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Module 8 · Work and business

Lesson 77 · Lower intermediate · 4 min

On the phone

Asking for someone, understanding they’re busy, asking someone to repeat and calling back.

  • Unreviewed: this lesson’s Darija and translations have not yet been checked by a native speaker.

In this lesson

  • Ask to speak to someone
  • Say you can’t hear well
  • Offer to call back

On the phone there are no gestures to help: you need to say “I can’t hear you well” and “I’ll call back”.

No audio for this lesson yet

This lesson hasn’t been recorded yet, and we won’t fake it with a made-up voice. Read the dialogue out loud with the help of the transliteration key.

Dialogue

  1. HichamAllo, n3am?Hello, yes?
  2. AnnaAllo, salam. M3a chkoun kanhder?Hello. Who am I speaking to?
  3. HichamM3a Hicham, f charikat Atlas. Chkoun m3aya?With Hicham, at Atlas. Who’s calling?
  4. AnnaAna Anna. Bghit nhder m3a madame Tazi, 3afak.It’s Anna. I’d like to speak to Mrs Tazi, please.
  5. HichamTsennay chwiya… Sme7 lia, hiya f jtima3 daba.Hold on… Sorry, she’s in a meeting right now.
  6. AnnaMa kansme3kch mzyan. 3awed, 3afak?I can’t hear you well. Could you repeat that?
  7. HichamHiya f jtima3. Bghiti t3iyyti men b3d?She’s in a meeting. Would you like to call back later?
  8. AnnaIyyeh, ghadi n3iyyet m3a ttlata. Chokran.Yes, I’ll call back at three. Thank you.
How to read the transliteration

Darija is written here in Latin letters, the way many Moroccans text. A few symbols stand for sounds English, French and Swedish don't have:

3
a tight sound from the throat (Arabic ع)
7
a breathy h, stronger than English h (ح)
9
a k made deep in the throat (ق)
gh
like a French r (غ)
kh
like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach (خ)
ch
like English sh (ش)

Vocabulary

alloألو
hello (on the phone)
n3am?نعم؟
yes? / pardon?
m3a chkoun kanhder?مع شكون كنهضر؟
who am I speaking to?
chkoun m3aya?شكون معايا؟
who’s calling?
nhder m3aنهضر مع
to speak with
tsenna / tsennayتسنى / تسناي
wait (to a man / to a woman)
ma kansme3kchما كنسمعكش
I can’t hear you
3awedعاود
repeat, say again
n3iyyet / t3iyyetنعيط / تعيط
I call / you call
men b3dمن بعد
later

Repeat after me

Read each phrase out loud, then cover it and say it from memory.

  • Allo, salam. M3a chkoun kanhder?

    ألو، السلام. مع شكون كنهضر؟

    Hello. Who am I speaking to?

  • Ana Anna. Bghit nhder m3a madame Tazi, 3afak.

    أنا آنا. بغيت نهضر مع مدام التازي، عافاك.

    It’s Anna. I’d like to speak to Mrs Tazi, please.

  • Ma kansme3kch mzyan. 3awed, 3afak?

    ما كنسمعكش مزيان. عاود، عافاك؟

    I can’t hear you well. Could you repeat that?

  • Iyyeh, ghadi n3iyyet m3a ttlata. Chokran.

    إيه، غادي نعيط مع التلاتة. شكرا.

    Yes, I’ll call back at three. Thank you.

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 7Why can’t Anna speak to Mrs Tazi?
  2. Question 2 of 7Fill in the blankMa mzyan. 3awed, 3afak?I can’t hear you well. Could you repeat that?
  3. Question 3 of 7How do you ask “Who’s calling?”
  4. Question 4 of 7Match each expression with its meaning.
  5. Question 5 of 7What does “ma kansme3kch” mean?
  6. Question 6 of 7How do you say “who am I speaking to?” in Darija?
  7. Question 7 of 7 · Review from lesson 5Review (lesson 5): what does “kelma / kelmat” mean?

Your turn

Call a company: ask for someone, say you can’t hear well and offer to call back.

Show an example answer

Allo, bghit nhder m3a si Amrani. … Ma kansme3kch mzyan. Ghadi n3iyyet men b3d.

ألو، بغيت نهضر مع سي العمراني. … ما كنسمعكش مزيان. غادي نعيط من بعد.

Hello, I’d like to speak to Mr Amrani. … I can’t hear you well. I’ll call back later.

Summary

“Allo”, “chkoun m3aya?”, “bghit nhder m3a…”, “ma kansme3kch mzyan” and “ghadi n3iyyet men b3d”.

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