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Module 7 · Family and relationships

Lesson 68 · Lower intermediate · 4 min

Tbarkallah: giving and receiving compliments

Complimenting an outfit, a dish or someone’s Darija, and answering modestly.

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

In this lesson

  • Give a compliment with “tbarkallah”
  • Accept a compliment modestly
  • Say you’re still learning

A compliment often comes with “tbarkallah” (God bless): it keeps admiration from sounding envious.

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. ThomasTbarkallah 3lik, l9eftan zwin bzzaf!Wow, the caftan is really beautiful!
  2. AmalLah ykhallik! Khiyytatou khalti.Thank you! My aunt made it.
  3. ThomasHiya m3allma! W lmakla 7ta hiya bnina bzzaf.She’s a real pro! And the food is delicious too.
  4. AmalLwalida lli tiyyebatha. Ghadi n9oulha liha.My mother made it. I’ll tell her.
  5. AmalW nta, tbarkallah, darija dyalek wllat mzyana!And you, well done, your Darija has got really good!
  6. ThomasMazal, mazal. Kanta3llem b chwiya.Not yet, not yet. I’m learning slowly.
  7. AmalNta mtwade3! Kathder b7al chi mghribi.You’re being modest! You speak like a Moroccan.
  8. ThomasLah ykhallik, hadchi bzzaf 3liya!Thank you, that’s too kind!
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

tbarkallah 3likتبارك الله عليك
well done, God bless you (compliment)
zwin / zwinaزوين / زوينة
beautiful, nice (m. / f.)
l9eftanالقفطان
the caftan
m3allem / m3allmaمعلم / معلمة
an expert, master craftsperson
bnin / bninaبنين / بنينة
delicious (m. / f.)
wllatولات
it has become (f.)
mazalمازال
not yet; still
kanta3llemكنتعلم
I’m learning
mtwade3متواضع
modest
b7alبحال
like
hadchi bzzaf 3liyaهادشي بزاف عليا
that’s too kind, too much for me

Repeat after me

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

  • Tbarkallah 3lik, l9eftan zwin bzzaf!

    تبارك الله عليك، القفطان زوين بزاف!

    Wow, the caftan is really beautiful!

  • Lah ykhallik! Khiyytatou khalti.

    الله يخليك! خيطاتو خالتي.

    Thank you! My aunt made it.

  • W nta, tbarkallah, darija dyalek wllat mzyana!

    ونتا، تبارك الله، الدارجة ديالك ولات مزيانة!

    And you, well done, your Darija has got really good!

  • Mazal, mazal. Kanta3llem b chwiya.

    مازال، مازال. كنتعلم بشوية.

    Not yet, not yet. I’m learning slowly.

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 7Who made the caftan?
  2. Question 2 of 7Fill in the blank 3lik, l9eftan zwin bzzaf!Wow, the caftan is really beautiful!
  3. Question 3 of 7Why add “tbarkallah” to a compliment?
  4. Question 4 of 7Match each expression with its meaning.
  5. Question 5 of 7What does “mazal” mean?
  6. Question 6 of 7How do you say “that’s too kind, too much for me” in Darija?
  7. Question 7 of 7 · Review from lesson 27Review (lesson 27): what does “chebbakiya” mean?

Your turn

Compliment a dish and an outfit, then reply modestly to a compliment on your Darija.

Show an example answer

Tbarkallah, ttajine bnin bzzaf! … Mazal, kanta3llem b chwiya.

تبارك الله، الطاجين بنين بزاف! … مازال، كنتعلم بشوية.

Well done, the tajine is delicious! … Not yet, I’m learning slowly.

Summary

“Tbarkallah 3lik”, zwin / bnin, “m3allem”, and to reply: “lah ykhallik”, “mazal, kanta3llem”.

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