Module 10 · Moroccan culture and real conversations
Lesson 96 · Lower intermediate · 4 min
Understanding fast speech
Spoken contractions: achbghiti, ghanmchiw, makaynch, ktab d khti…
- Unreviewed: this lesson’s Darija and translations have not yet been checked by a native speaker.
In this lesson
- Recognise the most common contractions
- Ask someone to speak word by word
- Break down a fast sentence
In speech, words merge: “ach bghiti” becomes “achbghiti”, “ghadi nmchiw” becomes “ghanmchiw”, “dyal” becomes “d”. Recognising them is the key to following real conversations.
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
- NabilAchbghiti? Ghanmchiw l b7er wla la?What do you want? Are we going to the beach or not?
- EllaB chwiya 3liya! 3awed kelma b kelma.Slow down for me! Say it word by word.
- NabilAch… bghiti? Ghadi… nmchiw… l b7er… wla la?What… do you want? Are we… going… to the beach… or not?
- EllaAh! « Ghanmchiw » ya3ni « ghadi nmchiw »!Oh! “Ghanmchiw” means “ghadi nmchiw”!
- NabilB dbt. W « achbghiti » = « ach bghiti ». Kanhedro bzerba.Exactly. And “achbghiti” = “ach bghiti”. We speak fast.
- EllaW « makaynch »?And “makaynch”?
- Nabil« Ma kaynch »: ya3ni ma kayn walou. Kolchi kaywelli kelma wa7da!“Ma kaynch”: there’s nothing. Everything turns into one word!
- EllaIwa ghansme3 mzyan… w ghanfhem, inchallah!So I’ll listen carefully… and I’ll understand, God willing!
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
- bzerbaبالزربة
- fast
- b chwiya 3liyaبشوية عليا
- slow down for me
- kelma b kelmaكلمة بكلمة
- word by word
- achbghitiأشبغيتي
- = ach bghiti: what do you want?
- ghanmchiwغانمشيو
- = ghadi nmchiw: we’re going to go
- makaynchماكاينش
- = ma kaynch: there isn’t
- dد
- = dyal: of (ktab d khti = my sister’s book)
- achأش
- = chno: what
- kaywelliكيولي
- it becomes
- ghansme3غانسمع
- I’ll listen
- kanhedroكنهضرو
- we speak
Repeat after me
Read each phrase out loud, then cover it and say it from memory.
Achbghiti? Ghanmchiw l b7er wla la?
أشبغيتي؟ غانمشيو للبحر ولا لا؟
What do you want? Are we going to the beach or not?
B chwiya 3liya! 3awed kelma b kelma.
بشوية عليا! عاود كلمة بكلمة.
Slow down for me! Say it word by word.
Ah! « Ghanmchiw » ya3ni « ghadi nmchiw »!
آه! «غانمشيو» يعني «غادي نمشيو»!
Oh! “Ghanmchiw” means “ghadi nmchiw”!
Iwa ghansme3 mzyan… w ghanfhem, inchallah!
إيوا غانسمع مزيان… وغانفهم، إن شاء الله!
So I’ll listen carefully… and I’ll understand, God willing!
Quiz
Your turn
Break these fast forms into separate words: achbghiti, ghanmchiw, makaynch, ktab d khti.
Show an example answer
ach bghiti · ghadi nmchiw · ma kaynch · ktab dyal khti
أش بغيتي · غادي نمشيو · ما كاينش · كتاب ديال ختي
what do you want · we’re going to go · there isn’t · my sister’s book
Summary
achbghiti = ach bghiti; ghanmchiw = ghadi nmchiw; makaynch = ma kaynch; d = dyal; ach = chno. And “b chwiya 3liya” if it’s too fast!
Finished?
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