# conjugation - conjugate

**URL:** <https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088>\
**Category:** Moroccan Arabic (Darija) Exercises - Exercices d'a\
**Created:** [February 6, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088 "2011-02-06T04:42:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/achminfar9)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/1 "2011-02-06T04:42:00Z")

</div>

it seems obvious, maybe admin can come along very soon and tell me a bunch of places i should have been looking for this…anyway for now

there are a few complications and exceptions we can discuss if u want, but in general, darija has only past, present and future (yay!!)

i will demonstrate with the root L - 3 - B, same in darija and fos7a, ‘to play’

i  
you  
you(fem)  
you all

he  
she  
they

we

past

ana la3bt  
nta la3bti  
nti la3bti  
ntom la3bto

howa la3b  
hiya la3bat  
homa la3bou

i7na la3bna

present

ana nla3b  
nta tla3b  
nti tla3bi  
ntom tla3bou

howa yla3b  
hiya tla3b  
homa yla3bou

i7na nla3bou

future

ghadi + present form

ana ghadi nla3b  
nta ghadi tla3b  
nti ghadia tla3bi

howa ghadi yla3b  
hiya ghadia tla3b  
homa ghadin yla3bou

i7na ghadin nla3bou

(you can also see or hear these for short as ‘nta ghad tla3b’ or ’ homa ghayla3bou’ - in this case we disregard the feminine or plural ending of ghadi)

the other big question is continual or whatever you want to call it tense in darija

this is the present form + ‘k’ or ‘t’ tacked on the front

ana kanla3b

this is for continual action, something you do always or often…either k in front or t is apparently…the same, just depending on regional differences

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BaraSara](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BaraSara](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/BaraSara)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:57am UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/2 "2011-02-06T11:57:49Z")

</div>

Exactly what I needed, thanks :)… Could there be like little exercises here too, perhaps different sentences in a context…

For example in a dialouge like:  
Nadia: “Hey, what are you doing?”  
Sara: “I’m watching tv, and you?”  
Nadia: “Not much, just talking to you. What did you do yesterday?/What are you going to do tomorrow?”

… and so on, it could be like little lessons. It would be fun and a way of learning if someone feels like doing it 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/achminfar9)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/3 "2011-02-07T04:35:40Z")

</div>

i’m not very original :S or very much time to make these things up, BUT if you write the english i will TRY to write the darija

Nadia: Slam akhti, ach ktdiri?  
Sara: Kanfaraj f itifaza, winti??  
Nadia: Walou ghir kanhadar ma3ki. Ach dirti lbare7?/Ach ghadia tdiri ghada?

verbs:  
dar/dir- to do  
faraj- to watch like tv or movie or something  
hadar- to speak

dar/dir has a long vowel in the root (d-aa-r or d-ii-r) that changes depending on the tense and the pronoun-- this is common with verbs in both classical and darija that have a long vowel in their root…there are some rules, but…mostly you just need to memorize

present  
ndir  
tdir  
tdiri  
tdirou  
ydir  
tdir  
ydirou  
ndirou

past  
dirt  
dirti  
dirti  
dirtou  
dar (howa)  
darit  
dariou  
dirna

also notice when writing darija with roman characters there is nothing to tell you if you have a long vowel or short vowel, you just have to know the word…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BaraSara](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BaraSara](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/BaraSara)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/4 "2011-02-07T20:35:48Z")

</div>

Fortunatly I’ve heard many of the words at home, I just have difficulties speaking and learning new words from just hearing… and the grammar of course, I have very little grammar-knowledge :/…

Thanks for that translation, I’ll continue writing some sentences in english then 🙂

Fatima: I’ve been learning English. It’s fun.  
Yazid: That’s very good, how are you learning?  
Fatima: By speaking, reading and listening. Can you help me?  
Yazid: Of course, if you have any questions, just ask.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/achminfar9)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/5 "2011-02-09T03:25:26Z")

</div>

fatima: kont kan9ra langlais. wa3ir bzaf.  
yazid: mziane hadchi, keif kat9raha?  
fatima: kanhadar, kan9ra kotob w kansma3. yemkin ta3ouni?  
yazid: 3adi, ila kayn aya asi2la ghir souli.

notes–

im not 100 % on the kont kan9ra construction…im like 86.5% sure this is a way to say something you have been and are still doing.

i dont know the word for fun, other than momtia3, which i believe is only for fos7a. i used a slang word for awesome here.

3adi means more like sure or it’s normal. it works here, though if i wanted to really accent the fact i was there to help, myself i would probably say here: bien sur or akid.

if i was normally talking myself, i would probably have used a french word in 1 or 2 places here…but i tried to keep it total words from arabic as much as i could. though i consider the french words most ppl use to be a part of darija too 🙂 do you care either way?

ok send some more english sentences and here are some darija ones you can try to translate if you want to

najia: fein ghadi a yassine?  
yassine: ana ghnla3b chi match ma3 drari as7abi.  
najia: w malik ntaya wach nsiti khassak ta3oun babak fel khedma lyoum?  
yassine: 9al lia tal apres midi  
najia: wakha awildi 3ndak mata3talch llghada2.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sahir1](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sahir1](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/sahir1)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/6 "2011-02-09T12:38:21Z")

</div>

OK - what is the letter “2”? Is that a hamza?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/achminfar9)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/7 "2011-02-09T16:47:24Z")

</div>

:okay:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jdipiet1](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@jdipiet1](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/jdipiet1)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/8 "2011-02-09T17:27:22Z")

</div>

shokran, Im reading and using this exercise too!! -Julie

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sahir1](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sahir1](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/sahir1)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/9 "2011-02-09T18:06:20Z")

</div>

@achmin - You waiting for one of us brave souls to try and translate?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/achminfar9)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/10 "2011-02-09T19:46:28Z")

</div>

🆗

:fouet:

if it is helpful. also you can post more english that i can try to translate into darija if that is what u wanna do

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Boo\_Rayyan](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Boo\_Rayyan](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/Boo_Rayyan)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/11 "2011-02-09T23:27:14Z")

</div>

okey dokey, I’ll give it try!

Don’t expect anything amazing. I mean I am not the best darija translator in the world now, am I? lol

najia: Yassine, where are you going?

yassine:I am going to play a match with my Friend’s Kids.

najia: What’s the matter with you? Have you forgotten you need to help your Dad with the work today?

yassine: He said to me… (I am not sure what ‘tal apres midi’ means. It looks like french to me.)

najia: Ok my boy, you have… (dunno know what the rest of it means. It might be something like, ‘you are not getting lunch today’…)

That’s the best I could do :unsure:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Boo\_Rayyan](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Boo\_Rayyan](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/Boo_Rayyan)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/12 "2011-02-10T01:04:10Z")

</div>

[quote=achminfar9]i’m not very original :S or very much time to make these things up, BUT if you write the english i will TRY to write the darija

Nadia: Slam akhti, ach ktdiri?  
Sara: Kanfaraj f itifaza, winti??  
Nadia: Walou ghir kanhadar ma3ki. Ach dirti lbare7?/Ach ghadia tdiri ghada?[/quote]  
I think there’s a typo there. Shouldn’t Sara say: ‘Kantfaraj fe talfasa, winti??’ and not ‘kanfaraj f itifasa’…

(Feel free to correct me if I am wrong).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sahir1](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sahir1](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/sahir1)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/13 "2011-02-10T12:38:55Z")

</div>

Shux, someone beat me to it. Might be able to fill in some more though.

“apres midi” is French. I think that sentence means  
“He told me to come in the afternoon”

Last sentence is fuzzy to me  
"OK, awildi 3ndak (take care?), don’t be late for dinner

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Boo\_Rayyan](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Boo\_Rayyan](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/Boo_Rayyan)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/14 "2011-02-10T14:27:51Z")

</div>

[quote=sahir1]“apres midi” is French. I think that sentence means  
“He told me to come in the afternoon”[/quote]  
Ahhh ok, thanks! I think I might need to learn some French too, after all French is the second language in Morocco and I do go there quite often.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Boo\_Rayyan](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Boo\_Rayyan](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/Boo_Rayyan)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/15 "2011-02-10T14:55:08Z")

</div>

ok, got the last one!

najia: wakha awildi 3ndak mata3talch lghada2

najia: ok my son, make sure you don’t come late for lunch. (I think)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/achminfar9)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/16 "2011-02-10T15:27:22Z")

</div>

:okay::okay::okay::okay::okay:

good job guys!!!

boo\_rayyan yes 2 typos sorry for that - italfaza is correct and i believe we always use the form tfaraj- tfaraj means to watch and faraj means to show someone something, according to one of my moroccan bros…

it is the blind leading the blind here, as i am not a native speaker. i think before too long though we will have another native speaker stop by who can give us some good sentences or insight

najia: fein ghadi a yassine?  
yassine: ana ghnla3b chi match ma3 drari as7abi.  
najia: w malik ntaya wach nsiti khassak ta3oun babak fel khedma lyoum?  
yassine: 9al lia tal apres midi  
najia: wakha awildi 3ndak mata3talch llghada2.

yeah you guys got it!!

in the first sentence, i put ghadi so you can see the way we can use this word alone, usually in front of a verb to show the future tense, to say where are you going

ghnla3b i put in to show the way sometimes we slur this word into the verb so listen for that and dont be confused

tal - people use this word to say ‘until’ or ‘leave it until’…if u ask someone if you can do something with them, maybe they say ‘tal ghada’, it just means lets do it tomorrow instead. or if someone asks you if something is happening today maybe they will say the same thing, to mean it is not happening until tomorrow. i dont know where this word comes from linguistically and i would be interested to know. i only hear it in moroccan darija.

3ndak - in addition to ‘you have’, this also has the meaning of ‘take care’…the famous example is the donkeys coming through the middle of the small street with the man behind them yelling alternately ‘balak’ and ‘3ndak’…look out…however combining 3ndak + ma [present verb] ch is a construction for saying, take care that you do not…also i believe you can say ‘3ndak tji’, make sure to come, so using the non-negated form to say make sure that you DO do something.

also you should be able to tell from context that this is a mother-son conversation

the other word for apres midi (sorry yes that was french that you may commonly hear) would be 3achia, the afternoon.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@achminfar9](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/achminfar9)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/17 "2011-02-10T15:29:40Z")

</div>

ah 1 more thing drari as7abi is a common phrase for my friends, or the boys in my crew, like that. so he is talking about his friends. if we wanted to say the children of my friends we would say ldrari dial as7abi.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sahir1](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sahir1](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/sahir1)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/18 "2011-02-10T15:37:27Z")

</div>

The stories I could tell about the French thing. Went to Morocco pretty sure of myself and my Arabic. That confidence lasted one day when anyone I talked to would speak French. Finally decided to learn some French so I could get around. Never quite got the hang of it, but sure got a kick out of the people who could recognize I speak fos7a decently. They always accused me of being smarter than them. Please; I was just happy I could find a little something to talk about.

Now just want to switch it to straight darija.

This is a good exercise achmin. Going to tell one of my more fluent friends to drop by and correct us 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Boo\_Rayyan](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Boo\_Rayyan](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/Boo_Rayyan)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 3:44pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/19 "2011-02-11T15:44:05Z")

</div>

Thank you, achmin. I always thought you were moroccan, and therefore a native speaker. Thanks so much for all that info. Please continue teaching us some more!

Yeah, we definitely need some input from native moroccan speakers. I still dont understand most of what they say on Moroccan TV. It’s really frustrating :huh: . Perhaps we can start looking at transcribing or trying to work out what’s being said in a clip from a moroccan movie/tv programme, what do you think? I am sure I am not the only one who has trouble understanding what they say on moroccan tv!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jdipiet1](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@jdipiet1](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/u/jdipiet1)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088/20 "2011-02-14T20:27:36Z")

</div>

I like this exercise…as im still in the intermediate (not so great) learning phase. Learning how to make sentences using verbs and stuff. Can you make another dialog? Lahftek :hap:

[Next page](https://forum.speakmoroccan.com/t/conjugation-conjugate/3088.md?page=2)
