I have family in Casablanca and visit Morocco regularly but get very frustrated because my knowledge of Darija is bitty, I get by using French, but create a lot of confusion because other Moroccans assume that because I look Moroccan, I must speak Arabic and when I speak English (my native language), I sometimes get a look from people as if Im pretending not to be Moroccan. Its so annoying and because I plan to visit Morocco a lot more often in the next few years, I really think that there’s no time like the present to start learning properly. I love visiting Morocco and always feel such a buzz of happiness when Im there, it sounds crazy but I do love it, I think its the way that they care about each other etc. Here in England, in the area I live in, there is only one other Moroccan (no work of a lie), so I go to Morocco, or even France to keep sane lol . Anyway, I would love to be able to speak to people in Darija not French, for a change.
I have seen SimplyMoroccans blog many times and have searched for ages for a forum like this. I get sick of saying ‘chwiya’ when people ask me whether I speak arabic…so hope that, if I put my mind to it, by using this forum, I will be able to hold a conversation, inchallah.
Im very excited about learning new words and phrases here. :^^:
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Welcome to SpeakMoroccan, Myriam :). I am glad you found the forum. Isn’t the link I have on my blog’s sidebar clear? Maybe it’s too small :hm:.
Why would loving your country be crazy? I find it normal, since when you live abroad, you truly get to appreciate many things we take for granted over here. You don’t know what it’s really worth, until you miss it.
Anyways, let’s get rid of shwiyya, and move on to bzzâf :). For that, you need to be into the lessons and exercises we have over here and on the website, and start asking questions. Be sure that I’ll be here inshallah to help :).
By the way, about your avatar, did you write it? Can you read the Arabic script?
Pas de fausse modestie ! Et puis sur le forum on écrit en berbère, darja, arabe classique, français, anglais, et il y a même eu de l’italien et de l’allemand. Donc on n’est pas censé parler darija pour s’intégrer dans la communauté. Aslan on vient ici pour apprendre :).
C’est la traduction littérale de ma phrase.
Je voulais savoir si cette expression avait un équivalent en darija, un mtal qui exprime qu’on est à l’aise quelque part… Mais peut-être que l’expression anâ hnâ, b7âl 7ôta f lmâ existe bien au Maroc.
@Onc’Kamel:
Oui, j’ai donné une traduction exacte. Je ne vois aucun proverbe marocain y correspondant pour le moment. Pour que quelqu’un se sente à l’aise, on dit “fais comme chez toi” (dîr b7âl dârkom), c’est tout !
Thank you everyone has been very welcoming. About my avatar, I am only starting to learn the arabic script now and I am only just getting familiar with the alphabet - so no, Im not too clued up about it. Although, I know that it translates from ‘Vive le Maroc’…well, I think so. Im not sure how to say that in Darija?
Onc’Kamel, ta phrase et trés bien et ça je comprend parce que c’est la même pour moi. Et aussi, j’ai compris tous de la phrase apart de ‘7ota’ quelle je sais daba ça veut dire ‘poisson’ or ‘fish’, mais parce que j’ai apprendu le mot en MSA (samaka). Alors, ici ce sembler comme on peut apprendre un nouveau mot tous les jours.
For your avatar, it’s a very nice one. It’s just that you need to conjugate the verb in masculine (ya7yâ) instead of the feminine form you have (ta7yâ). And guess what, it’s the same in Darija, you just take off some vowels. It’s “ya7yâ almaghrib” in MSA, and it’s “ya7yâ lmghrib” in Darija. Replace the two dots of T, and your avatar will be correct 100% :).
Yallah, see you in the exercises to learn more words and expressions ;).
[quote=myriam]Thank you everyone has been very welcoming. About my avatar, I am only starting to learn the arabic script now and I am only just getting familiar with the alphabet - so no, Im not too clued up about it. Although, I know that it translates from ‘Vive le Maroc’…well, I think so. Im not sure how to say that in Darija?
Onc’Kamel, ta phrase et trés bien et ça je comprend parce que c’est la même pour moi. Et aussi, j’ai compris tous de la phrase apart de ‘7ota’ quelle je sais daba ça veut dire ‘poisson’ or ‘fish’, mais parce que j’ai apprendu le mot en MSA (samaka). Alors, ici ce sembler comme on peut apprendre un nouveau mot tous les jours. [/quote]
You will learn more than a word each day, beleive me.
The arabic alphabet is the easiest thing to learn - I did it in a week - so go on ya bintî, ça va le faire !
(and please, feel free to correct my English too )
[quote=Onc’Kamel][quote=myriam]Thank you everyone has been very welcoming. About my avatar, I am only starting to learn the arabic script now and I am only just getting familiar with the alphabet - so no, Im not too clued up about it. Although, I know that it translates from ‘Vive le Maroc’…well, I think so. Im not sure how to say that in Darija?
Onc’Kamel, ta phrase et trés bien et ça je comprend parce que c’est la même pour moi. Et aussi, j’ai compris tous de la phrase apart de ‘7ota’ quelle je sais daba ça veut dire ‘poisson’ or ‘fish’, mais parce que j’ai apprendu le mot en MSA (samaka). Alors, ici ce sembler comme on peut apprendre un nouveau mot tous les jours. [/quote]
You will learn more than a word each day, beleive me.
The arabic alphabet is the easiest thing to learn - I did it in a week - so go on ya bintî, ça va le faire !
(and please, feel free to correct my English too )[/quote]
You speak English very well, believe me, et choukran bzaf, c’est trés encourageant.
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