Hello all.
I would like to wish someone a very happy birthday in darijja.
I am familiar with the : sanaa helwa ya gamil ( egyptian version)
Would like to really make my wish meaningful and thoughful for a friend I consider as my brother in Sale.
Please help!!
Chockran all:)
This better be placed in the translation forum, so I moved it :).
Well listen, as celebrating birthdays isn’t part of our culture and customs, there isn’t really a real Darija expression for it. We just say it in French (:huh:), or say it in plain MSA, leaving off some vowels, so we say: 3îd mîlâd sa3îd, bTôlt l3mr in shâ Allah (er… this one is actually for 3îds, but it can fit in).
If you want some wishes translated in Darija, just post them in and I’ll help you out with them.
Chockran bzfffff…
I may be using this expression wrong but …inti drayfa ( i think it means you are very kind).
I do not celebrate birthdays per say( because of religion) either but I always like to wish some one a happy year.
a million thanks again…!!!
Nah, nti drayfa/ drifa is correct :). Thanks :).
Religion doesn’t strictly prohibit birthday celebration, it’s just that it really does not fit in the customs and culture. In my family, we would have a small party for the kids when they are young, for them to have fun and stuff. It’s never fancy, and no one outside the family is invited. We wouldn’t even have gifts :D, you just get the kids have fun, which is what matters. And that’s it, it doesn’t go on with age, it just stops soon at some time.
It’s funny you say that. When I was engaged to my fiance… Every year i would buy him a little cake ( hilwa? right?) and would sing him happy birthday. The first year I did it he seem suprised almost shocked. He did not even know it was his birthday. Noone had ever said happy birthday to him in his life.
I soon came to understand that they are not common practice in Morocco. Not like here where people plan this big events, especially on significant years 18,21,50 and the older years. I think a simple happy birthday and cake is sufficient…especially if you have ice cream to go along with it…
7lwa, yes. 7ilwa is rather “beautiful” in Egyptian :).
And well, we do wish happy birthday to each other, especially at school :D. And in the family, we would know when someone gets older, we don’t totally miss the important day.
Why is 21 a significant year? 18 is for graduation from high school, right? Then that would be 22 for graduation from college.
At 18 you are legally an adult in the US, but at 21 ( if the person drink alcohol) that is when you become of legal age to buy and consume alcohol.
16 is also a big one here… at 16 a person is allowed to be licensed to drive.
That is why they have what they call “sweet 16’s” which is usually a lavish and ridiculously expensive affair, usually left to people of middle to high class…in which the night usually ends in the giving car as a present to the birthday girl/boy.
I was born and grew up here but my mom never gave into these celebrations…although I would not of minded getting a car at all…lol :lol:
Well then, 18 would be THE age in Morocco, that’s when you graduate from high school, you get your ID card, and you can get a driving license. 
I wouldn’t mind getting a car either. :hap: