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Module 5 · Transport and directions

Lesson 49 · Elementary · 4 min

Tlefet: lost in the medina

Saying you’re lost, explaining where you’re going and following directions.

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

In this lesson

  • Say that you’re lost
  • Give your riad’s address
  • Understand “ask over there”

The medina’s alleys (“derb”) are a maze and GPS works badly there. Asking shopkeepers is your best option.

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. TravellerSme7 lia, tlefet. Ma 3reftch fin ana.Excuse me, I’m lost. I don’t know where I am.
  2. ShopkeeperMa tkhafich. Fin bghiti tmchi?Don’t worry. Where do you want to go?
  3. TravellerL riad Dar Nour, f Derb Lalla Zineb.To Riad Dar Nour, in Derb Lalla Zineb.
  4. ShopkeeperDerb Lalla Zineb… b3id chwiya. Wach 3ndek lkharita?Derb Lalla Zineb… it’s a bit far. Do you have a map?
  5. TravellerIyyeh, f ttilifoun, walakin ma khddamach mzyan hna.Yes, on my phone, but it doesn’t work well here.
  6. ShopkeeperNormal, f lmdina ma kaynch rrizo.That’s normal, there’s no signal in the medina.
  7. ShopkeeperSir nichan 7ta l lbab l kbir, w sewwel tmma.Go straight to the big gate and ask again there.
  8. TravellerLah ykhallik, chokran bzzaf!That’s very kind, thank you so much!
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

tlefetتلفت
I’m lost
ma 3reftchما عرفتش
I don’t know
ma tkhafch / ma tkhafichما تخافش / ما تخافيش
don’t worry (to a man / to a woman)
derbدرب
alley, medina neighbourhood
lkharitaالخريطة
the map
ma khddamachما خدامة
it doesn’t work (f.)
rrizoالريزو
phone signal
7ta l…حتى ل…
until, as far as…
lbabالباب
the gate, door
tmmaتما
there
sewwelسول
ask

Repeat after me

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

  • Sme7 lia, tlefet. Ma 3reftch fin ana.

    سمح ليا، تلفت. ما عرفتش فين أنا.

    Excuse me, I’m lost. I don’t know where I am.

  • L riad Dar Nour, f Derb Lalla Zineb.

    لرياض دار النور، فدرب لالة زينب.

    To Riad Dar Nour, in Derb Lalla Zineb.

  • Iyyeh, f ttilifoun, walakin ma khddamach mzyan hna.

    إيه، فالتيليفون، ولكن ما خدامة مزيان هنا.

    Yes, on my phone, but it doesn’t work well here.

  • Lah ykhallik, chokran bzzaf!

    الله يخليك، شكرا بزاف!

    That’s very kind, thank you so much!

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 7Why doesn’t the phone map work well?
  2. Question 2 of 7Fill in the blankSme7 lia, . Ma 3reftch fin ana.Excuse me, I’m lost. I don’t know where I am.
  3. Question 3 of 7Who should you ask for directions in the medina?
  4. Question 4 of 7Match each expression with its meaning.
  5. Question 5 of 7What does “lkharita” mean?
  6. Question 6 of 7How do you say “I’m lost” in Darija?
  7. Question 7 of 7 · Review from lesson 45Review (lesson 45): what does “fin kayna / fin kayn” mean?

Your turn

Say you’re lost and give the name of your hotel.

Show an example answer

Sme7 lia, tlefet. Bghit nmchi l lotel Atlas. Fin kayn?

سمح ليا، تلفت. بغيت نمشي للوطيل أطلس. فين كاين؟

Excuse me, I’m lost. I want to go to the Atlas hotel. Where is it?

Summary

“Tlefet”, “ma 3reftch fin ana”, “bghit nmchi l…”, then follow “sir nichan 7ta l… w sewwel tmma”.

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