or Maroc Telecom? Is there cell phone reception / coverage? Is there CTM (the bus company)? What day/time is transportation available? Is there a cyber caf here? How far is it from here? Which day is the souk? Is there any association here?
we kayna Meditel wlla Maroc Telecom? we kayn r-rizo? we kayn s-satyam? amn nhar/wqt kay-kun l-mrkub? we kayna l-anternet hna? al bida mn hna? amn nhar kay-kun s-suq? we kayna i jmiya hna?
/
Ask your LCF for any other words or expressions you think you may need for site visit.
Moroccan Wisdom:
.
nqta b nqta kay-ml l-wad.
Drop by drop the river rises.
116 Moroccan Arabic

Travel
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: describe future activities identify means of transportation and use appropriate expressions for travel
Future Tense
Depending upon where you are in Morocco, people may form the future tense differently. Everyone in Morocco, however, should understand you regardless of which way you form the future tense.
Forming the Future Tense

to travel I will travel you will travel (masc. sing.) you will travel (fem. sing.) he will travel she will travel we will travel you will travel (plur.) they will travel
To form the future tense, take the present tense form, drop the prefix ka, and add adi. Thus:
safr
adi n-safr adi t-safr adi t-safri adi y-safr adi t-safr adi n-safru adi t-safru adi y-safru
In some places, adi is also used with a feminine form, adya, and a plural form, adyin. In this case, the future tense would be as follows:
to travel I will travel (masc.) I will travel (fem.) you will travel (masc. sing.) you will travel (fem. sing.) he will travel she will travel we will travel you will travel (plur.) they will travel safr
adi n-safr adya n-safr adi t-safr adya t-safri adi y-safr adya t-safr adyin n-safru adyin t-safru adyin y-safru
Sometimes, adi is contracted to a. The future tense in this case:

to travel I will travel you will travel (masc. sing.) you will travel (fem. sing.) he will travel she will travel we will travel you will travel (plur.) they will travel safr
an-safr at-safr at-safri ay-safr at-safr an-safru at-safru ay-safru
Negation of the Future Tense
To form the negative of the future tense, add ma... (

Will you travel? No, I will not travel. we
...
) to adi, adya, or adyin.

.
adi t-safr?
lla, ma-adi- n-safr.
To express will never, we do not use the future tense, but rather ma mmr ( tense of a verb without the prefix ka.
I will never smoke. We will never travel at night. ma
) and the present

. .
mmri n-kmi. ma mmrna n-safru b

mazal ma
( ) or
l-lil.
To express not yet when speaking about the future, use the future tense.
baqi ma (
) with
We will not go to bed yet. I will not get married yet.
mazal ma baqi ma
adyin n-nsu. adi n-tzuwj.
. .
For the remainder of the book, all of the different forms of the future tense will be used in order for you to become familiar with all of them.
118 Moroccan Arabic

adi to Mean Going In English, we have two ways of expressing the future. I will speak to him tomorrow. I am going to speak to him tomorrow. Both of these ways of expressing the future are expressed by the future tense in Moroccan Arabic. In the following examples, therefore, both English translations can be given for the Arabic expressions.
Using the Participle
What will I wear? What am I going to wear? I will sleep. I am going to sleep.
past intention past future
nu
adi n-lbs?
adi n-ns.
When the word adi is preceded by the conjugated past tense of the verb kan, to be, it indicates a or a . Some examples:
He was going to travel to America, but he didnt have a visa. (i.e. he had intended...) She was going to marry last year. (i.e. she had planned...) kan adi y-safr l mirikan welakin ma-kan- ndu l-viza.
kant adya t-tzuwj l-am l-li fat.
. .
The use of adi to indicate future or past future should be distinguished from its use as a participle to indicating that someone is literally going somewhere at the present moment (or was going at a past moment). In other words, besides its role as an auxiliary verb to indicate future, adi also acts as the when it active participle of the verb ma, to go. Thus, ma is used only to express a is conjugated in the . To express a , the participle adi is used.
habitual action present tense current action
I go to souk on Tuesdays. (habitual) I am going to souk. (now ) Where do you go every weekend? (habitual) Where are you going? (now )
kan-mi l s-suq nhar t-tlat. ana
. .
adi l s-suq.
fin kat-mi kul weekend? fin
adi?
This idea of a current, progressive action may also be expressed in the past, and should be distinguished, again, from the idea of past intention or past future that was discussed above.
He was going to travel to America, but he didnt have a visa. (past intention) He was going to souk when he saw his friend. (past progressive action) I was not going to lie to you! (negative past intention) I was not going to souk! (negative past progressive action) kan adi y-safr l mirikan welakin ma-kan- ndu l-viza. kan af
. . ! !
adi l s-suq mlli sabu. adi n-kdb adi l s-suq!
lik!
ma-knt-
ma-knt-
Time Expressions
tomorrow day after tomorrow tomorrow morning tomorrow afternoon/evening next Saturday next week next month next year next summer in a week / month / year one day / some day after lunch / dinner
dda
bd
dda
dda f s-sba dda f l-iya

s-sbt j-jay / l-maji s-simana j-jaya / l-majya -hr j-jay / l-maji l-am j-jay / l-maji
/ /
s-sif j-jay / l-maji

mn hna simana / hr / am wad nhar / i nhar mn bd l-da / l-a we adi t-mi l s-sinima f l-iya?
/
Some examples of the future tense using time expressions:

Are you going to go to the cinema in the evening? No, Im not going to go. Im going to sleep a little bit. After dinner, Ill read my book. Someday, I (fem.) will speak Arabic well.
Exercise:
lla, ma-adi- n-mi. adi n-ns wiya. mn bd l-a, adi n-qra l-ktab dyali. i nhar, adya n-tkllm l-rbiya mzyan.
Put the verbs in parentheses in the future tense.
Zahra: fuqa (nad)
dda?
Chad: (faq) f 7:00. Zahra: nu (dar) mn bd? Chad: (ftr) u (xrj). Zahra: fin (ma) mn bd? Chad: (ma) l l-xdma dyali f 12:00. (tdda) ma sabi Tom f mtm s-salam. mn bd (rj )l d-dar. f 3:00 wiya l-rbiya ma l-ustad dyali. Zahra: we (ja) (ta) mana dda inallah?
.12:00
3:00
: .7:00 ( ) : ( ) : .( ) ( ) : ( ) : ( ): ( ) . ( ) ( )( ) :
( )
120 Moroccan Arabic

Chad: waxxa! n-ufkum inallah.
dda
Dialogue Mohamed: fuqa adya t-mi l l-fla?
Karla: ltnin f t-tmnya u
ns.
Mohamed: amn wqt adya t-tlaqay l-ustad dyalk? Karla: t-tlat f j-juj u tulut. Mohamed: fuqa adia t-ufi l-film? Karla: larb f t-tsud u rb. Mohamed: fuqa adya t-lbi t-tinis? Karla: l-xmis f r-rba lla rub. Mohamed: imta adya t-ufi t-tbib?
. . .
Karla: j-jma f l-da nian.
Mohamed: imta
adya t-tqday?
.
Karla: s-sbt f l-xmsa ql xmsa. Mohamed: amn wqt adi y-xrj t-tran fa adya t-rkbi? Karla: l-dd f l-ra ql qsmayn.
Exercise: Read the dialogue again quickly and write down Karlas plan for the week (write down the times using numbers, not words). Then, write your own schedule for the upcoming week. What will you be doing each day? At what time?
Travel
General Travel Information

CTM
Public transport in Morocco is both inexpensive and easy to use. Between major cities, trains are the quickest and most comfortable means of travel, although they can be crowded at certain times of year. Buses are the cheapest choice and can vary in terms of speed and comfort.
Traveling Between Cities
: This is the national bus line, very comfortable, on schedule, seats are reserved and can be purchased in advance in most places. Unaccompanied baggage can be sent via CTM. : In each large town there is a bus station, such as Quamra in Rabat. One can buy a ticket one day in advance and fares are set. Sometimes the ticket is for a reserved seat, other times it is for whatever seat is open when the bus goes through town. A ticket does not necessarily mean there is a real seat either. Sometimes there are additional places set-up in the aisle. You have to bargain for the
Souk buses
price you pay for your luggage if this gets stored on top of the bus. The price depends upon the size of the piece. It is advisable to carry smaller pieces of luggage you can store in the bus itself. Souk buses do not always leave or arrive on time. They may stop in the middle of nowhere. They may also stop in towns along the way looking for additional passengers. Train: There are two classes: first and second. The price of any train car with air conditioning will be higher. Sometimes there are schedule changes, but no available printed timetables. Check to be sure that the time you wish to travel is still accurate. Train tickets can be bought in advance, and this is the only form of local transportation on which you can buy a round-trip ticket. Grand taxis: This is for travel between large towns and cities. They carry 6 passengers and since the fare is per seat, if you want you can pay for empty seats so that the taxi leaves earlier. Ask the other passengers in the car what the regular fare should be, do not ask the driver first. If you want to take the entire taxi for yourself, ask for a taxi coursa. Baggage does not cost extra in a taxi. Pick-up truck (camio): In some areas where no public transportation is available, people use their personal trucks to carry supplies to their douars, they also take passengers at a rate that they determine themselves. Airport transportation: There are airport buses and trains which run from Rabat Ville to the Casablanca airport. There are also airport buses which connect the airport to Casablanca but from Rabat/Sale airport there are only taxis. meter. When you get in the taxi, ask that the meter be turned on. If there is no meter, or if it does not work, ask the price before you begin. Since the taxi can take 3 passengers, if you are the only one getting in, he can pick up other passengers. If you are the second or third person entering the taxi, ask the price for your trip. At night (usually by 8 pm) until sunrise, the fare is 50% more than the daytime fare. Chariots: In very small villages, the chariots are used to get people to the weekly souk or to towns on the main road, where larger transportation is available for farther distances.
Travel Expressions
Travel Within Cities Petit taxis: Every city has petit taxis which can carry up to three passengers. The fare is calculated by
taxi Where is the taxi stand? Please take me to... I want to go to this address. Please wait a minute for me. How much, please? Turn on the meter, please. Stop here, please. small taxi (petit taxi, inside city) large taxi (grand taxi, b/w cities) Is there a seat to ... Yes, there is. How many seats are reserved so far?
t-taxi
fin
blasa t-taxiyat?
... . .
wsslni afak l... bit n-mi l had l-unwan. tsnnani afak wiya.
al
afak? afak.
. .
xddm l-kuntur wqf hna
afak.
taxi sir taxi kbir

we kayna i iyeh, kayna. al mn deba?
blasa l...
... .
blasa kayna
122 Moroccan Arabic

Four and you are the fifth. I want to pay for 2 seats. taxi driver taxi driver baggage trunk city bus city bus depot / stop Where does bus #... stop? Does bus #... stop here? Does this bus go by ... ? Which bus do I need to take if I want to go to ... ? Can you stop here? last stop / terminus driver ticket taker bus (between cities) bus station Which bus is going to ... ? When does the bus leave to ... ? When does the bus arrive to ...? I want a ticket to ... How much is the ticket to ... ? I want to keep my bag with me. Tell me when we arrive to ... driver drivers assistant rba u nti l-xamsa. bit n-xlls juj mul
. .
blays.
taxi taxi
-ifur d l-bagaj l-kufr
t-tobis
mattat
t-tobisat fin kay-wqf t-tobis

rqm...? we kay-wqf t-tobis rqm... hna? we had t-tobis kay-duz la...? amn tobis xssni n-axud ila bit n-mi l...? we ymkn lik t-wqf hna? t-tirminus -ifur r-rusuvur l-kar mattat l-kiran amn kar
... ... ...
...
adi l...?
... ...
...
fuqa kay-xrj l-kar l...? fuqa kay-wsl l-kar l...? bit wad l-wrqa l...? bal l-wrqa l...? bit n-dir s-sak dyali daya. afak ila wslna l... gulha liya. -ifur l-grisun
. .
... ...
...
How long will you stop here? Is this seat empty? train train station Is there a train to ... Where do they sell the tickets, please? Can I reserve a sleeper car to Oujda? I want to keep the ticket.
Dialogue
al
adi t-bqa hna?
we had l-blasa xawya? t-tran / l-qitar lagar / mattat l-qitar we kayn i tran l...? fin kay-qtu l-wraq afak? we ymkn liya n-rizirvi kuit l wjda? bit n-tafd b l-wrqa.
. ... /
nu
adya t-diri? Doha: nu adya t-diri

s-simana j-jaya? Jill: adya n-safr l Marrakech. Doha: fa
.
adya t-mi?
.
Jill: f t-tran wlla f s-satyam (CTM). Doha: fuqa adya t-xrji mn Rabat? Jill: adya n-xrj f t-tmnya u ns d s-sba. Doha: fin adya t-glsi f Marrakech? Jill: f
lotil.
adya t-diri tmma? Jill: adya n-tsara: adya n-mi l jam l-fna u qsr l-bdi... Doha: iwa, triq s-slama.
Doha: nu Jill: lla y-slmk. 1. nu bat t-dir djil? 2. we 3. we 4. fin
: ...
1 2 3 4 5
adya t-mi l Fes? adya t-mi f l-kar? adya t-gls?
5. fin kayna jam l-fna?
124 Moroccan Arabic
At the Hotel
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: look for and use hotel accommodation use conditional sentences to express possible and impossible conditions
Hotel Accommodation Hotels are classified into categories from 0 (non-classified) to 5-star hotels. There is a reduction of
25% on the second day for Moroccans and foreign residents in Morocco, but only in classified hotels.
the hotel the reception desk room Is there an inexpensive hotel around here? Where is a nice hotel? Please take me to a hotel (to a taxi driver). A room for one person (a single). A room for two people. Do you have a room available? Is there a shower with hot water? Whats the price for the room? Can I see the room? Which floor? Is breakfast included? Ill stay for 2 nights. Wake me up at ... please.
Dialogue
lotil
larisipsyun bit / ambr we kayn i fin kayn i
otil rxis hna? otil mzyan?

. . .
wsslni l i otil afak.

bit dyal fra wad. bit dyal juj d n-nas. we
ndkum i bit xawi?
we kayn d-du b l-ma s-sxun? al t-taman dyal l-bit? we ymkn liya n-uf l-bit?
tbqa? we l-ftur msub ma

amn l-bit?
adi n-gls juj lilat.

fiyqni f ...
. ...
afak
Jack u Amanda f
lotil alaykum
: : : : .
Jack u Amanda: s-salamu mul mul
lotil: wa alaykum s-salam

Jack: we kayn i ambr?
lotil: iyeh, kayn dyal fra wad kbir u kayn dyal

juj fraat.
126 Moroccan Arabic

Jack: bina dyal fra wad u fih l-mmam. mul lotil: mrba. Jack: bal lila wda? mul
. . : : : .
lotil: 140 drhm.
140
.
: : :
Amanda: we l-ma sxun?
lotil: iyeh a lalla. Amanda: waxxa. tina ambr. mul lotil: mmru had l-wraq, afakum. ktbu liha s-smya, l-unwan, u rqm
mul l-paspor. Jack: tfdl a sidi. mul lotil: ukran, ha s-sarut dyal l-bit. 156 f t-tbqa l-luwla. 1. fin ma Jack u Amanda? 2. al mn bit bau? 3. al t-taman dyal l-bit? 4. we rxis had lotil? 5. nu xsshum y-diru ba y-glsu f had lotil?
. . .
: :
: : . . . .
156
1 2 3 4 5
. .
The Conditional
There are two basic types of conditional sentences in Moroccan Arabic depending on whether the if clause represents a possible condition or a contrary-to-fact/impossible condition. The word ila ( ) is equivalent to the English if. It introduces a possible condition only. This type of conditional sentence is composed of the simple past plus the future, or sometimes the simple past plus the imperative. This is used in the same context as English to express a future probable condition.
If he comes tomorrow, tell him to call me. If I dont come on time, go without me. If I see him, Ill tell (it to) him. If she finishes the work on time, well give her some money. If you ask her for it, shell give it to you. If you go to the post office bring me two stamps. ila ja dda, gul lih y-iyt liya. ila ma-jit- f l-wqt, sir. ila ftu, adi n-gulha lih. ila kmmlat l-xdma f l-wqt, adi n-tiuha l-flus. ila tlbtiha mnha (adi) t-tiha lik. ila miti l l-bosta, jib liya juj tnabr.
Type I Conditional: A Possible Condition in the Present/Future

. . . . . ( ) .

1. ila huma (tlb) mnk l-flus, (ma) mahum l l-banka.
. ( ) ( ) .
1 2 3 4 5
2. ila ana (safr), (jab) kadu. 3. ila nta ma (lqa) {huma} f d-dar, (iyt) liya. 4. ila ana (xsr), ma-ymkn- liya (sift) liha l-flus. 5. ila nta (ja) ndi, ana (ta) {nta} t-tsawr.
. ( )
} (
} (
Type II Conditional: An Impossible Condition in the Past/Present

The word
) is used in the second type of conditional. It also is equivalent to the English if. This word introduces two different types of contrary-to-fact conditionals. The first kind refers to past circumstances which did not occur. For example, if we had worked, which implies that we did not work. The second refers to present but unreal circumstances. For example, if I were rich, which implies that I am not rich. General context is the decisive factor in determining whether present or past contrary-to-fact conditions are referred to.
kun
(
If I had the money, Id go with you. If someone had told me, I would have come to see you. If he were working here, I would have told you. If it hadnt been for me, he would have drowned. If it were not for her, we wouldnt be eating.
kun kanu ndi l-flus, kun mit makum. kun i wad galha liya, kun jit n-ufk. kun kan kay-xdm hna, kun gltha lik. kun ma-knt- ana, kun rq. kun ma-kant- hiya, kun ma-knna- n-aklu.
. . . . .
Exercise: Substitute ila with kun and make the necessary changes.
1. ila safrt,
adi n-gls f lotil.

.
.1 .2 . .3 .4 .5 .6
2. ila miti l Marrakech, zur jam l-fna. 3. ila nsiti,
an-fkkrk. 4. ila kant ms nhar l-dd j-jay, an-miu l l-br. 5. ila tlmti l-rbiya mzyan, adi t-kun mutatawwi naj. 6. ila ma-tarmti- qanun s-sayr, adi t-jibha f rask.
. . .
128 Moroccan Arabic
At the Post Office

The Post Office
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: buy stamps and send letters and parcels use prepositions correctly with verbs
Stamps are available at tobacco stores in addition to the post office. It is best to mail your letters at the mail slot outside the post office since pick-ups can be infrequent at other mail boxes. When sending packages out of the country, you are required to fill out a customs declaration form. Be sure to leave the package open because an official is required to see the contents before it is sealed.
Vocabulary
post office envelope letter stamp stamps registered letter postman post box box (for a package)
l-bosta jwa bra tanbr tnabr bra rikomandi l-faktur
ladrisa address post card l-unwan
kart ppostal
money order l-manda package normal express customs tape glue kulya
adi
ixpres d-diwana s-skot
bwat ppostal kartona
lsaq
Verbs
to send to paste to fill in (a form)
sift lssq mmr
to close / seal to receive
dd
twssl b
Expressions
I want a stamp for the US / Morocco please. I want to send this letter / this package. How much will I pay to send this...? How much time will it take for it to arrive to ... ? Why dont letters arrive quickly?
bit wad t-tanbr dyal mirikan / l-mrib afak. bit n-sift had l-bra / had l-kulya. bal ... ?
.
/ . /
adi n-sift had

... .
...
al d l-wqt kay-xs ba t-wsl l ... ?
la l-brawat
ma-kay-wslu- diya.
Dialogue
f l-bosta Judy: bit t-tnabr, lla y-xllik. l-muwddaf: fin adya t-sifti l-brawat? Judy: bit n-sift wda adiya l mirikan u wda rikumandi hna f l-mrib. l-muwddaf: waxxa a lalla, ndk 22.50 drhm. Paul: ana bit n-sift kulya l mirikan. l-muwddaf: ara n-uf nu fiha. Paul: hak a sidi. l-muwddaf: mmr had l-mtbu afak.
. . : : : . . . . .
22.50
: : : : :
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ l-muwddaf: we t-siftha adi wlla ixpres? Paul:
: : :
ir adi afak.
.
250
l-muwddaf: waxxa a sidi, ndk 250 drhm. Paul & Judy: ukran, bslama. l-muwddaf: lla y-awn. 1. nu kat-dir Judy f l-bosta? 2. we bat t-sift l-brawat ixpres? 3. nu ba y-sift Paul? 4. nu xssu y-dir?
. .
: :
.1 .2 .3 .4
Exercise: Make as many sentences as you can using the following words. You may need to add some of your own words.
mit ma mat mina mau mitu l l-bosta la bau bina ra af xda
manda
kulya tnabr mirikan
qqa bit
bat ba bitu
sift srf
bwat ppostal
130 Moroccan Arabic

Using Prepositions with Pronoun Endings & Verbs
Learning how to use prepositions correctly can sometimes be tricky. First, the prepositions dont always correspond directly to English prepositions . Thus, at different times in Moroccan Arabic we will use different prepositions for what would be the same preposition in English. Second, prepositions sometimes change in meaning depending upon the verb they are used with. This is true in English, too: She spoke on the rights of homeless people. (on means on the subject of) I put the book on the table. (on means on top of) With these challenges, it may take awhile for you to be a master of Darija prepositions. But with continued use and exposure, they will become natural for you, just as greetings are now natural for you. In this section, we will look at two aspects of prepositions: 1. how to connect prepositions with pronoun endings, and 2. which verbs use certain prepositions. Some prepositions you have already learned (such as dyal) simply add the normal pronoun endings (ex. dyali, dyalk, etc.). The following prepositions, however, change slightly when pronoun endings are added:
to / for on / about with in / at / about with / by
The Preposition l The preposition l ( ) often means
la
ma f b
to (ex. I gave something to you) or for (ex. I did something for you). It may also be used with certain verbs simply to express the meaning of the verb; in these cases, it doesnt translate into anything in English. To add the pronoun endings:
to / for to / for me to / for you (sing.) to / for him to / for her to / for us to / for you (plur.) to / for them l liya / li lik lih / lu liha lina likum lihum
/ /
Some verbs that go with this preposition:

excuse sm l send (to)
sift (l)
( )
explain (to) say (to)
fssr (l) gal (l)
( ) ( )
bring (to) to be possible (for...)
jab (l) ymkn (l)
( ) ( )
Some examples:
Kristin sent a letter to Chad. Kristin sent a letter to him. Thomas bought a present for Jessica on her birthday. Thomas bought it for her. Excuse me. Can I (i.e. is it possible for me) talk with you? Kristin l Chad. Kristin
siftat bra
. .
siftat bra lih. Thomas ra wad l-kadu l Jessica f id l-milad

dyalha. Thomas rah liha. sm liya. we ymkn liya n-hdr mak?
. . .
I cant (i.e. it is not possible for me) go out ma-ymkn- liya n-xrj deba. now.
As you can see in the example Excuse me above, sometimes the Arabic verb requires the preposition in order to be equivalent to the English verb. In these cases, the English translation doesnt have a preposition, but the Arabic still requires it. The Preposition la The preposition la is used with many verbs and expressions, and as a result it translates into many English prepositions, including: on, about, to, at, and others. With pronoun endings:
on (and others) on me on you (sing.) on him on her on us on you (plur.) on them
la liya lik lih liha lina likum lihum

defend look/search (for) speak (about) daf
la
( )
lie (to) laugh (at) to love (i.e. to be dying for)
kdb (la)
qllb (la) tkllm (la)
dk (la)
mat (la)
132 Moroccan Arabic

la does not have an English translation since it is required in order to translate the Arabic verb into defend. In the second verb, look/search, however, the preposition la is basically equivalent to the English for. Some examples:
In the first verb, defend, the preposition
Did we talk about the role of Peace Corps in Morocco? Yes, we talked about it. Are you looking for a house to rent? Yes, Im looking for one. I love (am dying for) pizza. I love it. Dont lie to me. Hes laughing at me.
we tkllmna la d-dawr dyal hay'at s-salam f l-mrib? iyeh, tkllmna l-kra? iyeh, kan-qllb kan-mut kan-mut
lih. we kat-qllb la dar l liha.
. .
la l-pitza. liha liya.
ma-tkdb- kay-dk
liya.
The Preposition ma
The preposition ma almost always translates into the English with. With pronouns:
with with me with you (sing.) with him with her with us with you (plur.) with them ma maya mak mah maha mana makum mahum

laugh (with) be helpful (with) shake hands (with)
dk (ma)
tawn (ma) tsalm (ma)
meet (with) stay (with) argue (with)
tlaqa (ma) bqa (ma)
txasm (ma)
Some examples:
I met (with) Samir in the post office. I met (with) him in the post office. tlaqit ma Samir f l-bosta. tlaqit mah f l-bosta.
.
Im just kidding! (with you) Would you like to come to the movies with me?
The Preposition f
ir kan-dk mak! biti t-mi l s-sinima maya?
Like la, the preposition f has many different English translations, including: in, about, at, on, and others. When used with pronouns:
in in me in you (sing.) in him in her in us in you (plur.) in them f fiya fik fih fiha fina fikum fihum

ask (about) think (about) talk (about) a person suwl (f) fkkr (f)
( ) ( ) ( )
participate (in) take care (of) trust (in)
ark (f) thlla (f) taq (f)
( ) ( ) ( )
hdr (f)
Some examples:
I came over (asked about you) yesterday, but I didnt find you. We trusted (in) him, but he betrayed us. Take care of yourself. suwlt fik l-bar, welakin ma-lqitk-. tqna fih, u
. . . . . . .
dr bina.
thlla f rask.
This preposition, with pronouns, can also have the meaning of the verb to be.
I am hungry. I am thirsty. He has a fever. fiya j-ju. fiya l-t. fih s-sxana. had d-dar fiha xmsa d l-byut.
And sometimes it takes the meaning of to have in the expression to have in it/them.
This house has five rooms.
134 Moroccan Arabic

meaning of with (I eat with my hands), but can also be used for: by, in, about, for, and others. With pronouns:
with with me with you (sing.) with him with her with us with you (plur.) with them b biya bik bih biha bina bikum bihum
The Preposition b The preposition b usually has the

believe (in) dream (about) be responsible (for) amn (b)
( ) ( ) ( )
marry (with) welcome
tzuwj (b) rb b
( ) ( )
lm (b)
tkllf (b)
want to be sepasxa (b) rated (from)
Some examples:
She married (with) him last year. They welcomed me into their house. I dreamed about him. tzuwjat bih l-am l-li fat. rbu biya f
. . .
darhum.
lmt bih.
Exercise: Replace the underlined nouns with the corresponding pronouns. Sometimes you will need to use a preposition and pronoun together.
Example: l-qt kla l-ut. 1. Tony rb l-lib. 2. Ahmed ra tumubil. 3. l-mutatawwiin mau l s-suq. 4. Latifa ddat d-drari l l-mdrasa. 5. we nsiti l-magana f d-dar? 6. Greg ta l-flus l Amy. 7. d-drari safru ma sabhum. 8. Sara ma-kat-akul- l-lm. 9. sllm la mwalin d-dar. l-qt klah.
. . .
. .
. .
.1 .2 .3 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8 .9
10. Jerry kay-xaf mn Tom.
10
Exercise: Make all of the above verb forms negative.
136 Moroccan Arabic

Describing the Peace Corps Mission
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: talk about the three goals of Peace Corps describe your job in Morocco
Peace Corps
Text
nu hiya hay'at s-salam? hay'at s-salam munddama amrikiya kat-sift mutatawwiin l d-duwal n-namiya u l-ahdaf dyalha hiya: 1. t-tawn t-tiqni 2. l-mirikanin y-fhmu mzyan -uub l-li stadfathum u y-rrfu b dik -uub f mirikan 3. -uub l-mustadifa tta hiya t-trrf la l-mirikaniyin.
1 2
organization developing nations goals technical help peoples to host to inform host (adjective)
munddama
d-duwal n-namiya ahdaf t-tawn t-tiqni -uub
stadf rrf mustadif(a)

( )
The Three Goals Of The Peace
1. To help people of interested countries and areas in meeting their needs for trained men and women; 2. To help promote a better understanding of the American people on the part of the peoples served; 3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of the American people.
Corps
Youth Development
Dialogue
Susan: s-salamu
alaykum.
.
: :
Jamila: wa alaykum s-salam. al hadi u nti f l-mrib? Susan:
amayn u adya n-gls hna amayn wlla tlt snin

inallah.
: . : : . : :
Jamila: nu kat-diri? Susan: ana mutatawwia ma hay'at s-salam u an-xdm f dar -bab. Jamila: nu Susan:
at-diri b d-dbt?
adya n-qrri n-ngliziya u adya n-dir maari ma j-jmiyat u ay aja l-li ndha alaqa ma tnmiyat -bab.
Jamila: iwa tbark lla lik a lalla. Susan: lla y-bark fik.
. .
: :
youth development youth center exactly project* projects activity* activities b d-dbt mru maari naat anita
tnmiyat -bab
dar -bab
relationship association associations director anything
alaqa
jamiya jamiyat mudir ay
aja
* In Morocco, the word for project suggests to some Moroccans an undertaking that requires money. The word for activity does not have this connotation. You will often be safer, therefore, using the word for activity, since most of what you do will not based upon major grants or fundraising.
138 Moroccan Arabic
Environment
Text smiti Judy. ana kan-xdm ma brnamaj l-bi'a d hay'at s-salam. l-muhima dyali hiya n-uf kifa n-nas kay-tamlu ma t-tabia. kan-gul l n-nas u t-turis l-li kay-zuru lipark ba ma-y-luu- z-zbl f ay blasa. u y-afdu la l-bi'a mn t-talawut. u ba n-nas ma-y-qtu- -jr u y-afdu la l-aba. kan-awl n-uf mahum i turuq xora ba y-tiybu u ma-y-sthlku- bzzaf d l-tb u kan-dir maari ma j-jamiyat f majal l-muafada l l-bi'a u t-tnmiyat l l-umum. Vocabulary and Expressions
. . .
environment program to deal (with) nature trash to protect pollution trees brnamj taml (ma)
l-bi'a forest
aba turuq
l-tb majal
( )
ways firewood field / domain in general to cut to consume
tabia
z-zbl
afd la
t-tulwut -jr
l l-umum qt
sthlk
140 Moroccan Arabic

Health
Dialogue
Sumiya: s-salamu Christine: wa
alaykum.
. .
: : :
alaykum s-salam.
Sumiya: ftk l-bar f s-sbitar. we nti frmliya? Christine: lla mai frmliya u mai tbiba. Sumiya: nu xdmtk? Christine: kan-tkllm ma n-nas la sthum u st wladhum. Sumiya: we kat-tihum d-dwa? Christine: ma-kan-tihum- d-dwa u ma-kan-dir- libra. kan-gul l n-nas nu xsshum y-diru ba ma-y-mrdu- huma wlla wladhum. u kan-hdr mahum la l-'ahammiya dyal d-dwa d l-bir, u bit l-ma u sil l-yddin u d-dwa d l-kr. Sumiya: mzyan. had -i muhim. u sabtk nu kat-dir? Christine: kat-gul lihum y-jlbu l wladhum ba ma-y-mrdu- u kat-r lihum nu xsshum y-diru ila ma-bau- y-wldu bzzaf u kat-ns l-yalat l-amlat ba y-miu l s-sbitar. Sumiya: had -i mzyan. tbark lla likum. Christine: lla y-bark fik.
.
: : : . : : .
. . . :
. . . . : :
health health clinic nurse doctor to be sick medicines
s-sa s-sbitar
l-frmli(ya)
() ()
the importance l-'ahammiya the (water) well diarrhea to immunize to give birth l-bir l-kr jlb wld
t-tbib(a) mrd
d-dwa
Small Business Development

Dialogue
the shot
libra
pregnant
amla
Chris: s-salamu l-mllm: wa
alaykum.
. . .
: : : : :
alaykum s-salam. tfddl a sidi.
Chris: sm li n-qddm lik rasi. l-mllm: iyeh,
l-mllm: u kifa
Chris: smiti Chris, ana mutatawwi ma hay'at s-salam u jit hna ba n-awn l-muqawalat s-sira.
. : : .
at-awnha? Chris: f bzzaf d l-wayj, bal l-isabat u l-'ihar u
t-tswiq. matalan kan-sawbu lakart d vizit l l-muqawala u kan-tiuha smiya u kan-hhru l-mntuj dyalha f l-internet. l-mllm: had -i mumtaz welakin ba at-stafd had l-muqawala? Chris: at-stafd it at-bi s-sla dyalha f l-mrib u f l-xarij. l-mllm: mzyan. lla y-awnk. Chris: ukran a sidi.
: . . . . : :
small business development enterprise / firm accountancy advertisement to advertise marketing l-muqawala l-isabat l-'ihar hhr t-tswiq
tnmiyat l-muqawalat s-sira products merchandise business card abroad to advertise the products l-mntuj s-sla lakart d vizit l-xarij hhr b l-mntuj
142 Moroccan Arabic

Renting a House
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: speak about renting and furnishing houses
Finding a House
Vocabulary
building / block of flats floor apartment house stairs elevator balcony rental agent (in cities) living room bedroom bathroom
imara
tbqa brtma dar
druj sansur balkun s-smsar bath shower kitchen neighbor
/
l-mmam d-du l-kuzina jar(a) jiran

( )
salun
bit n-nas bit l-ma / twalet
neighbors
Expressions
Im looking for a house to rent. Can you show it to me? Where is it located? Give me directions to it. Can I see it? How many rooms does it have? Is the roof for common use?
kan-qllb la i dar l l-kra. we ymkn lik t-wrriha liya? amn blasa? nt liya fin jat. we ymkn liya n-ufha? al fiha mn bit? we s-st mruk?
Dialogue
Mark: s-salamu l-aj: wa
alaykum
: : :
alaykum s-salam
Mark: we kayna i dar l l-kra? l-aj: we biti maal kbir wlla s ir? Mark: bit dar mtwssta, y-kun fiha salun u bit n-nas u d-du u kuzina u kat-dxl liha -ms u y-kun s-st dyali b-wdi. l-aj: kayna wda welakin t-taman dyalha 20.000 ryal. Mark: lla bzzaf liya, laqqa ana ir b-wdi u ma-adi- n-qdr n-xlls had t-taman. l-aj: al biti t-xlls? Mark: 10.000 ryal. l-aj: iwa f had s-saa ma-mujuda- i aja b dak t-taman. welakin mrra mrra rj ndi, ila lqit i aja adi n-lmk. Mark: waxxa a sidi, barak lla u fik. l-aj: lla y-bark fik. 1. la ma Mark nd l-aj? 2. we ba dar kbira wlla dar sira? 3. nu ba y-kun f had d-dar? 4. we af Mark d-dar l-li hdr liha l-aj? 5. la ma-kraha-? 6. we kayna i dar xora rxs mn hadi? 7. fuqa
.
10.000
: :
20.000
: . :
: : : . .
. .
: :
.1 .2 .3 .4 .5 .6 .7
adi y-rj Mark nd l-aj?
144 Moroccan Arabic

Furnishing a House
House Furniture
table chair bed pillow floor mat rug carpet blanket curtain sheet Moroccan sofa couch
tbla
kursi namusiya mxdda / usada
/
radio / tape recorder television electric outlet light bulb electric cord candle iron
/
musjjala tlfaza priz bola
sira
zrbiya
xit d d-dow
ma
mukit manta / kaa

xamiya izar ponj sdari
mslu / dida
sarut taba jbbada / jfafa ufu ofaj
key / switch broom squeegee water heater heater
Kitchenware
refrigerator oven blender saucepan cooking pot plate brazier grill strainer pressure cooker sifter frying pan
tllaja frran
spoon knife fork glass teapot coffee pot tray bowl kettle pitcher couscous pot ladle faucet
mlqa mus frita kas brrad briq
tana
gamila
tawa tbsil
mjmr uwaya
siniya
zlafa mqraj
sffaya
kokot
rraf
brma mrfa robini
rbal
mqla
Exercise: Put the household items in the correct room.

butagaz
kursi kuzina namusiya
tbla sabun
mlqa mus mus
tawa
ktab l-ma
bit n-nas
d-du tbsil
bit l-ma usada
sffaya
robini
146 Moroccan Arabic

Exercise: Describe in Darija the house you want to rent.
Moroccan Wisdom:
ydd wda ma-kat-sffq-.
One hand cant clap.
Safety and Security
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to: list some safety and security problems you may face during your service describe some strategies for dealing with these issues use Moroccan Arabic to implement these strategies
Sexual Harassment
Vocabulary
gazelle* the beautiful* the beauty* a strawberry (girl)*

Expressions
l-zala z-zwina z-zin t-tuta
to follow someone to get in someone's way to harass
tb trrd ngg
*These words are used by men to harass women.

sexual harassment He followed me. What do you want? Go away. Get away (far) from me. Let go of me. Dont touch me. Dont follow me again. Give me some space. (go away) Go or you will regret it. I will tell the police. I will call the gendarmes. Respect yourself. He doesnt want to get away (far) from me. I told you: get away (far) from me. I told you: go away. tarru jinsi tbni. nu biti? sir f
.
alk.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . : :
bd mnni.
tlq mnni.
ma-t-qisni-. ma-t-awd- t-tbni.
tini t-tisa.
sir wlla
adi t-ndm.
adi n-bll l-bulis. adi n-iyt la

j-jadarmiya.
tarm rask.
ma-ba- y-bd mnni. glt lik: bd mnni. glt lik: sir f
alk.
148 Moroccan Arabic
Text - Arabic
: . . ". . . " . . ": . ": . . ". "
Text - Transcription
Cathy xarja mn dar -bab mlli Cathy xarja mn dar -bab, kan wad mul t-tumubil waqf f j-jnb dyal t-triq. mnin wslat Cathy dah, gal liha: "tli a l-zala n-wsslk." Cathy galt lih: "sir f alk. we biti i wad y-tb xtk?" bqat Cathy adya u bqa mul t-tumubil tbha. qtat Cathy t-triq l j-jiha l-xura. nat rasha u kmmlat triqha. f nhar t-tani awd nfs -i ma mul t-tumubil. f nhar t-talt galt Cathy l mul t-tumubil: "ila awdti tbni adi n-bll l-bulis." b l-fil awd tbha u mat l l-bulis u bllat u tathum rqm t-tumubil. l-bulis ddu mul t-tumubil u iytu la Cathy. tlb mul t-tumubil s-smaa mn Cathy u ltazm ba ma-bqi- y-trrd liha mrra xora.
Questions
1. fin kant Cathy? 2. fin kan mul 3. nu gal mul
1 2 3 4 5 6
t-tumubil? t-tumubil l Cathy?
. .
4. we mat Cathy ma mul
t-tumubil? 5. nu dart Cathy mlli awd tbha mul t-tumubil? 6. nu dar mul t-tumubil mlli dduh
l-bulis?
Text - English Translation
. . .
Cathy coming out of the youth center When Cathy was coming out of the youth center, there was a man in his car by the side of the road. As she passed by him, he told her: Get in gazelle, I will take you home. Cathy said: Go away. Is it okay with you if someone harasses your sister? Cathy kept walking and the man was following her with his car. She crossed the road, ignoring him, and continued on her way. The next day, the same thing happened with that man. The following day Cathy told the man: If you follow me again I will tell the police. In fact, he did follow her again and so she went to the police station. She told them what happened and gave them the license plate number. The police arrested the man and called Cathy. The man apologized to Cathy and promised not to get in her way again.
At the Taxi Stand

Vocabulary
seat tire smooth
blasa rwida
memsua
windshield cracked to be afraid to happen
j-jaja mquqa xaf wq
Expressions
Drive slowly please. Better safe than sorry.

Dialogue
sug b -wiya afak.

llahumma slama wala ndama.
. .
f matta d
t-taxiyat blasa Akka.
l-kurti: blasa Akka, Max: ana l-kurti:
. . . . .
adi l Akka.
tl.
: : : : :
Max: bllati, xllini n-uf t-taksi bda. ma-bit- n-mi f had t-taksi. l-kurti:
la?
Max: r-rwayd mmsuin u j-jaja l-qddamiya mquqa. l-kurti:
. . . . . .
: : : : : .1 .2 .3 .4
ir zid ma-t-xaf-, ma adi y-wq walu. Max: uf liya i taxi mzyan afak. xssk t-tsnna wiya.
Max: l-wqt mai mukil. llahumma slama wala ndama.
l-kurti:
Questions
1. fin kayn Max? 2. fin 3.
adi Max? tlb mn l-kurti?
la ma-ma- f t-taxi l-li af?
4. nu
150 Moroccan Arabic

English Translation
At the taxi stand l-kurti: A seat to Aqqa, a seat to Aqqa. Max: I am going to Aqqa. l-kurti: Get in. Max: Wait. Let me see the taxi first. . . . I dont want to go in this taxi. l-kurti: Why? Max: The tires are smooth and the windshield is cracked. l-kurti: Come on, dont worry. Nothing is going to happen. Max: Find me a good taxi. l-kurti: You have to wait a little bit.
At Work
Vocabulary
Max: Time is not a problem. Better safe than sorry.
to bring in to take out to steal to be stolen

Dialogue
dxxl xrrj srq tsrq
to lock to (something) a lock
dd ma qfl
f l-xdma lomolog: s-salamu alaykum. jiti bkri l-yum. Patrick: wa alaykum s-salam. i wiya. lomolog: a hada? la dxxlti l-bisklit l l-biru. Patrick: ah, adi y-tsrq ila xllitu brra. lomolog: welakin hadi mai blasa d l-bisklit. Patrick: iyeh, welakin a adi n-dir? lomolog: dir qfl l l-bisklit u ddu ma l-bab dyal brra. Patrick: fikra mzyana. ma-fkkrt- fiha.
. . . . . .
: : : : : :
. . .
: : : . . . : :
ndk qfl? Patrick: iyeh, ndi. n-xrrju daba u n-ddu ma l-bab. lomolog: sdd t-lqa ma-t-ll.
lomolog: we
Questions 1. la dxxl Patrick l-bisklit l l-biru?
1 2 3
2. nu gal lomolog l Patrick? 3. nu dar Patrick f t-tali?

English Translation
. .
At work counterpart: Peace be upon you. You came in early today. Patrick: Peace be upon you too. A little bit. counterpart: Whats this? Why did you bring your bicycle into the office? Patrick: Oh. It will be stolen if I leave it outside. counterpart: But this is not the place for bicycles. Patrick: Yes, but what should I do? counterpart: Use a lock with the bicycle, and lock it to the gate. Patrick: Good idea. I didnt think about that. counterpart: Do you have a lock? Patrick: Yes, I have one. Ill take it outside now and lock it to the gate. counterpart: Lock now what you will find later.
Forgetting a Wallet in a Taxi / Filing a Report

Vocabulary
police police station wallet
bulis kumisariya
to lose to forget to save (someone)
wddr
nsa
bztam
tq
Expressions
Help me. I lost my passport. I forgot my wallet in... Wheres the police station? Help me! (use only in extreme danger)
awnni. wddrt l-ppasppor.

nsit l-bztam dyali f... fin l-kumisariya?
... .
tqu r-ru.
152 Moroccan Arabic

Dialogue
Brian: s-salamu bulis: wa
alaykum.
. .
: : : :
alaykum s-salam. Brian: sm li, nsit l-bztam dyali f wad t-taksi.

Brian: smiti Brian ....
bulis: waxxa, nu smitk?

.
: :
bulis: nu kayn f l-bztam? Brian: fih l-ppasppor dyali u wad lakart viza u 500 drhm. bulis: we qlti la n-nmra dyal t-taksi? Brian: 45. bulis: waxxa, xlli liya r-rqm d t-tilifun dyalk, adi n-ttaslu bik mn bd. Brian: ukran. bulis: lla ukran
Questions
500
.
: .
45
. .
: :
ala wajib.
1. fin ma Brian?
la?
. .
1 2
2. we tsrq lih l-bztam?

English Translation
Brian: Peace be upon you. police: Peace be upon you too. Brian: Excuse me, I forgot my wallet in a taxi. police: Okay, whats your name? Brian: My name is Brian ... police: What was in the wallet? Brian: My passport, a Visa card, and 500 dirham. police: Do you remember the taxis number? Brian: 45. police: Okay, leave me your phone number, well call you later. Brian: Thanks. police: Its my duty.
Butagas
Vocabulary
butane gas tank gas CO detector battery gasket (rubber ring) torn hose odor / smell ring
l-buta l-gaz d-ditiktur l-jra j-jlda d l-buta
metal regulator between gas tank and hose
l-magana jrrb sdd
to test to close (tank) to open (tank) to turn on / to make work

( )
ll
xddm bddl ziyr mm
mqtt(a)
t-tiyu r-ria l-xatm
to change to tighten to smell
Expressions
There is a gas smell. Turn on the detector. Test the butagas tank with water and soap. Change the rubber ring if its torn.
Dialogue Fatima nd Caroline
kayna r-ria d l-gaz. xddm d-ditiktur. jrrb l-buta b l-ma u s-sabun. bddl j-jlda d l-buta ila tqtat.
.
Fatima: ahlan bixir. Caroline: bixir l-amdullah, mrba bik. Fatima: ukran. aji mmit r-ria d l-buta. Caroline: ma-mmit-, rah ndi d-ditiktur d l-gaz welakin ma-fih- l-jra. Fatima: xssk t-xddmih dima, had -i mai lb. aji n-ufu j-jlda d l-buta bda. Caroline: waxxa. Fatima: j-jlda mqtta. had -i xatar. xssna n-bddluha u mn bd n-jrrbu b l-ma u s-sabun. Caroline: fikra mzyana.
. . . .
: .
. .
154 Moroccan Arabic

Questions 1. la ma-xddmat- Caroline d-ditiktur d l-gaz? 2. nu l-mukil f l-buta dyal Caroline?
.
1 2 3
. .
3. nu
xss Caroline u Fatima y-diru?
English Translation
Fatima: Hello, how are you? Caroline: Fine, thanks be to God. Welcome. Fatima: Thanks. Come here . . . I smell gas. Caroline: I dont smell it. I have a gas detector but it ran out of batteries. Fatima: You should always have it on. This is no game. Lets look at the rubber gasket ring first. Caroline: Okay. Fatima: You see, the rubber ring is torn. This is dangerous. We have to change it, then test it with water and soap. Caroline: Good idea.
Hash
Vocabulary
hashish quality to smoke
l-i kaliti / nu kma
to use
stml
sticking to / bothering someone
lasq
Dialogue Jalil: aji axay, we kat-qllb l-i?
la
: . . . . . . . . . . : : : : : :
Scott: lla, sir f alk. ana ma-kan-stmlu-. Jalil: aji, rah ndi kaliti zwina mn ktama. Scott: glt lik sir f alk. bd mnni. ana ma-kan-kmi-. Jalil: uf, n-dir mak taman mzyan. Scott: uf nta, ila bqiti lasqni adi n-gulha l l-bulis. ana ma-kan-kmi-. Jalil: l-bulis!
safi lla y-awnk.
Questions
1. ma mn tlaqa Scott? 2. nu ba mnnu Jalil? 3. we ra Scott l-i? 4.
1 2 3 4
. .
la xaf Jalil u ma b alu?

Jalil: Come here (brother), are you looking for hash? Scott: No, go away. I dont use it. Jalil: Come on, its good stuff from Ktama. Scott: I said go away. I dont smoke. Jalil: Look, Ill give you a good price. Scott: You look, if you keep bothering me Ill call the police. I dont smoke. Jalil: Police! Okay, may God help you.
English Translation
Theft
Vocabulary
theft danger dangerous

make a statement / file a report
s-srqa
thief to touch to forgive he attacked me he snatched my... he slapped me he hit me he spit on me he grabbed me from... he cursed me he stole my... he insulted me to call (the police) court
ffar / srraq qas sm l... tdda

...
xatar xatir
sjjl dwa stida ahd ahada l-bulis l-inspiktur
liya
...
summons witness testimony police police inspector police car report law human rights lawyer
medical certificate / report
xtf liya... srfqni drbni

dfl
liya
...
ddni mn... sbbni srq liya...
fargunit
rappur l-qanun
...
ayrni iyt l
mkama
uquq l-'insan
muami ahada tibbiya
156 Moroccan Arabic

Expressions
Wheres the closest police / gendarme station, please. I want to make a statement about a theft / an attack / sexual harassment. What police station should I go to? Take me to the closest police station, please. Be careful! Pay attention. Come with me to the police.
Dialogue
fin 'aqrab kumisariya / brigad d j-jundarm, afak? bit n-bll la s-srqa / itida' / tarru jinsi. lamn kumisariya n-mi?
/ /
xssni
. ! . .
ddini l 'aqrab kumisariya, afak.
di rask!
rdd balk. zid maya l l-bulis.
John: s-salamu bulis: wa
alaykum.
. .
: : : : . : : :
alaykum s-salam. nu xssk? John: bit n-bll la i srqa.

John: iyeh.
bulis: we lik nta?
bulis: waxxa, John: bulis:
tini l-ppaspor dyalk.

.
ndi ir la-kart d sejur, hak. tta hiya mzyana. nu srq lik? u s-sak?
fuqa? John: sak, f 3:00. bulis: kif dar srq lik John:
.3:00 . . .
: : : : : : :
xtfu liya mn ktfi.
wsfu liya. John: twil u labs djin u t-urt mr. bulis: nu kayn f had s-sak b d-dbt? John: ndi fih tilifun u futa u ktab u musjjala sira (walkman) u 200
bulis: kif dayr had -ffar? drhm. bulis: waxxa, a sidi. adi n-diru l-bt dyalna u n-taslu bik mn bd. John: safi, we n-mi? bulis: lla, tsnna tta t-axud mak nsxa mn r-rappur. John: waxxa ukran. bulis: hak, daba n-taslu bik. di rask mrra xura.
200 (
. .
) : :
. . . .
: : :
English Translation
John: Peace be upon you. police officer: Peace be upon you too. Can I help you? John: I want to report a theft. police officer: Are you the victim? John: Yes. police officer: Okay, your passport, please. John: I have only my carte de sejour. Here you are. police officer: Thats okay. What was stolen from you and when? John: A bag at 3:00. police officer: How was it stolen? John: A man snatched it from my shoulder. police officer: Can you describe the thief? John: Hes tall, wearing jeans and a red T-shirt. police officer: What exactly did you have in the bag? John: A cell phone, a towel, a book, a walkman, and 200 dirham. police officer: Okay, sir, well do our investigation and well get in touch with you later. John: Thats it? Can I leave? police officer: Wait a minute, youve got to take a photocopy of the report. John: Okay, thanks. police officer: Here you are. Well get in touch with you. Be careful in the future.
House Security / Doors and Windows

Vocabulary
lock welder latch / bolt
qfl sudur / ddad s-saqta

/
sliding metal bolt for locking doors
z-zkrum barrat d-drogri
iron bars hardware store
158 Moroccan Arabic

Dialogue
Jamal: s-salamu
alaykum.
. .
: : :
Carlos: wa alaykum s-salam. mrba bik. Jamal: a kat-dir f Carlos: walu,
d-dar?
ir gals.
. . . . . .
: : : :
Jamal: yallah n-xrju. Carlos: waxxa. Jamal: nu hada? had l-qfl iyan. xssk wad si. u xssk saqta ba t-sdd ldaxl. Carlos: fikra mzyana. mnin adi n-rihum? Jamal: mn d-drugri wlla mn s-suq dda. u tta had s-srjm xssu barrat dyal l-did ba thnna. aji n-miu nd s-sudur n-sawbu had s-srjm daba. xssk ir t-dd l-bar dyalu. Carlos: hadi fikra mutabara. Jamal: iyeh, llahumma slama wala ndama.
Questions
.
. .
: :
. . .
: :
1. nu kan Carlos kay-dir? 2. nu l-mukil dyal Carlos?
xss Carlos ydir? 4. mnin adi y-ri l-qfl u s-saqta? 5. nd mn adi y-sawb l-barrat?
3. nu
English Translation
1 .2 .3 .4 .5
Jamal: Carlos: Jamal: Carlos: Jamal: Carlos: Jamal:
Peace be upon you. And peace be upon you too. Welcome. What are you doing at home? Nothing, just sitting around. Lets go out. Okay. What is this? This lock is not strong. You need a strong one. You also need a sliding metal bolt in order to lock the door from the inside. Carlos: Good idea. Where can I get these from? Jamal: From the hardware store or from souk tomorrow. Also this window needs iron bars for you to feel safe. Lets go to the welders to fix this window now. You need to measure it. Carlos: Excellent idea.
Political Harassment
Vocabulary
Jamal: Its better to be safe than sorry.
to end war citizen normal freedom democracy subject

Dialogue
wqf l-rb
population, people for against to convince killing to kill
-b ma
muwatin adi
l-uriya d-dimuqratiya
dedd
qn l-qtila qtl
mudu
kan John gals f l-qhwa kay-qra "Newsweek" u kanu n-nas kay-tfrrju f "Al-Jazira." wad mn n-nas gal l John:
" :
" ". "
muwatin: hdr ma Bush y-wqqf had l-rb. John: ana ir muwatin adi mn mirikan. xdmti hiya n-awn n-nas f l-mrib. had -i l-li kan-rf. safi. muwatin: welakin kat-gulu ndkum l-uriya u d-dimuqratiya. John: had -i bss welakin ana ir mirikani adi mn -b. muwatin: kulkum bal bal, kat-biu l-rb. f mirikan ktr mn 50% d n-nas ma l-rb. tta nta mnhum.
John: lla. ana ma 50% xora l-li dedd l-rb. muwatin: kifa adi n-rfu? John: kifa adi n-qnk? muwatin: ma-n-rf welakin mirikan xssha t-wqqf l-qtila dyal n-nas. John: mttafq mak. bqat wad l-mjmua d n-nas f l-qhwa kay-tkllmu la had l-mudu u kay-ufu f John. John xlls qhwtu u ma f alu.
.
. . . .
: . .
: %
50
. . : : : : .
50
160 Moroccan Arabic

Questions
1. fin kan John? 2. nu kan kay-dir? 3. nu kanu n-nas kay-diru? 4. nu hiya l-xdma dyal John f l-mrib? 5. we mirikan kulha ma l-rb? 6. we John ma wlla
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
. . .
. . .
ddd l-rb?
7. nu dar John f t-tali?

English Translation
John was sitting in a caf reading Newsweek. Some people there were watching Al-Jazeera. One of the men at the caf said to John: Moroccan citizen: Talk to Bush about stopping this war. John: Im just a normal citizen from America. My job is to help people in Morocco. Thats all I know. Moroccan citizen: But in America you say you have freedom and democracy. John: Thats true, but I am just a normal American. Moroccan citizen: You are all the same. You all like war. In America more than 50% of the people are for the war. You are one of them. John: No, I am with the other Americans against the war. Moroccan citizen: How are we going to know? John: How can I convince you? Moroccan citizen: I dont know but America must stop killing people. John: I agree. A group of people in the caf kept talking about the subject of the war. They were looking at John. John paid for his coffee and left.
Pronunciation of Moroccan Arabic .................................................................................................... 162 Supplementary Grammar Lessons..................................................................................................... 166 More Useful Expressions....................................................................................................................176 Moroccan Holidays.............................................................................................................................178 Glossary of Verbs............................................................................................................................... 182
Appendices
162 Moroccan Arabic
Pronunciation of Moroccan Arabic

made in general. Then we can use this knowledge in order to work on Arabic sounds.
Fricatives and Stops
Despite what you may think at first, it is indeed possible for you to learn how to pronounce the sounds of Moroccan Arabic. Learning to pronounce Arabic sounds correctly entails two things: first, becoming aware of how to make the different sounds and, second, practicing with a native speaker. This chapter will help you with the first task.
Understanding How Sounds Are Made Before we move directly into how to pronounce Arabic sounds, lets first understand how sounds are
Make the /s/ sound. Notice how air is being forced through the space between your tongue and the gum ridge in your mouth. When a sound is produced like this, by forcing air between some small opening, that sound is called a fricative. Make the /f/ sound. This sound is also a fricative, because in order to make it we must force air between our teeth and our bottom lip. Some sounds in English that are fricatives are: /s/, /z/, /sh/, /th/, /f/, /v/, and others. Now make the /t/ sound. Here, we are not forcing air through a small opening at a constant pressure, but rather we completely block the air flow for a moment, and then release the air stream in one big burst. A sound that is produced by blocking the air flow, and then releasing it, is called a stop. Make the /k/ sound. This is another stop because again, you will notice how we build up a lot of pressure with air, and then release it. Some stops in English are: /t/, /k/, /g/, /b/, /p/, and others. We can also categorize consonant sounds according to whether we use our voice box or not. Make the /s/ sound. While making the sound, hold your hand over your throat. Now make the /z/ sound, still holding your hand to your throat. Youll notice that with /s/, we dont use our voice box, but with /z/, our voice box vibrates. Sounds like /s/ are called voiceless, since we dont use our voice box. Sounds like /z/ are called voiced, since our voice box vibrates. Make the sound /t/. Is it voiceless or voiced? Now make the sound /d/. Voiceless or voiced? Lets look now at some of the difficult Arabic sounds, using what we know about sounds in general.
Voiced and Voiceless Sounds
Pronunciation of Non-English Consonants

The Sound q ( )
The q sound is similar to the k sound. Both are voiceless stops that are made by releasing air forcefully after completely blocking the air flow momentarily. The only difference is where in the throat the speaker blocks the air flow. The q sound will be made further back in the throat than the k sound. Try the following exercise. First, take a minute to become more familiar with your throat muscles. Open your mouth and say aah, as if you were at the doctors office. Your tongue should be flat in your mouth. Without raising your tongue, pull it back so that the base of your tongue closes off air by pulling back against the throat. At this point, you should not be able to breathe through your mouth, although it is wide open. Practice doing this first without making a sound. After performing this exercise several times, make a sound by releasing the air forcefully. The result will be the sound q.
The Sound x ( )
The sound x is a voiceless fricative formed around the same place as the sound q. It is found in many European languages: the Russian x, the Scottish pronunciation of loch, and the German ch as
The /t/ sound is voiceless and the /d/ sound is voiced. Both are stops.
pronounced after a back vowel as in Bach. Some people use this sound to say yech! To pronounce x, make the sound q and pay attention to where the back of your tongue hits the back of the roof of your mouth and blocks your windpipe. Instead of closing off the windpipe with the back of your tongue completely, block it part way, and you will produce this sound. The Sound ( ) The sound is the same sound as the sound x, except it is voiced. In other words, if you can make the sound x, all you need to do is vibrate your voice box at the same time, and you will produce . Think of the correspondence between the sounds k (kite) and g (game): k is voiceless and g is voiced. Pronounce k and g several times, paying attention to how your voice changes when you say g. Now say x several times, and then voice it. The result is . Alternatively, you may think of as similar to the sound you make when gargling. Gargle for a minute and pay attention to the muscles you use. The sound is pronounced using these same muscles in similar fashion. The sound s is the emphatic counterpart of the sound s. Pronounce the sound s aloud, and note the position of your tongue. It should be toward the front of the mouth and high, close to the roof. Now, starting at the back of your teeth, move your tongue back along the roof of your mouth. You will find a bony ridge just behind the teeth, before the upward curve of the roof. Put your tongue against this ridge. The rest of your tongue will drop lower inside your mouth. The emphatic or velarized consonants in Arabic are pronounced by placing the tip of your tongue in this spot and dropping the rest of the tongue as low as you can. Thus, the sounds s, d, and t are all made with the tongue in this position. All the emphatic sounds are lower in pitch than their non-emphatic counterparts. They are pronounced with greater muscular tension in the mouth and throat and with a raising of the back and root of the tongue toward the roof of the mouth. You can notice this contraction of the throat easily by prolonging the l in full. One important note about the emphatic sounds: they deepen the sound of surrounding vowels. Pay attention to the sound of all vowels near these emphatic sounds, because the quality of the vowels gives the best indication of the presence of emphatic consonants. One important example is tini, give me in Moroccan Arabic. Most trainees will hear the word and think it is pronounced tayni, with the middle vowel sound ay instead of i. This is because the emphatic sound t affects the way the i sounds, making it sound (to the English speakers ear) like an ay. It is, in fact, an i however.
The Emphatic Sounds s ( ), d ( ), and t ( )
The Sound ( )
The sound is a voiceless fricative pronounced deep in the throat. It has no equivalent in English. In order to practice this sound, first take a few minutes to become better acquainted with some of your throat muscles that you use often, but not to speak English. The following exercises are designed to make you aware of what these muscles can already do, so that you can use them to speak Arabic. Practice them for a few minutes every day, as often as you can. 1. With your mouth closed, block off your windpipe at your throat. Put your hand on your throat at the Adams apple and constrict the muscles on the inside. You should be able to feel the muscles contracting. Alternately tighten and relax them for a few minutes. 2. Repeat this with your mouth open. Try to breathe out through your mouthif you can, you are not closing off the windpipe entirely. 3. Constrict those same muscles so that air can just barely squeeze through your throat. Imitate someone fogging a pair of glasses to clean them. The sound of the air coming through your constricted throat muscles is . By now, you should be aware of what your throat muscles are doing. 4. Bend your head down so that your chin rests on the top of your chest, and repeat exercise 3. This position should make it easier for you to feel what you are doing.
164 Moroccan Arabic

Pronouncing takes practice, first to pronounce the letter alone, and then to pronounce it surrounded by other letters in a word. You must learn to pronounce it properly to be understood, and at first, this will take some concentration on your part. However, the more you practice now, the sooner you will be able to say it easily. The Sound ) ( We now come to one of the most distinctive sounds in Arabic: . When pronounced correctly, has its own unique beauty and can be a very expressive sound. It is not as difficult to pronounce as one may first think, but you need to exercise your throat muscles, the same ones that you use to pronounce . You should continually be doing the exercises you learned above for , in which you constricted your throat muscles as if you were blocking off the air passage from the inside. You can feel this by putting your hand on your throat. Say , and feel the muscles contract. Now pronounce the same sound and voice it. That is, say the say sound while vibrating your voice box, changing the breathy sound of into the deep, throaty sound of . The sounds and are only different because is voiceless and is voiced. Some trainees think that sounds like a vowel, but it is not a vowel. Because we constrict our throat muscles and force air through the passageway, the sound is a fricative. Vowels do not force air through a partially blocked passageway, and thus cannot be fricatives. The sound r in Arabic is not the same as the English r. It is not difficult, like some of the other sounds above may seem at first. But because it is new, we include here a short description of it. The sound is a flap, like the Spanish or Italian r. You already know how to make this sound: it is the sound American English speakers make saying as in . Say several times in a row very quickly and pay attention to what your tongue is doing. You should feel it flapping against the roof of your mouth behind your teeth. Now pronounce the sound alone. Another good exercise is to practice making a whirring sound: . Do these exercises daily until you have mastered this sound.
gotta gotta go gotta rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
The Arabic r ( )
In Arabic, a shedda is a pronounced stress upon a letter in a word. In transcription, this stress is indicated by a doubling of a consonant (see page 3). When there is shedda, it indicates that the consonant is to be held twice as long as a normal consonant. That is, it should be pronounced for twice the length of time. This is easy with fluid sounds like z or r. With sounds like b or d, however, you must begin to say them and pause in the middle of pronouncing them for a second. This may take some practice at first. In English, this doubling of a consonant sound never occurs in the middle of words, but is very common from the end of one word to the beginning of another. Compare the difference between the single d in lay down and the double dd in laid down. Noticing the difference between the single d and double dd in this example will give you some idea of how a shedda affects pronunciation. It cannot be stressed enough that shedda affects not only the pronunciation of a word, but also its meaning, especially for verbs. Recognizing when shedda is used and learning to pronounce it correctly yourself is an important task in your study of Moroccan Arabic.
Pronunciation of Shedda
are a and an. In English, the definite article speaks about something specific: the (you know which dog Im speaking about). The indefinite articles talk about something nonspecific: a (you dont know the dog Im speaking about). In Arabic, the definite article is not always used exactly as in English. When written in Arabic script, it is composed of two letters, al ( ), attached to the beginning of a noun or an adjective. Here is the Arabic script for the book:
I washed dog today I saw dog today
The Definite Article In English, the definite article is the word the. It is different from the indefinite articles, which
the definite article
These two letters are always written in Arabic script for a definite article, but they are not always pronounced. In Moroccan Arabic, the first letter, a ( ), is never pronounced. Two possibilities exist, therefore, for pronouncing the definite article. Sometimes, the second letter, l ( ), is pronounced. Other times, instead of pronouncing the l ( ), the first letter of the word is doubled with a shedda. Whether the definite article is pronounced with l or by doubling the first letter with shedda is determined by which letter is the first letter of the word. Lets look at these two different possibilities. In the first possibility, the Arabic definite article is pronounced with an l ( ) at the beginning of a word. All words that begin with the following letters follow this rule:
i/y u/w h m k q f
The Moon Letters
These letters are called moon letters, because the Arabic word for moon, qamar, begins with one of the letters in the group. Notice in the following examples that the definite article is pronounced by adding an l to the word:
a book the book a boy the boy ktab l-ktab wld l-wld a girl the girl a moon the moon bnt l-bnt qamar l-qamar
The Sun Letters
In the second possibility, the Arabic definite article is pronounced by doubling the first letter of a word with a shedda. All words that begin with the following letters follow this rule:
n l
These letters are known as sun letters, because the Arabic word for sun, ms, begins with one of the letters in the group. Notice in the following examples that the definite article is pronounced by doubling the first letter of the word by using shedda.
a house the house a man the man
dar d-dar
rajl r-rajl
a street the street a sun the sun
znqa z-znqa ms -ms
166 Moroccan Arabic
Supplementary Grammar Lessons

Intransitive verbs are verbs that do not require a direct object such as:
to come in to go out to laugh to fall dxl xrj to be afraid to drink to understand to go up to go down
These are lessons you can work on by yourself or with your tutor once you arrive at your site. It is unlikely you will be able to complete them during stage, unless you already have some experience with Arabic.
Making Intransitive Verbs into Transitive Verbs
xaf rb fhm
dk ta
tl hbt
All these verbs are trilateral (i.e. they are made up of three letters) and they can be made transitive by doubling their middle consonant (i.e. putting a shedda on it). The new transitive verb normally has the meaning to make someone do something. Look at how the meaning changes when the intransitive verb dk to laugh is changed into a transitive verb:
You are laughing / you laugh. You make me laugh. kat-dk. kat-dkni.
. .
Here is a list of verbs commonly used in their transitive form:

to make (someone or something) enter / to bring in to make (someone or something) exit / to take out to make (so/sth) laugh to drop / to throw down (i.e. to make something fall) to frighten (i.e. to make someone afraid) to water (i.e. to make something drink) to make (someone) understand / to explain to make go up / to promote / to take up to bring down / to demote dxxl xrrj
dk tiy
xuwf rrb fhhm
tll hbbt
Some examples:
I brought in a dog to the house but my father took it out. The clown makes small kids laugh. Take this table out of here, please. dxxlt wad l-klb l welakin bba xrrju.
d-dar
. . .
l-klun kay-dk d-drari s-sar. xrrj afak had t-tbla mn hna.
Passive Verbs
to write to be written (masc.) to be written (fem.) to be written (plur.) to understand to be understood (masc.) to be understood (fem.) to be understood (plur.) to buy to be bought (masc.) to be bought (fem.) to be bought (plur.) to steal to be stolen (masc.) to be stolen (fem.) to be stolen (plur.)
Transitive verbs can be made passive by adding t ( ) to them, as shown below:

ktb tktb tktbat tktbu fhm tfhm tfhmat tfhmu ra tra trat trau srq tsrq tsrqat tsrqu
Some examples:
Ali ate pizza. The pizza was eaten. The teacher wrote the lesson. The lesson was written. The students understood the riddle. The riddle was understood.
li kla l-pitza.
tklat l-pitza. l-ustad ktb d-drs. d-drs tktb. t-tlamd fhmu l-luz. l-luz tfhm.
. .
. .
168 Moroccan Arabic

Laila bought some clothes. Some clothes were bought. layla rat l-wayj. l-wayj trau.
. .
Exercise: Put the sentences below in the passive form.

1.
lssq t-tswira f l-it. sbnat Jamila l-wayj.
.
. . . . . . . . . .
.1
.
2. bau l-fllaa l-msul dyalhum. 3.
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
. . . . . . .
4. hrrs Peter l-kisan. 5. smma Aziz bntu Ibtisam. 6. smt
s-sda l-bar. sbha b l-mus. d-dar.
7. jlat Lupe l-purtabl. 8. jrat Jill 9.
tat Aicha l-kadu l Malika.
10. kra i wad had
10
The Past Progressive
The Moroccan Arabic equivalent for the English past progressive (was doing, were doing) is the past of kan ( ) to be followed by the present tense. For example:
He was talking. He wasnt talking. You were talking. I wasnt working She was writing. kan kay-tkllm. ma-kan- kay-tkllm. knti kat-tkllm. ma-knt- kan-xdm. kant kat-ktb.
. . . . .
This construction can also be translated as used to. For example:

I used to sell cars. knt kan-bi
t-tumubilat.
Whether a given occurrence of this construction is to be translated as past progressive or used to depends upon the context.
I used to travel a lot. knt kan-safr bzzaf.
.
mlli knt f s-swira, knt When I was in Essaouira, I used kan-akul l-ut kul to eat fish every day. nhar. knt kan-tfrrj f I was watching TV when t-tlfaza mlli dqq i someone knocked at the door. wad f l-bab. knt kan-xdm f had I used to work in this school. l-mdrasa.
. .
I used to run every morning.
knt kan-jri kul sba. knt kan-kmi bzzaf, I used to smoke a lot but I quit welakin ma-bqit- smoking (dont smoke anymore). kan-kmi.
. .

mlli ana (kan / qra) f j-jamia f mirikan, (kan / skn) ma wad l-a'ila mirikaniya. l-a'ila ma mn (kan / skn), ndha juj d l-bnat (kan / qra) maya f j-jamia. wda mnhum (kan / tllm) l-rbiya l-fusa, u ana (kan / raj )maha d-durus dyalha. l-ustad l-li (kan / qrra) l-rbiya l-fusa f dik j-jamia smitu d-duktur Jawad. huwa msri welakin dar jinsiya mirikaniya.
( ( . /
/ ( )
) / ) . (
( . ( / ) ( /
/ / ) .
) )
below) when it corresponds to the English kept doing something. Some examples:
She kept waiting for them. He kept on searching in the well until he got tired. He kept going (habitually). He kept going (continued on his way, on one occasion). bqat kat-tsnnahum.
The Verb to remain The verb ( ) to remain is followed by the present tense or by the active participle (see section
bqa
. . . .
tta ya.
bqa kay-qllb f l-bir bqa kay-mi. bqa mai.
When negated, bqa ( ) in verb phrases is equivalent to no longer, not anymore, with either past or present meaning. For example:
He didnt (doesnt) laugh at them ma-bqa- kay-dk anymore.
lihum.
The active participle baqi preceding the present tense is equivalent to the English still.
Verb Participles Verb participles are adjectives derived from verbs.

The Active Participle
Verb Stem to write to open ktb
Hes still working with us.
huwa baqi kay-xdm mana.
They agree in gender and number, like all adjectives, but not in person (I, you, he) or tense (past, present). Transitive verbs have two participles, an active and a passive participle. Intransitive verbs have only an active participle.
Active Participle having written having opened katb(a)
()
( )
ll
all(a)
170 Moroccan Arabic

to sell to buy ba ra having sold having bought bay(a) ari(a)
() ()
Some examples:
He had written he lessons. She had sold her house. kan katb d-durus dyalu. kant baya
. . . . . .
d-dar dyalha.
I found him standing at the door. lqitu waqf f l-bab. He is wearing a new shirt today. I saw her wearing a green coat. Everyday I see him walking on this street. huwa labs qamija jdida. ftha labsa
kbbut xdr.
kul nhar kan-ufu mai f had z-znqa.
For a small group of verbs, the active participle must be used in order to express a current (i.e. progressive) activity. For these verbs, the present tense expresses only a habitual activity
Verb Stem to sit / stay to wear to sleep to leave / exit to enter to return to stand to travel to rent to regret to be quiet to be afraid to spend the night gls lbs ns xrj dxl rj wqf safr kra ndm skt xaf bat sitting wearing sleeping leaving entering returning standing traveling renting regretting being quiet being afraid spending the night Active Participle gals labs nas xarj daxl raj waqf msafr kari nadm sakt xayf bayt
Some examples:
He wears a green shirt every present tense) day. (habitual He is wearing a green shirt. (now participle)
kay-lbs qamija nhar.
xdra kul xdra.
. .
huwa labs qamija
She goes to sleep at 10:00. present tense) (habitual She is sleeping. (now participle)
kat-ns f 10:00. hiya nasa.
.10:00 .
Passive Participle
Passive Participle
Verb Stem to write to open to sell to buy to make (manufacture) ktb (having been) written (having been) opened (having been) sold (having been) bought (having been) made / manufactured
mktub(a) mlul(a) mbiu(a) mri(a)
() () () () ()
ll
ba ra
sn
msnu(a)
Some examples:
This tray is made of silver. These boxes have something written on them. This letter is written; I need only a stamp to send it. Go to my room, the door is open. had s-siniya msnua mn l-fdda. had snadq mktub lihum i l-aja.
. . . .
ir t-tanbr ba n-siftha.
sir l l-bit dyali rah l-bab mlul.
had l-bra mktuba, xssni
Intransitive Verbs with Only One Participle
Verb Stem to garnish to cover to travel to rest to go flat to hide
Participle having garnished having been garnished having covered having been covered having traveled having been traveled having rested having been rested having gone flat having been gone flat having hidden having been hidden
xddr
mxddr(a)
mtti(a) msafr(a) mrta(a) mfu(a) mxbbi(a)
() () () () () ()
tta
safr rta tf xbba
Some examples:
172 Moroccan Arabic

She is traveling now because she is on vacation. Im relaxed since I finished my work. The tajine is garnished with prunes and almonds. He is covered with a blanket because he is cold. She was hidden behind the door. hiya msafra daba ndha utla.
it
. . . . .
ana mrta mlli kmmlt l-xdma dyali.
t-tajin mxddr b l-brquq u l-luz.

huwa mtti b l-kaa jah l-brd.
it
kant mxbbya mur l-bab.
Exercise: In the sentences below, supply the proper form of the participle of the verb written in parentheses.
1. Aicha (safr) l fransa. 2. kant Sara (ll) l-bab. 3. d-dar dyal
. . ( . .( .( ) .( ) ( . . . ( . . ( ) ) ( ) ( ) ( ( ( ) ) ) ) ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ) .1 .2 .3 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8 .9 .10 .11 .12 .13 .14
sn (ba)
4. kant Layla (ma) s-suq. 5. la xlliti s-srjm (ll). 6. l-bar mlli jit kant xti (ns). 7. l-qamija dyali (wssx). 8. we (sdd) l-bab dyal l-kuzina? 9. kant Suad (ab) l-bar. 10. tiybt d-djaj (mmr) b l-luz. 11. had l-kas (sn )f fransa. 12. we kant Erika (gls) f d-dar? 13. had l-ktab (trjm) mn l-rbiya l n-ngliziya. 14. ana (rf) blli djun (rj) l-mrib.
Conjunctions
either ... or Either send a letter or call me. in order to I am learning Arabic in order to talk to people. if imma ... wlla imma ba kan-tllm l-rbiya ba n-tkllm ma n-nas. we
. ...
sift liya bra wlla iyt liya f t-tilifun.
I want to know if you read this book. when / since
bit n-rf we qriti had l-ktab. mlli / mnin
. / . . . . . . . . . /
When I came to Rabat I took the mlli / mnin jit l r-rbat ddit t-tran. train. I have been sick since I came to mlli jit l r-rbat u ana mrida. Rabat. who / whom / which / that The man who is sitting at that table is my friend. The book that I read is important. until I wont sleep until I finish this book. as soon as As soon as I finished my work I went out. whenever Whenever I am upset I cry. although / even though Although John is not a Muslim he fasts. but I want to help you but I cant. before l-li r-rajl l-li gals f dik t-tbla sabi. l-ktab l-li qrit muhimm.
tta
ma-adi- n-ns tta n-kmml had l-ktab.
ir ir kmmlt l-xdma dyali u

xrjt. wqt mma wqt mma tqllqt kan-bki. waxxa waxxa John mai muslim kay-sum. welakin bit n-awnk welakin ma-qddit-. qbl ma
This conjunction requires the present tense without the prefix ka ( ), even if the past is referred to.
I always read before I sleep. after dima kan-qra qbl ma n-ns. bd ma
In sentences having this conjunction, the verb of the subsequent phrase has to be in the same tense as the first one.
After I went home, I showered. that bd ma mit l d-dar, duwt. blli
174 Moroccan Arabic

I knew that you werent there. since / when / because Since you had a lot of work, why did you go to the cinema? When I was in Marrakech I went to the Menara. I went to the doctor because I was sick. because He didnt go to school because he didnt wake up early. without They talked without thinking. wherever Wherever there is water there is life. then I ate then slept.
rft blli ma-knti-. it it ndk l-xdma bzzaf la miti l s-sinima? it knt f Marrakech mit l l-Menara.
mit l mrid.
. .
t-tbib it knt
laqqa
ma-ma- l l-mdrasa laqqa ma-faq- bkri. bla ma
. . . .
hdru bla ma y-fkru.

fin mma fin mma kayn l-ma, kayna l-ayat.
ad
klit
ad nst.
Exercise: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate conjunction from the list.
ba
it
mlli
laqqa ad
tta blli
we bla ma l-li welakin qbl
1. ma-adi- n-safr ____ t-ji. 2. xssk t-rfi ____
. ____
. . . . . . . . ____ . ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
.1
.2 .3 .4 .5 .7 .8 .9 .10 ____ .6
tta i aja masiba.
3. bit n-duw ____ n-rta. 4. bau y-rfu ____ kayna i mdrasa hna. 5. d-dwa ____ stmlt mzyan. 6. ____ kant mrida mat l nd t-tbib. 7. bat t-ufu ____ ma-ndha- l-wqt. 8. fkkr ____ jawb. 9. l-mdina ____ knt sakn fiha kbira. 10. ktbt bra ____ nst.
11. kay-akul ____ y-sl yddih ____ kay-akul b l-frita. 12. ma-safrat- ____ ma-ndha- l-flus.
____ .
____ . ____
.11 .12
176 Moroccan Arabic

More Useful Expressions
You were given some useful expressions on pages 22 to 24. Here are more expressions, including many God phrases.
God Phrases
May God bless your parents.

(used often when asking for a service / information or to express gratitude to someone)
lla y-rm l-walidin.
. . . . . .
Our parents and yours. (a

response to the above)
walidina u walidik. lla y-afi. lhla y-wrrik bas.
May God cure you. (used to show sympathy toward a sick person) May God not show you any harm. (a response to the above) May God magnify the good deeds. (used to offer condolences for
someones death)
ajarakum llah.
May God make your child a good person. (used to complement a lla y-sl.
parent on his/her child)
May God grant you grace. (used when saying goodbye to a friend or congratulating him/her on a job well done) May God grant you grace.
tbark llah
lik.
. . .
lla y-bark fik. ullah.
I swear to God. (expresses that what you said was true)

Used to express excuse me when someone does something for you, such as: hands you socks or shoes, pours water over your hands to wash them, etc. It is also used when the speaker mentions words like donkey or trash.
aak.
May God grant you pride and honor. (used as a response to the
above)
zzk llah. la slamtk.

lla y-sllmk. lla y-shl.
. . . .
Used on the arrival of somebody after a trip. Response to the above. May God make your life easier.
(said to beggars)
Other Expressions
Would you please help me? If you dont mind.
we ymkn lik t-awnni? ila jat
la xatrk.
It is my pleasure. Youre welcome. God forgives. It is all right. (no harm done) There is no harm. (response to apology) Thats fine. Im going on ... and Ill be back on ... Really ?/! Its shameful. Shame on you. Its none of your business. Hurry up. You are right. I agree with you. Watch out! Move aside. How do we say ... in Arabic? Is there another word? Is there an easy word?
la r-ras u l-in.
la ukran
. . . . . . ... ... !/
la wajib.
lla y-sam. i bas ma kayn. ma fiha bas. d-dnya hanya.
adi n-mi nhar...

u
adi n-rj nhar...
bss ?/! uma uma lik.

mai lk. srbi / dya /
. .
tlq rask.
/ . .
ndk l-qq.
ana mttafq mak.
ndak!
balak. kifa kan-gulu ... b l-rbiya. we kayna i klma xura? we kayna i klma sahla?
! . . ...
178 Moroccan Arabic

Moroccan Holidays
Holidays in Morocco are extremely important and festive occasions. Women and girls have henna parties and come out of their houses to celebrate. Visitors are entertained and gifts are exchanged among friends. Particular religious rites are performed. Special sweets and foods are washed down by glass after glass of mint tea as everyone gets caught up in the socializing and celebrating. There are both religious and civil holidays in Morocco. The Gregorian calendar, based on solar computation, is used for civil purposes. This is the calendar Westerners generally use. The Islamic calendar, based on lunar computation, divides the year into twelve months which reoccur in varying relationship to the Gregorian year and complete their cycle every thirty years of 355 days. These thirty-year cycles consist of nineteen years of 354 days and eleven years of 355 days. Thus, the Islamic calendar gains 10 to 11 days a year on the Gregorian year. This calendar is called the Hegiran calendar because its starting point was the hegira, when Mohamed fled from Mecca in 622 of the Gregorian calendar. This calendar is used for religious purposes in Morocco.
Religious Holidays
Month
1 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th
st
muarram
Transcription Name
Arabic
Festivals
10th of the month: aura 12th of the month: id
l-mulud
safar
rabi l-luwl rabi t-tani jumada l-luwla jumada t-tanya rajab aban
15th of the month: bana 1st of the month: l-id

s-sir
ramadan
uwal du l-qida du l-ijja
10th of the month: l-id
l-kbir
Here are descriptions of the major festivals:
aura
muarram, the first month of the Islamic year, is in Morocco called hr aura , the month of the aura. It has derived this name from the feast on the tenth day of the month. This day, called nhar aura is the Islamic New Years Day. It is said that Allah created Adam and Eve, heaven and hell, and
life and death on the 10th. The month of aura is rich in magical qualities. The ninth and particularly the tenth day are blessed days, and on the latter, many sacred or wonderful events are said to have taken place in the
past. In Morocco, baraka is also generally ascribed to those days. Magic, good, or evil is extensively practiced on the aura day and on the preceding night which is said to favor witches. People gather and many wear masks and costumes and speak in disguised voices on the night before the aura. It is believed that magic practiced at this time of year will produce an effect which lasts for the whole year. Good food has a place in the rejoicing of aura , in accordance with the traditional saying of the Prophet, Who give the plenty to his household on the aura day, God will bestow plenty upon him throughout the remainder of the year. Cow, bullock, goat, sheep, dried dates, and eggs are fixed according to local custom. Visits to the graves of relatives and alms-giving are common at this time. Of great interest are the fire and water rites practiced at aura, to which purificatory and other beneficial effects are ascribed. On aura eve, the bonfire night fires are built throughout the town and the people sing and dance around them. The chief object of the rite is to purify men and animals or to protect them from evil influences, since there is baraka (blessings) from those fires. Similar effects are attributed to the water rites which even more frequently are practiced on the following morning. It is a general belief that there is baraka in all water on this morning. To take a bath on the morning of the aura day is a very wide-spread custom, and in many cases it was expressly said that it must be done before sunrise. Children are traditionally involved in this festival. They dress-up, play small drums, and are given gifts during this holiday. id l-mulud In Morocco, the third month of the Islamic year is called hr l-mulud, the month of the mulud. These names are given because of the feast celebrating the birth of the Prophet which commences on the twelfth day of the month and lasts for several days. The mulud is a particularly blessed month and all children born during it are considered fortunate. The Prophets Birthday has more significance in Morocco because Morocco is a Kingdom rather than a republic, and King Mohamed VI is a descendant of the Prophet. The anniversary is brilliantly celebrated at the Imperial Palace in Rabat and in the evening in Sale a great procession of candles takes place. In Meknes the Aissaoua brotherhood has its own unique celebration worth seeing. Followers of the holy man, l-hadi Ben Aissa throng to Meknes and play music, dance, celebrate and make what is called the small pilgrimage to nearby saints tombs. bana The eighth month of the Moroccan year is called ban. On the fifteenth day a festival known as bana takes place. According to legend, this is the day that Allah registers all the actions of mankind which they are to perform during the year and all the children of men who are to be born and die in the year. Traditionally, barren women gather in homes in the neighborhood and cook a couscous meal with special spices. This meal is eaten by the women and children at home or in the mosque. The barren women in the group hope this will help them to give birth during the upcoming year. bana is also the month before the month of fasting, Ramadan. People think of the difficult month ahead and have a feast. Craftsmen guilds often have parties on this night involving music and feasting.
laylatu l-qadr
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year. The most important feature of Ramadan is the complete abstinence from food, drink and sexual activity from daybreak to sunset. Every Muslim who has reached the age of puberty must fast. Pregnant women, menstruating women, travelers, and those who are ill are exempt from fasting, but should make it up at a later date.
180 Moroccan Arabic

According Islam, there is one night in Ramadan which is more important than any other, namely, the night of power. The Koran is said to have been sent down to the Prophet on that night. This night is one of the last ten nights of Ramadan, but its exact date has not been discovered by anyone but the Prophet himself. Tradition fixes it to be one of the odd nightsthe 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, or 29thand in Morocco it is celebrated on the 27th day. On the night of the 27th, the men go to the mosque to pray. From sundown to daybreak, the imam (the prayer leader) reads the Koran. The complete Koran is read before the sun rises. It is believed by some that the sky will open up during this night and wishes will ascend directly to Allah and be granted. During the night, special meals of couscous are prepared and brought to the mosques. Those unable to go to the mosque eat specially prepared meals at home. Each family gives part of the meal to the poor. l-id s-sir
laylatu l-qadr,
Immediately following Ramadan is l-id s-sir, or the little feast. Everyone stays up very late hoping to hear the announcement that the new moon has been sighted and Ramadan and fasting are over. When it has officially been sighted, a three-day festival ensues in which alms-giving plays a major role. The alms usually consist of food items like wheat or barley, and each family does the best it can. The chief religious rite of the feast is a prayer service at the mosque. l-id l-kbir On the tenth day of the month du l-ijja, the last month of the year, the Islamic world celebrates its yearly sacrificial feast. In Morocco it is known as l-id l-kbir or the great feast. This is the central feast in Islam, comparable to and derived from the feast of the atonement, Abrahams substitute sacrifice, for the remission of sins. Hence, the animal sacrificed must be mature and without blemish. Every family must have its own sheep just as Americans need turkeys for the proper celebration of Thanksgiving. Those who cannot afford a sheep buy a lamb or another less expensive animal. In Morocco, the animal cannot be slain until the King has killed his sheep. Then in each household, the head of the family kills the sheep (sometimes a butcher is asked to come to the house and perform the ritual). The sheep is eaten in an orderly fashion determined by local custom. For example, on the first day, the liver, heart, stomach, and lungs are eaten. On the second day, normally the head and feet are eaten. However, the head and feet can be eaten on the first day if that is the local custom. There are purification and sanctification customs and rites that prepare the people for the holy feast and its principal feature, the sacrifice. People must purify and sanctify themselves in order to benefit from the holy feast and its sacrifice. Personal cleanliness should be observed. Men and boys visit the barber and often make a trip to the hammam as well. Henna is used not merely as a cosmetic, but as a means of protection against evil influences. Women paint their hands with it and, in many cases, also their feet. Among some ethnic groups, henna is also applied to domestic animals. Alms-giving and prayer are two other purification rites practiced during the great feast. Gifts are exchanged between family members and a portion of the meal is given to the poor. The day begins with prayer. The chief praying ceremony takes place in the morning at the mosque. Many Moroccan communities commemorate local saints, or marabous, in a yearly festival or moussem. Most moussems are held near the tomb of the marabou and involve music, dancing and fantasia. For a very famous marabous moussem, people will come from very far away. Some very famous moussems celebrate Moulay Bouchaib (near El Jadida), Moulay Brahim (near Marrakech), Moulay Yaqub (Fes), and Moulay Idriss (Moulay Idriss). Many towns have their own moussems known only to those in the region.
Moussems
In addition to the religious holidays, some important civil holidays commemorating significant events in Moroccos recent history are celebrated. The most important of these are Independence Day, the Throne feast, Green March Day, and King Mohameds birthday. The Festival of the Throne, or id l-r, is the biggest of the civil holidays. This festival commemorates the coming to power of the King on July 30, 1999. Celebrations including parades with nationalistic anthems, usually occur in the cities with local government officials, like the governor, making appearances. Traditionally during this holiday, country people come to visit their city relatives, who are expected to feed and house them for the duration of the festival. There is often a special emphasis on improving the appearance of the town prior to this holiday. City employees clean streets and paint walls, and townspeople are sometimes required by government officials to paint their doors, whitewash their houses, and display flags. Green March Day is also celebrated by large parades in most of Morocco. This day commemorates one of the greatest achievements of King Hassan II: the mobilization of 350,000 Moroccans for the march into the Sahara territory. On November 6, 1975, the first Moroccan marchers, under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Ahmed Osman, set out from Tarfaya and entered the Spanish territory. During the celebration, those who went on the actual march once again dress up in green and re-enact the march. Independence Day, or id l-istiqlal, commemorates the November 18, 1956 return of Mohamed V from his French-imposed exile in Madagascar. This day gives rise to receptions at the Imperial Palace and parades and celebrations all over Morocco. The last of these major national holidays celebrates the Kings Birthday, August 21, 1962. There are many organized celebrations in Rabat and broadcasts on the radio praising the King. There are also many regional festivals which are centered around a particular product in which a region specializes. The product is displayed and sold; music and other activities take place in an atmosphere similar to a country fair. Some famous regional festivals are the Cherry Festival in Sefrou, the Date Festival in Erfoud, the Rose Festival in El-Kelaa MGouna (near Ouarzazate), the Marrakech Folklore and Music Festival, and the Immouzer Honey Festival (near Agadir). One of the most interesting festivals in Morocco is the re-enactment of an ancient market in the High Atlas mountains. At one time, these very isolated High Atlas tribes would gather yearly at a specific point near Imilchil where many mountain paths met for the yearly market. Provisions for many months were bought and sold and at one time one of the reasons for coming was to acquire a bride. Men would meet a girl for the first time and pay her dowry then take her home. Some say this practice still exists and others say it is just a re-enactment for tourists, but in any case, it is a large market where many Berbers still buy many of the coming years provisions. Religious, civil, and regional festivals are an excellent chance to get out and see interesting things, meet people on an informal basis, and have fun. Dates of these celebrations can be obtained from the national tourist office branches in many cities, but people in your community will usually provide you with the information about your region. It should be noted that the same festival may be celebrated somewhat differently in various sections of the country. For example, in Errachidia Province, a far greater emphasis is put on Green March Day than in other sections of Morocco because that province provided the first contingent for the march. Be sure to check out the expectations of your community for a particular holiday, particularly in terms of visitation, entertaining, gift-giving, and participation, so you can get as involved as possible and enjoy the holidays.
Regional Festivals
National Holidays
182 Moroccan Arabic

Glossary of Verbs
This glossary provides both the present tense and past tense conjugations for the subject I, making it possible for you to determine how to conjugate irregular verbs.
English absent, to be able, to be absorb abort (a fetus) accept accomplish accuse accustom Transcription Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-ib kan-qdr kan-rb kan-sqqt kan-qbl kan-qqeq kan-ttahm kan-tuwd kan-wllf kan-wj kan-drr kan-tarf kan-tarf kan-trrf kan-zid kan-tbnna kan-tqddm kan-ns kan-attr First Person Past Tense
ab
qdr rb
bt
qdrt rbt
sqqt
qbl
sqqtt
qblt
qqeq
ttahm tuwd wllf wj
qqeqt
ttahmt tuwdt wllft wjt
ache
drr
acknowledge acquaint with, become acquainted with, sth/sb add adopt (a child, an idea) advance advise affect afraid (of), to be age (get old) agree (with) amuse
tarf b
tarf ma trrf ma zad tbnna tqddm
drrit tarft
tarft trrft zdt tbnnit tqddmt
ns attr la
xaf (mn) rf ttafq (ma) nt
nst
attrt xft rft ttafqt ntt
( ) ( )
kan-xaf kan-rf kan-ttafq kan-nt kan-dk kan-llel kan-tqllq kan-sdd kan-jawb kan-ban kan-sffq
analyze angry, to be annoy answer appear applaud
dk llel
tqllq
dkt llelt
tqllqt
sdd
jawb ban
sddt
jawbt bnt
sffq
sffqt
English apply (a rule, an idea) apply for (a job) appoint approach argue (with) arrange arrest sb
Transcription
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-tbbq kan-qddm kan-iyn kan-qrrb
First Person Past Tense
tbbq qddm talab iyn

qrrb mn
tbbqt
qddmt
iynt
qrrbt
txasm (ma)
rttb dd
( )
kan-txasm kan-rttb kan-dd kan-bs kan-qbt kan-wsl kan-wssl kan-tl kan-suwl kan-xtb kan-rkkb kan-hjm kan-awl kan-dr kan-rdd l-bal kan-di rasi kan-tjnnb kan-tflla kan-tttr kan-nb kan-sl kan-tmmem kan-kun kan-tbbl kan-lb kan-wlli kan-wllf kan-tsab kan-rb kan-tlb
txasmt
rttbt ddit
arrive arrive, to make ascend ask ask (in marriage) assemble (parts) attack attempt attend attention, pay
bs qbt la wsl wssl tl

suwl
bst qbtt wslt wsslt tlt

suwlt
xtb
rkkb hjm
xtbt
rkkbt hjmt
la
awl dr f
rdd l-bal
awlt drt
rddit l-bal
da rasu
avoid banter bargain bark bathe tjnnb tflla tttr nb
dit rasi
tjnnbt tfllit tttrt nbt
sl tmmem
kan
slt tmmemt
knt
be beat (drum) beat sb (in a game) become become accustomed befriend beg
tbbl lb
wlla wllf
tbblt lbt
wllit wllft
tsab ma rb tlb
tsabt rbt tlbt
184 Moroccan Arabic

English begin belch/burp believe sb believe (in) benefit (from) betray bigger, to make birth, to give bite blow up (with air) blow up (explode) boil born, to be borrow bow break broken, to be break down (machine) breathe bring brush (hair) build burn burnt, to be burst (pipe) bury buy call call on the phone Transcription bda tgrr tiyq amn (b) stafd (mn) xan kbbr wld Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-bda kan-tgrr kan-tiyq First Person Past Tense bdit tgrrt tiyqt amnt stafdt xnt kbbrt wldt
( ) ( )
kan-amn kan-stafd kan-xun kan-kbbr kan-wld kan-dd kan-nfx kan-frg kan-lli kan-tzad kan-tsllf kan-dr kan-hrrs kan-thrrs kan-txssr kan-tnffs kan-jib kan-mt kan-bni kan-rq kan-trq kan-tfrg kan-dfn kan-ri
dd
nfx frg
ddit
nfxt frgt
lla
tzad tsllf
llit
tzadt tsllft
dr
hrrs thrrs txssr tnffs jab mt bna
drt
hrrst thrrst txssrt tnffst jbt mtt bnit
rq trq tfrg
dfn ra
rqt trqt tfrgt

dfnt rit
iyt l/la drb t

tilifun iyt l thnna qdr xiym
kan-iyt kan-drb kan-iyt kan-thnna kan-qdr kan-xiym
iytt drbt iytt

thnnit qdrt xiymt
calm, to be (to not worry) can camp
English capture care of, to take carry carve (wood) cash catch
Transcription
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-qbt kan-thla kan-hzz kan-nq kan-srrf kan-dd kan-qbt kan-xlt kan-lq kan-sbbeb kan-tsbbeb kan-tafl kan-raqb kan-bddl kan-srrf kan-tbddl kan-tkllf kan- kan-nql kan-mt kan-md kan-xtar kan-mxd kan-sffq kan-r kan-wdd kan-nqqi kan-srr kan-tl kan-xnq kan-sdd kan-mmd kan-brrd kan-rib
qbt
thla f hzz nq
qbtt
thlat hzzit nqt
srrf
dd
srrft
ddit
catch up (with)
qbt xlt la lq la
sbbeb tsbbeb f
qbtt xltt lqt

sbbebt tsbbebt
cause
celebrate censor (prices, film) change change (money) change (weather) charge of, to be in cheat cheat (exam) cheat out of chew choose churn clap clarify
tafl b
raqb bddl
taflt
raqbt bddlt
srrf
tbddl tkllf b
srrft
tbddlt tkllft
nql mt
it
nqlt mtt
md
xtar
mdt
xtarit
mxd sffq
r
mxdt sffqt
rt
wdd
clean clean (pipes) climb clog close close eyes cold, to make collapse nqqa srr
wddt
nqqit srrt
tl
xnq sdd
tlt
xnqt sddit
mmd
brrd rab
mmdt
brrdt rbt
186 Moroccan Arabic

English collect come comment compare complain about complain to complete concentrate concern concerned with, to be confess confuse confused, to be congratulate conjugate connect consult (with) contact content with, to be (give your blessing to) continue in sth continue studies contribute control Transcription jm ja Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-jm kan-ji kan-llq kan-qarn kan-tkka kan-tkka kan-kmml kan-rkkz kay-hmm kan-httm kan-tarf kan-iyr kan-ir kan-hnni kan-srrf kan-rbt
( )
First Person Past Tense jmt jit
llq
qarn bin tkka mn tkka
llqt
qarnt tkkit tkkit kmmlt rkkzt hmm httmt
la
kmml rkkz hmm httm b
tarf iyr ar
hnna
tarft iyrt rt
hnnit
srrf rbt
tawr (ma)
srrft rbtt
tawrt
kan-tawr kan-tasl kan-rdi kan-stamr kan-tab kan-sahm kan-tkkm kan-raqb kan-tiyb kan-tawn kan-sllk kan-nql kan-nsx kan-se kan-swa kan-k kan-kb kan-sb
tasl b rda la
stamr f tab sahm tkkm f raqb
taslt rdit
stamrt tabt sahmt tkkmt raqbt
cook cooperate (with) cope copy (by hand) copy (photocopy) correct cost cough
tiyb
tawn (ma) sllk nql nsx
( )
tiybt tawnt
sllkt nqlt nsxt
se
swa k kb
set
swit kit kbt
count
sb
sbt
English cram into crazy, to be crazy, to make create cross (road) cross-breed cry cry, to make cure cured, to be cut cut (hair) cut/injure (skin) cut/injured, to be cut( a pattern from cloth) damage dampen damp, to get dance deafen deal with sb decide declare decrease dedicate defeat defend define defy delay deprive descend
Transcription xa
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-xi kan-mq kan-mmq kan-xlq kan-qt kan-lqqm kan-bki kan-bkki kan-dawi kan-bra kan-qt kan-ssn kan-jr kan-tjr kan-fssl kan-xssr kan-fzzg kan-fzg kan-t kan-smmk kan-taml kan-qrrer kan-ln kan-nqs kan-hdi kan-lb kan-daf kan-dded kan-tdda kan-ttl kan-rm kan-hbt kan-nzl kan-wsf
First Person Past Tense xit
mq mmq
xlq
mqt mmqt
xlqt
qt
lqqm bka bkka dawa bra
qtt
lqqmt bkit bkkit dawit brit
qt ssn jr tjr fssl

xssr fzzg fzg t
qtt ssnt jrt tjrt fsslt

xssrt fzzgt fzgt tt
smmk
taml ma qrrer
smmkt tamlt
qrrert
ln nqs
hda
lnt nqst
hdit
lb daf la dded tdda ttl rm hbt

nzl
lbt daft ddedt tddit ttlt rmt hbtt

nzlt
describe
wsf
wsft
188 Moroccan Arabic

English deserve design desire strongly destroy develop develop (film) die differ (from) dig digest dinner, to have direct direct (as an order) dirty, to make dirty, to get disappear discipline Transcription staq Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-staq kan-xttet kan-mut kan-hddm kan-tuwr kan-xrrj kan-mut First Person Past Tense staqt
xttet mat la
hddm
xttett
mtt hddmt
tuwr
xrrj mat xtalf (ma)
tuwrt
xrrjt mtt xtalft
( )
kan-xtalf kan-fr kan-hdm kan-ta kan-wjjh kan-amr kan-wssx kan-tussx kan-br kan-addb kan-rbbi kan-ktaf kan-naq ma-kan-ml- kan-krh kan-duwb kan-frrq
fr hdm ta
wjjh amr wssx tussx
frt hdmt tit

wjjht amrt wssxt tussxt
br
addb rbba
brt
addbt rbbit ktaft naqt ma-mlt- krht duwbt frrqt bdt qsmt
discover discuss (a topic) dislike
ktaf naq ma-ml- krh duwb frrq bd (mn) qsm
dissolve sth distribute distance oneself (from) divide divorce dizzy, to get dizzy, to make do drag draw draw up (water from a well) dream (about)
( )
kan-bd kan-qsm kan-tllq kan-dux kan-duwx kan-dir kan-jrr kan-rsm kan-jbd
tllq
dax duwx dar jrr rsm jbd
tllqt
dxt duwxt drt jrrit rsmt jbdt
lm (b)
( )
kan-lm
lmt
English dress dress up (slang) drink drink, to make drip drive drive crazy drop sth drown drunk, to get dry, to get
Transcription lbs tfrks rb rrb
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-lbs kan-tfrks kan-rb kan-rrb kan-qtr kan-sug kan-mmq kan-tiy kan-rq kan-skr kan-nf kan-ybs kan-nf kan-ybbs kan-jffef kan-sb kan-suwr kan-shhl kan-akul kan-ftr kan-tdda kan-ta kan-qtasd kan-ntaxb kan-m kan-m kan-anq kan-slm kan-hajr kan-xwi kan-jj kan-tbr kan-tsjjl kan-dxl
First Person Past Tense lbst tfrkst rbt rrbt
qtr sag mmq tiy rq

skr nf ybs
qtrt sgt mmqt tiyt rqt

skrt nft ybst nft ybbst jffeft
dry sth
nf ybbs
dry (a wet floor) dye earn (money) easy, to make eat eat breakfast eat lunch eat dinner economize elect embarrass sb embarrassed, to be embrace embrace Islam emigrate empty encourage enjoy sth enroll enter
jffef
sb suwr
shhl kla
sbt suwrt
shhlt klit
ftr tdda ta qtasd

ntaxb
ftrt tddit tit qtasdt

ntaxbt
m m anq
slm hajr xwa jj tbr tsjjl dxl
mt mt anqt
slmt hajrt xwit jjt tbrt tsjjlt dxlt
190 Moroccan Arabic

English envy erase Transcription Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-sd kan-ms kan-mi kan-hrb kan-qddr kan-xwi kan-xrrj kan-ttuwr kan-bal kan-tbadl kan-rd kan-xrj kay-la kan-jrrb kay-tqada kan-r kan-fssr kan-tfrg kan-stal kan-sddr kan-bbr kan-txlls kan-tqabl kan-shhl kan-sqt kan-sxf kan-ti kan-tiy kan-zuwr kan-zq kan-zuwr kan-sum kan-xaf kan-wkkl First Person Past Tense
sd ms ma
hrb qddr xwa xrrj
sdt mst mit

hrbt qddrt xwit xrrjt
escape estimate evacuate (house/country) evict evolve exaggerate (slang) exchange exhibit exit expensive, to get experience expire explain
ttuwr bal
tbadl ma
ttuwrt balt
tbadlt
rd
xrj
rdt
xrjt
la
jrrb
la
jrrbt
tqada r
fssr tfrg stal
tqada rt
fssrt tfrgt stalt
explode exploit export express exterminate face facilitate fail faint fall fall, to make fake fart falsify fast fear feed
sddr bbr txlls mn tqabl ma

shhl
sddrt bbrt txllst

tqablt shhlt
sqt
sxf
sqtt
sxft
ta tiy
zuwr
tt tiyt
zuwrt
zq
zuwr
zqt
zuwrt
sam
xaf wkkl
smt
xft wkklt
English feed fodder feel ferment fight (physically) fill (intransitive) fill out fill up filter finance find finish
Transcription
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-llf kan-ss kan-xmr kan-tdabz kan-mr kan-mmr kan-mmr kan-sffi kan-muwl kan-lqa kan-kmml kan-sali kan-tsala kan-siyd kan-sawb kan-sl kan-grrs kan-tzzl kan-hrb kan-qlb kan-tir kan-twi kan-tb kan-rrm kan-fr kan-zuwr kan-nsa kan-sm kan-tnbba' kan-rrer kan-tlq kan-jmd kan-jmmd kan-qli
llf ss
xmr tdabz
llft ssit
xmrt tdabzt
mr mmr mmr sffa

muwl lqa kmml sala
mrt mmrt mmrt sffit

muwlt lqit kmmlt salit tsalit
finished, to be fish fix
tsala
flatten (bread) flatter (a female) flee flip fly fold follow forbid force open forge (signature) forget forgive foretell free
siyd sawb sl grrs tzzl b

hrb qlb
siydt sawbt slt grrst tzzlt

hrbt qlbt
tar twa tb rrm fr

zuwr nsa sm l tnbba
trt twit tbt rrmt frt

zuwrt nsit smt tnbba't
rrer tlq
jmd jmmd qla
rrert tlqt
jmdt jmmdt qlit
freeze freeze sth fry
192 Moroccan Arabic

English fulfill sth full (of food), to be fun, to make Transcription Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-qqeq kan-b kan-dk kan-nt kan-dk kan-tflla kan-ksb kan-rb kan-qmmr kan-jm kan-jtam kan-nzez kan-mmem kan-wlld kan-axud kan-dd kan-hbt kan-nzl kan-rkb kan-tl kan-thnna kan-txlls kan-mrd kan-duz kan-nud kan-wllf kan-ti kan-ddi kan-wssl kan-xtb kan-rjj kan-rdd kan-tllq kan-drr First Person Past Tense
qqeq b dk
nt
qqeqt bt dkt
ntt
fun of, to make
dk la
tflla la ksb rb
dkt
tfllit ksbt rbt qmmrt jmt jtamt
gain
gamble gather gather (with people) gaze generalize generate get
qmmr jm jtam
nzez
mmem
wlld xda dd
nzezt
mmemt
wlldt xdit ddit
get down get off get on
hbt
nzl rkb
hbtt
nzlt rkbt
tl
get rid of thnna mn
tlt
thnnit
txlls mn
get sick get through get up get used to give give a ride
txllst mrdt
dzt
mrd
daz mn
nad
wllf
ndt
wllft
ta
dda
tit
ddit
wssl
give a speech give back
wsslt xtbt
rjjt rddit
xtb
rjj rdd
give off give pain
tllq drr
tllqt drrit
English glare at gleam
Transcription xnzr f lm
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-xnzr kan-lm kan-dwi kan-lssq kan-mi kan-sbq kan-duz kan-xrj kan-duz kan-tl kan-hdr kan-km kan-qbt kan-dd kay-ra kan-sllm kan-tsalm kan-wi kan-tn kan-kbr kan-dmn kan-ss kan-mdd kan-llq kan-nr kay-wq kay-jra kay-tra kan-fr kan-frr kan-sd kay-tfqqs kan-krh
First Person Past Tense xnzrt lmt
glue go go ahead of/in front of go by go out go through go up gossip about govern grab
dwa lssq
ma sbq daz
dwit lssqt
mit sbqt dzt xrjt dzt
la
xrj daz mn
tl hdr f km la qbt
dd ra sllm
tlt hdrt kmt qbtt

ddit ra sllmt tsalmt wit
graze greet greet one another grill grind grow (get older/bigger) guarantee guard hand hang hang to dry happen
la
tsalm wa
tn
kbr
tnt
kbrt
dmn ss
mdd
dmnt ssit
mddit
llq
nr wq jra
llqt
nrt wq jra
happy, to be happy, to make harvest hatch hate have
tra fr frr sd tfqqs

krh
tra frt frrt sdt tfqqs

krht kan
nd
ndi
ndi
194 Moroccan Arabic

English hear heat help herd hesitate hide sth hide (oneself) hire (a car) hit hit, to be hold honor hope house hug hug one another hungry, to be hunt hurry hurt ignore (slang) ill, to be ill, to make imagine Transcription sm sxxn Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-sm kan-sxxn kan-awn kan-sr kan-trdded kan-xbba kan-txbba kan-kri kan-drb kan-tdrb kan-dd kan-rrf kan-tmnna kan-skkn kan-nnq kan-tanq kan-ju kan-siyd kan-zrb kan-drr kan-miyk kan-mrd kan-mrrd kan-tsuwr kan-txayl kan-qlld kan-stawrd kan-frd kan-sjn First Person Past Tense smt sxxnt
awn sr
trdded xbba txbba kra
awnt srt
trddedt xbbit txbbit krit
drb tdrb
dd rrf tmnna skkn
drbt tdrbt
ddit rrft tmnnit skknt
nnq
tanq ja
nnqt
tanqt jt
siyd
zrb
siydt
zrbt
drr
miyk la
drrit
miykt
mrd mrrd tsuwr

txayl qlld stawrd
mrdt mrrdt tsuwrt

txaylt qlldt stawrdt
imitate import impose imprison
frd
sjn dd f l
frdt
sjnt ddit
bs
kan-dd kan-ssn kan-tssn kan-rtajl kan-zid
improve
ssn tssn
rtajl zad
ssnt tssnt
rtajlt zdt
improvise increase
English indicate infect inform
Transcription biyn
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-biyn kan-adi kan-lm kan-xbr kan-wrt kan-jr kan-ftt kan-blasi kan-rkkb kan-ayr kan-sbb kan-dmj kay-httm kan-tdxxl kan-qat kan-qddm kan-xtar kan-rd kan-dded kan-sgi kan-sqi kan-qllq kan-tqllq kan-hmm kan-zl kan-ir kan-dk kan-tflla kan-km kan-asb kan-nqqz kan-brrer kan-tafd kan-afd
First Person Past Tense biynt
ada lm
xbr wrt jr ftt
adit lmt
xbrt wrtt jrt fttt
inherit injure inspect (education) install
blasa
rkkb
blasit
rkkbt
insult
ayr
sbb dmj httm tdxxl
ayrt
sbbit dmjt httm tdxxlt
integrate interest interfere interrupt introduce invent invite iron irrigate
qat
qddm xtar
qatt
qddmt xtart
rd la dded
sga sqa
rdt ddedt
sgit sqit qllqt tqllqt hmmt
irritate irritated, to be isolate
qllq tqllq hmm
jealous, to be joke
zl ar la dk
tflla
zlt rt dkt
tfllit
judge
km la asb
nqqz brrer
kmt asbt
nqqzt brrert
jump justify keep
tafd b afd la
tafdt afdt
196 Moroccan Arabic

English keep house Transcription Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-qabl kan-gabl kan-ut kan-qdf kan-xtf kan-bus kan-jn kan-rf kan-bqa kan-dum kan-tttl kan-ttl kan-dk kan-dk kan-tt kan-biyd kan-tzm kan-sil kan-qtr kan-tkka kan-tllm kan-xrj kan-rl kan-xlli kan-xlli kan-sllf kan-tuwl kan-qllel kan-xlli kan-tlq kan-rrer kan-kdb kan-hzz kan-l First Person Past Tense qablt gablt tt qdft
d-dar gabl d-dar

qabl at qdf
kick (a ball)
kidnap kiss knead know last (time)
xtf
bas
xtft
bst
jn rf
bqa dam tttl
jnt rft
bqit dmt tttlt
late, to be late, to make laugh laugh, to make lay down lay eggs lead leak
ttl dk dk tt biyd tzm

sal
ttlt dkt dkt ttit biydt tzmt

slt
lean learn leave leave (a house/city for another) leave alone leave behind lend lengthen lessen let let go of liberate lie lift light
qtr tkka la tllm

xrj rl xlla xlla sllf
qtrt
tkkit tllmt xrjt rlt xllit xllit sllft
tuwl
qllel xlla
tuwlt
qllelt xllit
tlq mn rrer
kdb hzz l
tlqt rrert
kdbt hzzit lt
English like
Transcription ba
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-bi kay
First Person Past Tense knt bai
jb
lighten (weight) limit xffef
jbni
jbni
xffeft
kan-xffef kan-dded kan-bs kan-rj kan-sttr kan-skn kan-sllf kan-sdd kan-surt kan-uf kan-thlla kan-di kan-tabh kan-tlfft kan-gr kan-qllb kan-bh kan-ban kan-tll kan-tlq kan-rxi kan-rxf kan-wddr kan-tllf kan-twddr kan-bi kan-mut kan-nzzl kan-hbbt kan-nqs kan-kbbr kan-afd
limp line, to draw a live (reside) loan lock
dded bs rj sttr
skn sllf sdd surt
ddedt bst rjt sttrt

sknt sllft sddit surtt ft thllat
look look after
af thlla f
da
look alike look behind look down (on sb) look for look like tabh tlfft
dit
tabht tlfftt
gr qllb la
bh ban bal
grt
qllbt bht bnt
look out (window) loosen
tll tlq
rxa rxf
tllit tlqt
rxit rxft
lose
wddr
tllf
wddrt
tllft
lost, to be love
twddr ba mat la
nzzl
twddrt
knt bai mtt nzzlt
lower
hbbt nqs
magnify maintain kbbr
hbbtt nqst
kbbrt
afd la
afdt
198 Moroccan Arabic

English make Transcription Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-sawb kan-dir kan-sn First Person Past Tense
sawb
dar
sawbt
drt
sn
make difficult for sb maltreat (destroy) manipulate manufacture mark tkrfs
snt
tkrfst krfst tkkmt
la
kan-tkrfs kan-krfs kan-tkkm kan-sn kan-nqqt kan-rm
krfs tkkm
sn nqqt
rm tzuwj (b) zuwj kssl
snt nqqtt
rmt tzuwjt zuwjt ksslt
marry (with) marry off (daughter, etc.) massage (hammam) mean measure mediate meet meeting, to have melt memorize menace mess up migrate milk mistake, to make a miss (a bus) 3rd person mix monitor (exam)
( )
kan-tzuwj kan-zuwj kan-kssl kan-ni kan-br kan-twsst kan-tlaqa kan-jtam kan-dub kan-fd kan-hdded kan-krfs kan-hjr kan-lb kan-lt
na br twsst
tlaqa jtam dab
nit brt twsstt

tlaqit jtamt dbt
fd
hdded krfs hjr
fdt
hddedt krfst hjrt
monopolize motivate move sth
move
lb lt ma la xllt da rs takr ffz rrk kz trrk tkz
liya kan-xllt kan-di kan-rs kan-takr kan-ffz kan-rrk kan-kz kan-trrk kan-tkz
kay-mi
lbt ltt ma liya xlltt dit rst takrt ffzt rrkt kzt trrkt tkzt
English move away from move residence
Transcription bd mn tuwl rl qtl smma
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-bd kan-tuwl kan-rl kan-qtl kan-smmi kan-taj kan-sm kan-frrt kan-sd kan-r kan-lad kan-ti kan-ard kan-frd kan-bzzez kan-lad kan-tll kay wq kay jra kan-hdi kan-ziyt kan-rf kan-ll kan-ft kan-ft kan-ddb kan-tlb kan-amr kan-nddm kan-tllb kan-tsal kan-sal kan-mlk kan-hddn
First Person Past Tense bdt tuwlt rlt qtlt smmit
murder name need neglect
noise, to make nominate notice obey object oblige
observe occupy occur
taj sm f frrt sd r lad ta ard frd la bzzez la lad tll wq

jra hda ziyt rf
tajt smt frrtt sdt rt ladt tt ardt frdt

bzzezt ladt
tllt wq
jra hdit ziytt rft
offer oil old, to get open
operate (surgical) oppress order sth order sb organize overcome owe owed, to be own pacify
ll ft ft ddb tlb
amr
llit ftt ftt ddbt tlbt

amrt
nddm tllb la
tsal sal mlk hddn
nddmt tllbt
tsalt slt mlkt hddnt
200 Moroccan Arabic

English pack paint park (a car) participate party pass Transcription jm Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-jm kan-sb kan-blasa kan-ark kan-tafl kan-duz kan-fut kan-nj kan-duz kan-lssq kan-sbr kan-xlls kan-txlls kan-rdd kan-qr kan-tqr kan-xlli kan-sm kan-qn kan-suwr kan-tsuwr kan-jni kan-tqb kan-rrm kan-xttet kan-zr kan-lb kan-jb kan-rt kan-riy kan-smmem kan-tsmmem kan-luwt kan-mlk First Person Past Tense jmt
sb blasa
ark
sbt blasit
arkt
tafl
daz fat nj f daz
taflt
dzt ftt njt dzt
pass (exam) pass by paste patient, to be pay paid, to be pay back peel peel (skin) permit
la lssq sbr xlls txlls

rdd l qr tqr xlla sm l qn
lssqt sbrt xllst txllst

rddit qrt tqrt xllit smt qnt
persuade photograph photographed, to be pick (light fruit) pierce pile up plan plant play please plow pluck poison poisoned, to be pollute possess
suwr tsuwr
jna tqb
suwrt tsuwrt
jnit tqbt
rrm xttet zr lb jb rt
riy smmem tsmmem luwt mlk
rrmt xttett zrt lbt jbt rtt

riyt smmemt tsmmemt luwtt mlkt
English postpone pour
Transcription ajjl kbb xwa
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-ajjl kan-kbb kan-xwi kan-tbbq kan-md kan-slli kan-sbq kan-fddl kan-wjjd kan-sawb kan-dt kan-dir kan-biyn kan-mn kan-tb kan-ntj kan-rb kan-stafd kan-tqddm kan-mn kan-wad kan-ntq kan-qtar kan-ftaxr kan-zbr kan-nr kan-jrr kan-jbd kan-aqb kan-df kan-wrrk kan-brk kan-tt kan-tt
First Person Past Tense ajjlt kbbit xwit
practice praise pray precede prefer prepare
tbbq md slla
sbq
tbbqt mdt sllit

sbqt
fddl
wjjd
fddlt
wjjdt
pressure pretend
sawb dt dar bal

biyn blli mn
sawbt dtt
drt biynt mnt
prevent print produce profit
tb
ntj rb stafd tqddm mn wad
tbt
ntjt rbt stafdt tqddmt mnt wadt
progress prohibit promise pronounce propose proud, to be prune publish pull
ntq qtar
ftaxr zbr nr jrr jbd
ntqt
qtart ftaxrt zbrt nrt jrrit jbdt
punish push push (a button)
put put down
aqb df wrrk la brk la tt tt
aqbt dft
wrrkt brkt
ttit ttit
202 Moroccan Arabic

English put out (light) put together (parts) quarrel quiet, to be quiet, to make quit rain raise raise (children) raised, to be rape read receive (a letter) recognize record reduce reform refuse refute regret reimburse rejoice relax release rely on remain remember Transcription Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-tfi kan-rkkb kan-txasm kan-skt kan-skkt kan-mi bali First Person Past Tense
tfa
rkkb
tfit
rkkbt
txasm
skt skkt ma balu
txasmt
sktt skktt mit bali
ta (l-ta)
hzz rbba trbba
kat-ti kan-hzz kan-rbbi kan-trbba kan-tasb kan-qra kan-dd kan-trrf kan-sjjl kan-nqs kan-sl kan-rfd kan-nfi kan-ndm kan-uwd kan-fr kan-rta kan-tlq kan-uwl kan-bqa kan-ql kan-tfkkr kan-fkkr kan-iyd kan-zuwl kan-jdded kan-kri
tat
hzzit rbbit trbbit
tasb
qra dd trrf sjjl nqs
tasbt
qrit ddit trrft sjjlt nqst
sl rfd
nfa ndm
slt rfdt
nfit ndmt
uwd fr rta tlq uwl la

bqa
uwdt frt rtat tlqt uwlt

bqit
ql la
tfkkr fkkr
qlt
tfkkrt fkkrt
remind remove
iyd
zuwl jdded kra
iydt
zuwlt jddedt krit
renew rent
English repair
Transcription
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-sawb kan-sl kan-awd kan-tub kan-rdd kan-tlb kan-ttlb kan-bh kan-staql kan-qawm kan-tarm kan-jawb kan-rta kan-tqad kan-rj kan-rdd kan-rjj kan-raj kan-rkb kan-ddi kan-rkkb kan-wssl kan-llel kan-tl kan-fiq kan-fsd kan-duwr kan-kk kan-jri kan-hrb kan-tqada kan-zrb kan-di kan-qn
repeat repent reply request require resemble resign resist respect respond rest retire return (to a place) return sth
sawb sl awd
tab rdd
sawbt slt awdt

tbt rddit
tlb mn ttlb
bh staql qawm
tlbt ttlbt
bht staqlt qawmt
tarm
jawb rta tqad rj rdd rjj raj rkb dda rkkb
tarmt
jawbt rtat tqadt rjt rddit rjjt rajt rkbt ddit rkkbt
review ride ride, to give a
wssl
rinse rise (like the sun) rise (to wake up) rot round, to go rub run run away run out of rush sacrifice satisfy llel
wsslt
llelt
tl
faq fsd
tlt
fqt fsdt
duwr kk
jra hrb
duwrt kkit
jrit hrbt
tqada
zrb
tqadit
zrbt
da qn
dit qnt
204 Moroccan Arabic

English save Transcription xbba xzn xbb save (money) jm l flus wffr say scratch scream screw see see one another sell send separate serve set a bone set (the sun) set up settle sew shake (palsy) gal Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-xbbi kan-xzn kan-xbb kan-jm kan-wffr kan-gul kan-kk kan-uwt kan-ziyr kan-uf kan-tawf kan-bi kan-sift kan-frrq kan-srbi kan-jbbr kan-rb kan-rkkb kan-staqr kan-xiyt kan-trd kan-rjf kan-sllm kan-rrk kan-qsm kan-njr kan-mddi kan-ssn kan-sr kan-lm kan-trd kan-rjf kan-tsuwq kan-tqdda First Person Past Tense xbbit xznt xbbt jmt wffrt glt
kk uwt
ziyr af tawf ba
kkit uwtt
ziyrt ft tawft bt
sift
frrq srba jbbr
siftt
frrqt srbit jbbrt
rb
rkkb staqr
rbt
rkkbt staqrt
xiyt
trd rjf sllm la
xiytt
trdt rjft sllmt
shake hands with shake out share sharpen
rrk
qsm njr
rrkt
qsmt njrt
mdda
shave shepherd shine shiver
mddit
ssn sr
lm trd rjf
ssnt srt
lmt trdt rjft tsuwqt tqddit
shop (weekly market) shop (food)
tsuwq tqdda
English shorten shout shovel show shower shut shut eyes shut up sift sightsee sign
Transcription
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-qssr kan-uwt kan-hzz kan-wrri kan-duw kan-sdd kan-mmd kan-skt kan-rbl kan-tsara kan-sni kan-wqq kan-skkt kan-skt kan-shhl kan-nni kan-ts kan-rq kan-gls kan-slx kan-nqqz kan-srfq kan-trr kan-db kan-ns kan-ns kan-zlq kan-zlq kan-lttx kan-mm kan-btasm kan-kmi kan-hrrb kan-ts
qssr uwt
hzz b l bala wrra duw sdd
qssrt uwtt
hzzit wrrit duwt sddit
mmd
skt
mmdt
sktt
rbl
tsara sna wqq
rblt
tsarit snit wqqt skktt sktt shhlt
silence sb silent, to be simplify sing sink
skkt skt shhl
nna ts rq
gls slx nqqz
nnit tst rqt

glst slxt nqqzt
sit skin skip slap (in the face)
srfq trr
db ns ns zlq zlq
srfqt trrt
dbt nst nst zlqt zlqt
slaughter sleep sleep, to make slide slip smear smell smile smoke smuggle sneeze
lttx
mm btasm kma hrrb
lttxt
mmit btasmt kmit hrrbt
ts
tst
206 Moroccan Arabic

English solder solve speak Transcription lm Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-lm kan-ll kan-tkllm kan-hdr kan-dwi kan-txsses kan-srf kan-bat kan-duwz kan-zl kan-dfl kan-r kan-fe kan-df kan-r kan-sr kan-ziyr kan-tb kan-wqf kan-xnzr kan-bda kan-xl kan-txl kan-bqa kan-gls kan-shr kan-srq kan-ffr kan-ft kan-fs kan-qrs kan-xnz kan-rrk First Person Past Tense lmt
ll
tkllm
llit
tkllmt
hdr
dwa specialize spend money spend the night spend time spin spit splash spoil (a child) sprain spray squeeze
hdrt
dwit
txsses srf
bat duwz
txssest srft
btt duwzt
zl
dfl r fe df r
zlt
dflt rit fet dft rit
sr
ziyr
srt
ziyrt
stamp stand stare angrily start startle startled, to be stay
tb
wqf xnzr f bda xl txl bqa gls
tbt
wqft xnzrt bdit xlt txlt bqit glst shrt srqt ffrt
stay up late steal
shr srq ffr
step on
sting stink stir
ft fs qrs
xnz
ftt fst qrst

xnzt
rrk
rrkt
English stop
Transcription wqf
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-wqf kan-bs kan-txasm kan-xzn kan-qjj kan-xnq kan-dir kan-tma kan-jbbd kan-kssl kan-qra kan-drs kan-nj kan-mss kan-di kan-tddb kan-qtar kan-tmm kan-faj'a kan-staslm kan-nja kan-i kan-srt kan-rt kan-lf kan-ahd kan-qsm kan-rg kan-rq kan-ttb kan-tnffx kan-um kan-tfi kan-l
First Person Past Tense wqft
bs
stop speaking with store strangle
bst
txasmt
xznt qjjit xnqt drt tmit jbbdt ksslt qrit drst njt
txasm ma
xzn qjj xnq dar l idrab tma jbbd kssl
strike (from work) stroll stretch
study
qra drs nj f
succeed at suck sue suffer suggest sunbathe surprise surrender survive
mss
da tddb qtar tmm faj'a staslm nja
mssit
dit tddbt qtart tmmt faj'at staslmt njit t
a
swallow swarm (bees) swear
srt
rt
srtt
rtt
lf b llah
ahd
qsm
lft
ahdt
qsmt
swear (oath) sweat
rg rq
ttb tnffx
rgt rqt
ttbt tnffxt tm
sweep swell swim switch (off) switch (on)
am tfa
l
tfit
lt
208 Moroccan Arabic

English sympathize with take take away/off Transcription tatf ma xda Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-tatf kan-axud kan-iyd kan-zuwl kan-thlla kan-tkllf kan-tkllm kan-hdr kan-xrbq kan-ruwd kan-sjjl kan-lssq kan-duq kan-qrri kan-llm kan-qtt kan-tqtt kan-qb kan-tflla kan-iyt kan-drb kan-gul kan-awd kan-dub kan-fkkr kan-xmmem kan-dnn kan-hdded kan-drs kan-lu kan-rmi kan-hrr kan-rbt kan-zm First Person Past Tense tatft xdit
iyd
zuwl thlla f tkllf b tkllm
iydt
zuwlt thllat tkllft tkllmt
take care of take charge of talk
hdr
talk nonsense tame tape (record) tape (scotch) taste teach xrbq
hdrt
xrbqt
ruwd
sjjl
ruwdt
sjjlt
lssq
daq qrra
lssqt
dqt qrrit
tear something tear (to be torn) tease
llm qtt tqtt

qb tflla
llmt qttt tqttt

qbt tfllit
telephone
iyt f drb t
tilifun gal
iytt drbt
glt
tell
awd
thaw think dab fkkr xmmem think that threaten thresh throw
awdt
dbt fkkrt xmmemt
dnn blli
hdded drs la rma hrr
dnnit
hddedt drst lt rmit hrrit
tickle tie tie (belt)
rbt zm
rbtt zmt
English tighten tired, to be tired, to make torture touch
Transcription ziyr
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-ziyr kan-ya kan-iya kan-ddb kan-qis kan-mss kan-tajr kan-drrb kan-trjm kan-safr kan-taml kan-mt kan-tr kan-tiq kan-awl kan-jrrb kan-qiys kan-dur kan-duwr kan-nqs kan-tfi kan-l kan-qlb kan-glb kan-lwi kan-fhm kan-fhhm kan-wd kan-qllq kan-tqllq kan-staml kan-stal kan-sl kan-wllf
First Person Past Tense ziyrt
ya iya ddb
qas mss
yit iyit ddbt

qst mssit tajrt drrbt trjmt safrt tamlt mtt
trade train translate travel treat (people) trick trip trust try (to attempt to do sth) try (to experience sth) try on turn turn around turn down (volume) turn off turn on turn over sth
tajr drrb trjm safr taml ma mt
tr
taq f
trt
tqt
awl
jrrb qiys
awlt
jrrbt qiyst
dar duwr nqs mn tfa l

qlb glb
drt duwrt nqst tfit lt

qlbt glbt lwit fhmt fhhmt wdt qllqt tqllqt stamlt stalt
twist understand understand, to make unite upset upset, to be use use (land) use to, to be of used to, to become
lwa fhm fhhm wd qllq tqllq staml stal
sl l
wllf
slt
wllft
210 Moroccan Arabic

English useful, to be vaccinate visit vomit Transcription nf lqq zar tqiya rdd wait tsnna Arabic First Person Present Tense kan-nf kan-lqq kan-zur kan-tqiya kan-rdd kan-tsnna kan-ayn kan-fiyq kan-fiq kan-tma kan-tsara kan-tma kan-bi kan-sxxn kan-sxn kan-ddr kan-sqi kan-sgi kan-sl kan-sbbn kan-siyq kan-diy kan-tfrrj kan-iyr kan-lbs kan-nsj kan-bki kan-br kan-wzn kan-rb kan-staqbl kan-sudi kan-bra kan-fzzg First Person Past Tense nft lqqt zrt tqiyit rddit tsnnit
ayn
wake someone wake up walk walk around fiyq faq tma tsara tma want warm / heat warm, to be warn water ba sxxn sxn
aynt
fiyqt fqt tmit tsarit tmit bit sxxnt sxnt
ddr
sqa sga
ddrt
sqit sgit
wash wash (clothes) wash (floor) waste watch (TV) wave wear weave weep weigh
sl sbbn
siyq
slt sbbnt
siyqt
diy
tfrrj iyr l lbs nsj bka
diyt
tfrrjt iyrt lbst nsjt bkit
br
wzn rb staqbl suda bra fzzg
brt
wznt rbt staqblt sudit brit fzzgt
welcome
weld well, to be wet, to make
English wet, to be whistle widen win wipe dry (floor) wipe off
Transcription fzg
Arabic
First Person Present Tense kan-fzg kan-sffr kan-wss kan-rb kan-jffef kan-ms kan-mi kan-sxf kan-tmnna kan-ybs kan-lwa kan-hd kan-tjjb kan-xmmem kan-xdm kan-ttn kan-duwd kan-swa kan-jr kan-ktb kan-tfuwh
First Person Past Tense fzgt
sffr wss rb
jffef ms ma sxf tmnna ybs lwa
sffrt wsst rbt

jffeft mst mit sxft tmnnit ybst lwit hdt tjjbt xmmemt xdmt ttnt duwdt swit jrt ktbt tfuwht
wiped out, to be wish wither
witness wonder at
hd tjjb xmmem f xdm ttn duwd swa jr ktb tfuwh
work worry wormy, to get worth, to be wound write yawn
212 Moroccan Arabic
Active Participles, 151 Adjectives Comparative, 81 Masculine and Feminine, 78 Singular and Plural, 78 Superlative, 82 Comparative Adjectives, 81 Comparing Like Objects, 81 Conditional, 111 Conjunctions, 154 Definite Article, 147 Demonstrative Adjectives, 16 Demonstrative Pronouns, 14 Duration, 17 Dyal, 13 Future Tense, 102 Negation, 103 adi, 104 Have you ever..., 54 Ive never..., 54 Imperative, 69 In order to, 68 Independent Pronouns, 7 Infinitive, 46 Intransitive Verbs Making into Transitive Verbs, 148 With Only One Participle, 153 Kayn, 37 Moon Letters, 147 Negation, 52 Nouns Masculine and Feminine, 9 Numbers 1 thru 10, 22 100, 200, 300 ... 999, 26 1000, 2000, 3000 ..., 27 11 thru 19, 24 20, 30, 40 ... 99, 25 Fractions, 30 Ordinal, 29 Object Pronouns, 55
Grammar Index
Participles, 151 Active, 151 adi, 104 Kayn, 37 Passive, 153 Passive Participles, 153 Passive Verbs, 149 Past Progressive, 150 Past Tense Irregular Verbs, 48 Regular Verbs, 46 Possession Dyal, 13 Pronouns, 8 Questions, 17 Possessive Pronouns, 8 Prepositions, 42 With Pronoun Endings, 115 With Verbs, 115 Present Tense Irregular Verbs with Final a, 64 Irregular Verbs with Middle a, 60 Regular Verbs, 58 Pronouns Independent, 7 Object, 55 Possessive, 8 Question Words, 56 Sun Letters, 147 Superlative Adjectives, 82 There is, 37 Time, 30 Using One Verb after Another, 68 Verbs Participles, 151 to have, 40 to need/have to/should, 95 to please, 92 to remain, 151 to want, 36 to want/like, 96 Using One after Another, 68
Vocabulary Index
Adjectives, 78 Bargaining, 72 Body Parts, 97 Bus, 108 Butagas, 135 Butcher, 88 Buying Produce, 86 Caf, 89 Cities, 10 City bus, 108 Clothing, 73 Colors, 75 Communication, 21 Congratulations, 21 Days of the Week, 45 Directions, 43 Doors and Windows, 139 Drinks, 89 Environment Sector, 122 Family, 38 Finding a House, 125 Food, 34, 84, 85, 88, 89 Fruit, 85 Furniture, 127 God Phrases, 157 Greetings, 5 Hanoot Items, 34 Health, 98 Health Sector, 123 Help, 20 Hotel, 110 Household Items, 127 Hygiene, 20 Islamic Calendar, 159 Kitchenware, 127 Marital Status, 10 Mealtime, 19 Meat, 88 Money, 33 Months, 45 Nationalities, 10 Nighttime, 20 Peace Corps, 120 Places in Town, 43 Police Station, 137 Political Harassment, 141 Post Office, 113 Prepositions, 42 Question Words, 56 Restaurant, 90 Seasons, 45 Sexual Harassment, 129 Shopping, 34 Sick, 21, 98 Site Visit, 100 Sleeping, 20 Small Business Development, 124 Spices, 88 Taxi, 107, 131 Thanking, 19 Theft, 137 Time Expressions Future, 105 Past, 46 Present, 59 Toiletries, 34 Train, 109 Transportation, 21 Travel, 107 Units of Measurement, 86 Vegetables, 84 Verbs, 47, 49, 50, 51, 61, 62, 63, 64, 66, 67 Youth Development, 121

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PEACE CORPS MOROCCO

Getting Started with Moroccan Arabic Describing Yourself

Getting Started Shopping Family

Shopping For Food

Food and Drink Medical & Body Travel

At the Post Office

Describing the Peace Corps Mission

Safety and Security

Pronunciation of Moroccan Arabic Supplementary Grammar Lessons

Sounds You Already Know

the ay as in say the ow as in cow the ee you as in see you later

Peace Corps / Morocco 3

Transcription mra mrra

Words & Syllables Without Vowels

Why Not Just Write sh?

Peace Corps / Morocco 5

Getting Started with Moroccan Arabic

How do people greet each other in different cultures?

Greeting expressions and appropriate responses

s-salamu alaykum wa alaykum s-salam

sba l-xir sba l-xir

John: s-salamu Mohamed: wa

Peace Corps / Morocco 7

see page 1 for the full table with all transcription

: the /sh/ sound as in she x: the ch in the German Bach or the

a: the a in father or the a in mad i: the ee in meet

Exercise: Put this dialogue in the correct order.

Chris: mtrfin. Amy: bixir, l-amdullah. u nta?

see page 1 for the full table with all transcription

h: the normal English /h/ sound as in hello.

: like the English h, except pronounce it

Peace Corps / Morocco 9

magana maganti magantk magantu magantha magantna magantkum maganthum

in Arabic script) are feminine. For example:

wrqa (sheet of paper, ticket)

Peace Corps / Morocco 11 Transcription Reminder

j: the /zh/ sound, like the s in the word pleasure.

Peace Corps / Morocco 13

Fatima: s-salamu Tom: wa

Exercise: Complete each section of this dialogue.

Peace Corps / Morocco 15

The Possessive Word dyal

l-ktab dyal John

Here is a list of dyal with all of the possessive pronoun endings:

Substitute the underlined words by the corresponding

possessive pronoun endings.

1. s-stilu dyal John. 2. l-ktab dyal Amber. 3.

d-dar dyal Driss u Zubida.

hadak hadik haduk

Peace Corps / Morocco 17

dar (fem. sing.) yalat (fem. plur.)

bnat (fem. plur.)

blad (masc. sing.)

see page 1 for the full table with all transcription

: the French r, like a light gargle

had dak dik duk

Talking about a General Situation

this (general situation) that (general situation)

Peace Corps / Morocco 19

Using a Demonstrative Pronoun to Express Duration

+ time expression + u + rest of sentence

Asking about Possession

The possessive word dyal ( ) may be used with mn ( ) to mean whose.

dyal mn had had