Skip to main content
DarijaGo
All lessons

Module 7 · Family and relationships

Lesson 64 · Lower intermediate · 4 min

An invitation to lunch

Inviting, accepting, setting the time and offering to bring something.

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

In this lesson

  • Invite someone to your home
  • Accept an invitation warmly
  • Offer to bring something

Being invited to lunch on a Friday often means family couscous. Even if you’re told not to bring anything, a small gift is appreciated.

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. NadiaPaul, wach nta khawi nhar jjem3a?Paul, are you free on Friday?
  2. PaulIyyeh, 3lach?Yes, why?
  3. NadiaBghit n3erred 3lik l lghda f darna. Lwalida ghadi tiyyeb lkeskes.I’d like to invite you to lunch at our place. My mother’s making couscous.
  4. PaulWa3er! Bla chek ghadi nji.Great! I’ll definitely come.
  5. NadiaMzyan. M3a lwe7da, men b3d ssla.Good. At one o’clock, after the prayer.
  6. PaulWach njib chi 7aja? Chi 7lwa?Shall I bring something? Some pastries?
  7. NadiaMa tkellefch rassek! Ghir aji.Don’t go to any trouble! Just come.
  8. PaulWakha. Nchoufkom nhar jjem3a, inchallah.Okay. See you all on Friday, God willing.
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

khawiخاوي
free (not busy)
n3erred 3likنعرض عليك
I invite you
darnaدارنا
our home
bla chekبلا شك
definitely
m3a lwe7daمع الوحدة
at one o’clock
sslaالصلا
the prayer
njibنجيب
I bring
ma tkellefch rassekما تكلفش راسك
don’t go to any trouble
ghir ajiغير أجي
just come
nchoufkomنشوفكم
see you (all)
l3radaالعراضة
the invitation

Repeat after me

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

  • Paul, wach nta khawi nhar jjem3a?

    پول، واش نتا خاوي نهار الجمعة؟

    Paul, are you free on Friday?

  • Bghit n3erred 3lik l lghda f darna. Lwalida ghadi tiyyeb lkeskes.

    بغيت نعرض عليك للغدا فدارنا. الواليدة غادي تطيب الكسكس.

    I’d like to invite you to lunch at our place. My mother’s making couscous.

  • Wa3er! Bla chek ghadi nji.

    واعر! بلا شك غادي نجي.

    Great! I’ll definitely come.

  • Wach njib chi 7aja? Chi 7lwa?

    واش نجيب شي حاجة؟ شي حلوة؟

    Shall I bring something? Some pastries?

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 7What will the mother cook?
  2. Question 2 of 7Fill in the blankBghit 3lik l lghda f darna.I’d like to invite you to lunch at our place.
  3. Question 3 of 7Your host says “ma tkellefch rassek”. What do you do?
  4. Question 4 of 7Match each expression with its meaning.
  5. Question 5 of 7What does “ma tkellefch rassek” mean?
  6. Question 6 of 7How do you say “our home” in Darija?
  7. Question 7 of 7 · Review from lesson 15Review (lesson 15): what does “jay / jaya” mean?

Your turn

Invite a friend to dinner at your place on Saturday evening and set a time.

Show an example answer

Wach nta khawi nhar ssebt? Bghit n3erred 3lik l l3cha f darna, m3a tmnya.

واش نتا خاوي نهار السبت؟ بغيت نعرض عليك للعشا فدارنا، مع التمنية.

Are you free on Saturday? I’d like to invite you to dinner at ours, at eight.

Summary

“Wach nta khawi…?”, “bghit n3erred 3lik l…”, “bla chek ghadi nji”, “wach njib chi 7aja?”.

Finished?

Your progress is saved in this browser, on this device only. It is not synced to your other devices.

Review these lessons