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Module 7 · Family and relationships

Lesson 63 · Lower intermediate · 4 min

Married, engaged, single

Talking about relationship status, reacting to good news and blessing children.

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

In this lesson

  • Say whether you’re married, engaged or single
  • Congratulate with “mabrouk”
  • Handle personal questions comfortably

People will soon ask if you’re married or have children. It isn’t nosy: it’s a way of getting to know you.

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. KhalidWach nti mzowwja?Are you married?
  2. JuliaLa, walakin ana mkhtouba.No, but I’m engaged.
  3. KhalidMabrouk! Fou9ach l3ers?Congratulations! When’s the wedding?
  4. JuliaF sseif jay, inchallah. W nta?Next summer, God willing. And you?
  5. KhalidAna mzowwej hadi khms snin, w 3ndi bent.I’ve been married for five years and I have a daughter.
  6. JuliaLah ykhalliha lik! Chhal f 3merha?God bless her! How old is she?
  7. KhalidJuj snin. W khtibek, mghribi?Two. And your fiancé, is he Moroccan?
  8. JuliaLa, swidi. Walakin kaybghi lMeghrib bzzaf!No, Swedish. But he loves Morocco!
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

mzowwej / mzowwjaمزوج / مزوجة
married (m. / f.)
mkhtoub / mkhtoubaمخطوب / مخطوبة
engaged (m. / f.)
khtib / khtibaخطيب / خطيبة
fiancé / fiancée
3azeb / 3azbaعازب / عازبة
single (m. / f.)
l3ersالعرس
the wedding
mabroukمبروك
congratulations
mrati / rajliمراتي / راجلي
my wife / my husband
bent / wldبنت / ولد
daughter, girl / son, boy
lah ykhallih / ykhalliha likالله يخليه / يخليها ليك
God keep him / her for you
sseif jayالصيف الجاي
next summer

Repeat after me

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

  • Wach nti mzowwja?

    واش نتي مزوجة؟

    Are you married?

  • La, walakin ana mkhtouba.

    لا، ولكن أنا مخطوبة.

    No, but I’m engaged.

  • Mabrouk! Fou9ach l3ers?

    مبروك! فوقاش العرس؟

    Congratulations! When’s the wedding?

  • Ana mzowwej hadi khms snin, w 3ndi bent.

    أنا مزوج هادي خمس سنين، وعندي بنت.

    I’ve been married for five years and I have a daughter.

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 7When is Julia getting married?
  2. Question 2 of 7Fill in the blankLa, walakin ana .No, but I’m engaged.
  3. Question 3 of 7What do you say when someone announces their engagement?
  4. Question 4 of 7Match each expression with its meaning.
  5. Question 5 of 7What does “lah ykhallih / ykhalliha lik” mean?
  6. Question 6 of 7How do you say “fiancé / fiancée” in Darija?
  7. Question 7 of 7 · Review from lesson 6Review (lesson 6): what does “jouj” mean?

Your turn

Answer: are you married, engaged or single? Do you have children?

Show an example answer

Ana 3azba, ma 3ndich lwlad. W nta?

أنا عازبة، ما عنديش الولاد. ونتا؟

I’m single, I don’t have children. And you?

Summary

Mzowwej / mkhtoub / 3azeb (+ -a for feminine), “mabrouk!” for good news, and “lah ykhallih lik” for children.

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