Lesson 15 · Beginner · 4 min
The days of the week
The seven days, today, yesterday, tomorrow and next week.
- Unreviewed: this lesson’s Darija and translations have not yet been checked by a native speaker.
In this lesson
- Name the days of the week
- Say today, yesterday and tomorrow
- Talk about next week
On Friday (jjem3a) many families eat couscous. The days set the rhythm of life: market day, the mosque, the weekend.
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
- NoraChno lyoum? Larb3?What day is it today? Wednesday?
- AdilLa, lyoum lkhmis. Lbare7 kan larb3.No, today is Thursday. Yesterday was Wednesday.
- NoraIwa ghedda jjem3a! Kayn lkeskes f dar jeddti.So tomorrow is Friday! There’s couscous at my grandmother’s.
- AdilZwin! Ana nhar jjem3a kankhdem 7ta l ttnach.Nice! I work until noon on Fridays.
- NoraW ssebt w l7ed?And Saturday and Sunday?
- AdilSsebt w l7ed 3otla. Nmchiw l b7er?Saturday and Sunday are off. Shall we go to the beach?
- NoraMa n9derch had ssimana. Ssimana jaya, inchallah.I can’t this week. Next week, God willing.
- AdilWakha, nhar ssebt jay.Okay, next Saturday.
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
- letninالتنين
- Monday
- tlatالتلات
- Tuesday
- larb3الاربع
- Wednesday
- lkhmisالخميس
- Thursday
- jjem3aالجمعة
- Friday
- ssebtالسبت
- Saturday
- l7edالحد
- Sunday
- lyoumاليوم
- today
- gheddaغدا
- tomorrow
- lbare7البارح
- yesterday
- ssimanaالسيمانة
- the week
- jay / jayaجاي / جاية
- next (m. / f.)
Repeat after me
Read each phrase out loud, then cover it and say it from memory.
Chno lyoum? Larb3?
شنو اليوم؟ الاربع؟
What day is it today? Wednesday?
La, lyoum lkhmis. Lbare7 kan larb3.
لا، اليوم الخميس. البارح كان الاربع.
No, today is Thursday. Yesterday was Wednesday.
Iwa ghedda jjem3a! Kayn lkeskes f dar jeddti.
إيوا غدا الجمعة! كاين الكسكس فدار جدتي.
So tomorrow is Friday! There’s couscous at my grandmother’s.
Ma n9derch had ssimana. Ssimana jaya, inchallah.
ما نقدرش هاد السيمانة. السيمانة الجاية، إن شاء الله.
I can’t this week. Next week, God willing.
Quiz
Your turn
Say what day it is, what you did yesterday and what you’ll do next Saturday.
Show an example answer
Lyoum tlat. Nhar ssebt jay ghadi nmchi l b7er.
اليوم التلات. نهار السبت الجاي غادي نمشي للبحر.
Today is Tuesday. Next Saturday I’ll go to the beach.
Summary
Letnin, tlat, larb3, lkhmis, jjem3a, ssebt, l7ed; lyoum, ghedda, lbare7; “ssimana jaya” = next week.
Finished?
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