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Module 1 · Greetings and introductions

Lesson 7 · Beginner · 4 min

Fin saken? Where you live

Saying where you live or are staying, and whether it’s near or far.

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

In this lesson

  • Ask and say where someone lives
  • Use “saken / sakna” for a man or a woman
  • Say whether a place is near or far

“Saken” means both “I live” and “I’m staying”. Handy for talking about your riad as well as your home town.

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. RachidFin sakna hna f Marrakech?Where are you staying here in Marrakech?
  2. JulieSakna f wa7d riad f lmdina l9dima.I’m staying in a riad in the old town.
  3. RachidZwin! 9rib mn Jam3 lFna?Nice! Is it near Jemaa el-Fna?
  4. JulieIyyeh, 9rib bzzaf. W nta, fin saken?Yes, very close. And you, where do you live?
  5. RachidAna saken f Gueliz, m3a lwalidin dyali.I live in Gueliz, with my parents.
  6. JulieWach Gueliz b3ida mn hna?Is Gueliz far from here?
  7. RachidLa, chi 3achr d9ay9 f tobis.No, about ten minutes by bus.
  8. JulieMzyan. F Fransa, ana sakna f Lyon.Good. In France, I live in Lyon.
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

finفين
where
saken / saknaساكن / ساكنة
living, staying (man / woman)Plural: “saknin”.
riadرياض
riad (traditional house with a courtyard)
lmdina l9dimaالمدينة القديمة
the old town, the medina
9rib mnقريب من
near, close to
b3id mnبعيد من
far from
m3aمع
with
lwalidinالواليدين
parents
hnaهنا
here
d9ay9دقايق
minutes

Repeat after me

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

  • Fin sakna hna f Marrakech?

    فين ساكنة هنا فمراكش؟

    Where are you staying here in Marrakech?

  • Sakna f wa7d riad f lmdina l9dima.

    ساكنة فواحد رياض فالمدينة القديمة.

    I’m staying in a riad in the old town.

  • Iyyeh, 9rib bzzaf. W nta, fin saken?

    إيه، قريب بزاف. ونتا، فين ساكن؟

    Yes, very close. And you, where do you live?

  • Wach Gueliz b3ida mn hna?

    واش كليز بعيدة من هنا؟

    Is Gueliz far from here?

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 7Where is Julie staying?
  2. Question 2 of 7Fill in the blankAna f Gueliz.I live in Gueliz. (a man speaking)
  3. Question 3 of 7How long does it take to get to Gueliz by bus?
  4. Question 4 of 7Match each expression with its meaning.
  5. Question 5 of 7What does “riad” mean?
  6. Question 6 of 7How do you say “the old town, the medina” in Darija?
  7. Question 7 of 7 · Review from lesson 4Review (lesson 4): what does “inglizi / ingliziya” mean?

Your turn

Say where you’re staying on your trip and where you live at home.

Show an example answer

Ana saken f lotel 9rib mn lb7er. F Ssouid, ana saken f Malmö.

أنا ساكن فلوطيل قريب من البحر. فالسويد، أنا ساكن فمالمو.

I’m staying in a hotel near the sea. In Sweden, I live in Malmö.

Summary

“Fin saken / sakna?” – “Ana saken f…”, with “9rib mn” (near) and “b3id mn” (far from).

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