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Module 2 · Everyday life

Lesson 17 · Beginner · 4 min

Chno katdir daba? What you’re doing

Saying what you’re doing right now and what others are doing.

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

In this lesson

  • Describe an ongoing action
  • Use “ka-” for I, you, he
  • Talk about common activities

“Kan-” = I, “kat-” = you (or she), “kay-” = he. The same prefix covers habits and what’s happening right now.

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. YassineAllo, Rim! Chno katdiri daba?Hello, Rim! What are you doing right now?
  2. RimKanqra. 3ndi mt7an ghedda.I’m studying. I have an exam tomorrow.
  3. YassineAh, sme7 lia. Ana kantfrrej f match m3a s7abi.Oh, sorry. I’m watching a match with my friends.
  4. RimChkoun kayl3eb?Who’s playing?
  5. YassineLwidad m3a Rraja!Wydad against Raja!
  6. RimWa3er! W khouk? Chno kaydir?Great! And your brother? What’s he doing?
  7. YassineHowa f lkouzina, kaytiyyeb l3cha.He’s in the kitchen, making dinner.
  8. RimMzyan. Yallah, ghadi nkemmel l9raya. Bslama!Right. Okay, I’ll get back to studying. Bye!
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

chno katdir / katdiri?شنو كتدير / كديري؟
what are you doing? (to a man / woman)
dabaدابا
now
kanqraكنقرا
I study, I read
mt7anامتحان
an exam
kantfrrej fكنتفرج ف
I’m watching
kayl3ebكيلعب
he plays, is playing
lkouzinaالكوزينة
the kitchen
kaytiyyebكيطيب
he’s cooking
nkemmelنكمل
I continue, I finish
l9rayaالقراية
studying, school work

Repeat after me

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

  • Allo, Rim! Chno katdiri daba?

    ألو، ريم! شنو كديري دابا؟

    Hello, Rim! What are you doing right now?

  • Kanqra. 3ndi mt7an ghedda.

    كنقرا. عندي امتحان غدا.

    I’m studying. I have an exam tomorrow.

  • Chkoun kayl3eb?

    شكون كيلعب؟

    Who’s playing?

  • Wa3er! W khouk? Chno kaydir?

    واعر! وخوك؟ شنو كيدير؟

    Great! And your brother? What’s he doing?

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 7What is Rim doing?
  2. Question 2 of 7Fill in the blankChkoun ?Who’s playing?
  3. Question 3 of 7“Kaytiyyeb” means…
  4. Question 4 of 7Match each expression with its meaning.
  5. Question 5 of 7What does “kaytiyyeb” mean?
  6. Question 6 of 7How do you say “what are you doing? (to a man / woman)” in Darija?
  7. Question 7 of 7 · Review from lesson 12Review (lesson 12): what does “l3chiya” mean?

Your turn

A friend calls you. Say what you’re doing and what someone at home is doing.

Show an example answer

Ana kanqra, w khti katfrrej f ttilfaza.

أنا كنقرا، وختي كتفرج فالتلفزة.

I’m studying and my sister is watching TV.

Summary

“Chno katdir daba?” – “Kanqra / kantfrrej / kantiyyeb”. “Kay-” for he, “kat-” for you or she.

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