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Module 9 · Grammar and communication

Lesson 89 · Lower intermediate · 4 min

The future: ghadi and gha-

Talking about plans: “ghadi” + verb, and the short form “gha-”.

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

In this lesson

  • Express the future with “ghadi”
  • Recognise the short form “gha-”
  • Express uncertainty with “ymken”

For the future: “ghadi” + the verb without “ka” (ghadi nmchi = I’m going to go). In speech, “ghadi” often shortens to “gha-”: ghanmchi.

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. AnouarChno ghadi tdiri l3am jay?What are you going to do next year?
  2. SalmaGhadi nqra f Rbat, inchallah.I’m going to study in Rabat, God willing.
  3. AnouarW fin ghadi tskni?And where will you live?
  4. SalmaGhansken m3a khalti. Darha 9riba mn ljami3a.I’ll live with my aunt. Her house is near the university.
  5. AnouarZwin! W ghadi tkhdmi chwiya?Nice! And will you work a bit?
  6. SalmaYmken. Ghadi nqelleb 3la chi khedma f l3otla.Maybe. I’ll look for a job in the holidays.
  7. AnouarAna ghadi nsafer l Ssouid! Ghanchouf ttelj!I’m going to travel to Sweden! I’ll see snow!
  8. SalmaHhh, ghatberd bzzaf! Dir 7wayj skhoun.Haha, you’re going to be freezing! Take warm clothes.
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

ghadi + verbeغادي + فعل
going to (future)
gha-غا-
short form of “ghadi”ghadi nmchi → ghanmchi; ghadi tberd → ghatberd.
l3am jayالعام الجاي
next year
nqraنقرا
I study
ljami3aالجامعة
the university
ymkenيمكن
maybe
nqelleb 3laنقلب على
I look for
nsaferنسافر
I travel
tteljالثلج
snow
tberdتبرد
to get cold
7wayj skhounحوايج سخان
warm clothes

Repeat after me

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

  • Ghadi nqra f Rbat, inchallah.

    غادي نقرا فالرباط، إن شاء الله.

    I’m going to study in Rabat, God willing.

  • Ghansken m3a khalti. Darha 9riba mn ljami3a.

    غانسكن مع خالتي. دارها قريبة من الجامعة.

    I’ll live with my aunt. Her house is near the university.

  • Ymken. Ghadi nqelleb 3la chi khedma f l3otla.

    يمكن. غادي نقلب على شي خدمة فالعطلة.

    Maybe. I’ll look for a job in the holidays.

  • Ana ghadi nsafer l Ssouid! Ghanchouf ttelj!

    أنا غادي نسافر للسويد! غانشوف الثلج!

    I’m going to travel to Sweden! I’ll see snow!

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 7Where will Salma live?
  2. Question 2 of 7Fill in the blank nqra f Rbat, inchallah.I’m going to study in Rabat, God willing.
  3. Question 3 of 7What does “ghanchouf” mean?
  4. Question 4 of 7Match each expression with its meaning.
  5. Question 5 of 7What does “nsafer” mean?
  6. Question 6 of 7How do you say “short form of “ghadi”” in Darija?
  7. Question 7 of 7 · Review from lesson 16Review (lesson 16): what does “ghedda” mean?

Your turn

Say three things you’re going to do next year, one of them uncertain with “ymken”.

Show an example answer

L3am jay ghadi nt3ellem darija mzyan, ghanmchi l Fas, w ymken nkhdem f lMeghrib.

العام الجاي غادي نتعلم الدارجة مزيان، غانمشي لفاس، ويمكن نخدم فالمغرب.

Next year I’m going to learn Darija properly, I’ll go to Fez, and maybe I’ll work in Morocco.

Summary

Future: ghadi + verb (ghadi nmchi) or gha- (ghanmchi). Uncertainty: ymken. And always “inchallah”!

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