Module 9 · Grammar and communication
Lesson 90 · Lower intermediate · 4 min
Building sentences: bach, 7it, ila…
Linking ideas to tell a story: in order to, because, if, before, then.
- Unreviewed: this lesson’s Darija and translations have not yet been checked by a native speaker.
In this lesson
- Use the most common connectors
- Tell a short story in the past
- Understand “3ad” (only then)
With a few small words — w, walakin, 7it, ila, bach, 9bel ma, men b3d, 3ad — your sentences become stories.
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
- Kawtar3awed liya chno w9e3 lbare7.Tell me what happened yesterday.
- AdnaneKhrejt bekri bach nchri lkhobz, walakin l7anout kan msdoud.I went out early to buy bread, but the shop was closed.
- KawtarW men b3d?And then?
- AdnaneMchit l souq, 7it ila ma chrit lkhobz, lwalida ghadi tghdeb!I went to the market, because if I didn’t buy bread, my mum would get angry!
- KawtarHhh! W l9iti lkhobz?Haha! And did you find bread?
- AdnaneIyyeh, walakin 9bel ma nrje3, tlaqit m3a sa7bi w chrebna atay.Yes, but before going home I ran into a friend and we had tea.
- KawtarW lwalida?And your mum?
- Adnane3ad wselt l ddar m3a l7dach… w lkhobz kan bared!I only got home at eleven… and the bread was cold!
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
- wو
- and
- walakinولكن
- but
- 7itحيت
- because
- ilaإلا
- if
- bachباش
- in order to, so that
- 9bel maقبل ما
- before (+ verb)
- men b3dمن بعد
- then, afterwards
- 3adعاد
- only then, not until
- msdoudمسدود
- closed
- tlaqit m3aتلاقيت مع
- I ran into, met
- tghdebتغضب
- to get angry (she)
- w9e3وقع
- it happened
Repeat after me
Read each phrase out loud, then cover it and say it from memory.
Khrejt bekri bach nchri lkhobz, walakin l7anout kan msdoud.
خرجت بكري باش نشري الخبز، ولكن الحانوت كان مسدود.
I went out early to buy bread, but the shop was closed.
Mchit l souq, 7it ila ma chrit lkhobz, lwalida ghadi tghdeb!
مشيت للسوق، حيت إلا ما شريت الخبز، الواليدة غادي تغضب!
I went to the market, because if I didn’t buy bread, my mum would get angry!
Iyyeh, walakin 9bel ma nrje3, tlaqit m3a sa7bi w chrebna atay.
إيه، ولكن قبل ما نرجع، تلاقيت مع صاحبي وشربنا أتاي.
Yes, but before going home I ran into a friend and we had tea.
3ad wselt l ddar m3a l7dach… w lkhobz kan bared!
عاد وصلت للدار مع الحداش… والخبز كان بارد!
I only got home at eleven… and the bread was cold!
Quiz
Your turn
Tell a short mishap story using bach, walakin, 7it and men b3d.
Show an example answer
Mchit l lagar bach nchri lbiyyi, walakin tran kan mcha. Men b3d khdit lkar, 7it ma kanch chi tran akhor.
مشيت للاگار باش نشري البيي، ولكن التران كان مشا. من بعد خديت الكار، حيت ما كانش شي تران آخور.
I went to the station to buy a ticket, but the train had already left. Then I took the coach, because there was no other train.
Summary
w, walakin, 7it, ila, bach, 9bel ma, men b3d, 3ad: the connectors that turn sentences into a story.
Finished?
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