Module 10 · Moroccan culture and real conversations
Lesson 99 · Lower intermediate · 4 min
Solving a problem: a stolen phone
Reporting a theft at the police station: telling what happened, describing the item, getting a receipt.
- Unreviewed: this lesson’s Darija and translations have not yet been checked by a native speaker.
In this lesson
- Describe an incident in the past tense
- Describe an object precisely
- Get a document for insurance
A theft can spoil a trip. Knowing how to report it calmly helps, especially for insurance. This lesson combines the past tense, colours and negation.
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
- AnnaSalam, bghit ndir chikaya. Ttilifoun dyali tsre9.Hello, I’d like to report a theft. My phone was stolen.
- PolicierFou9ach w fin?When and where?
- AnnaLyoum f sba7, f tobis, mn ssak dyali.This morning, on the bus, from my bag.
- PolicierChefti chkoun khdah?Did you see who took it?
- AnnaLa, ma 7essitch b walou. Kan zzi7am bzzaf.No, I didn’t feel a thing. It was very crowded.
- PolicierChno nnou3 dyal ttilifoun w chno lloun dyalo?What make is the phone, and what colour?
- AnnaSmartphone k7el, fih wa7d lcouverture 7amra.A black smartphone with a red case.
- PolicierMzyan. 3emmri had lwer9a w sayni hna.Fine. Fill in this form and sign here.
- AnnaWach ghadi tl9awh?Will you find it?
- PolicierMa n9derch nwa3dek, walakin ghadi n3iyytou lik ila ban chi 7aja. Hak lwasl, l l’assurance.I can’t promise anything, but we’ll call you if anything turns up. Here’s the receipt, for your insurance.
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
- ndir chikayaندير شكاية
- to report (a crime), file a complaint
- tsre9تسرق
- it was stolen
- khdahخداه
- he took it
- ma 7essitch b walouما حسيتش بوالو
- I didn’t feel anything
- zzi7amالزحام
- the crowd
- nnou3النوع
- the type, make
- llounاللون
- the colour
- lcouvertureالكوفيرتور
- the phone case
- sayniسايني
- sign (to a woman)
- nwa3dekنواعدك
- I promise you
- ila ban chi 7ajaإلا بان شي حاجة
- if anything turns up
- l’assuranceالأسورونس
- insurance
Repeat after me
Read each phrase out loud, then cover it and say it from memory.
Salam, bghit ndir chikaya. Ttilifoun dyali tsre9.
السلام، بغيت ندير شكاية. التيليفون ديالي تسرق.
Hello, I’d like to report a theft. My phone was stolen.
Lyoum f sba7, f tobis, mn ssak dyali.
اليوم فالصباح، فالطوبيس، من الساك ديالي.
This morning, on the bus, from my bag.
La, ma 7essitch b walou. Kan zzi7am bzzaf.
لا، ما حسيتش بوالو. كان الزحام بزاف.
No, I didn’t feel a thing. It was very crowded.
Smartphone k7el, fih wa7d lcouverture 7amra.
سمارتفون كحل، فيه واحد الكوفيرتور حمرا.
A black smartphone with a red case.
Quiz
Your turn
Report a theft: what, when, where, and describe the item (colour, type).
Show an example answer
Ssak dyali tsre9 lbare7 f lmdina. Howa sghir w zre9, w fih lpaspor.
الساك ديالي تسرق البارح فالمدينة. هو صغير وزرق، وفيه الپاسپور.
My bag was stolen yesterday in the medina. It’s small and blue, and my passport is in it.
Summary
“Bghit ndir chikaya”, “… tsre9”, “fou9ach w fin”, colour and type, then “lwasl” for the insurance.
Finished?
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