Lesson 31 · A2
I can swim, but I can't today
English “can” does two jobs: “I can swim” (a skill) and “I can't come today” (circumstances). Darija splits them: 3ref for what you know how to do, qder for what's possible.
- Say what you can and can't do as a skill.
- Say whether you can or can't do something today.
- Use qder and 3ref in present and past.
- Follow a poster for workshops.
Twenty-one words
Things you learn: swimming, driving, drawing, sewing, playing an instrument.
Can and know
-
قْدَرْ
qder
to be able to
Regular: kanqder, qdert.
-
عْرَفْ
3ref
to know (how)
Knows facts, skills and people: kan3refha, I know her.
- حَاوْلْ 7awel to try
-
نْجَحْ
nje7
to pass; to succeed
nje7t f l-imti7an, I passed the exam.
Skills
-
عَامْ
3am
to swim
Hollow with u: kan3um.
-
سَاقْ
saq
to drive
Hollow with u: kansuq.
- رْسَمْ rsem to draw
-
غَنَّى
ghenna
to sing
Four-letter defective: kangheni.
- شْطَحْ shte7 to dance
-
خَيّْطْ
kheyyet
to sew
kheyyat, tailor, from lesson 3.
-
عْزَفْ
3zef
to play (an instrument)
3zef 3la l-kitara: with 3la, “on”.
What with
-
الْبِيسِي
l-bisi
computer
French PC, said the French way: “pay-say”.
- الْكِيتَارَة l-kitara guitar
-
الْبِيرْمِي
l-birmi
driving licence
French permis.
- اللُّغَة l-lugha language
- الْوَرْشَة l-warsha workshop
Signing up
-
دَارْ الشّْبَابْ
dar sh-shbab
youth centre
Public activity centre found in every town.
-
التّْسْجِيلْ
t-tesjil
registration
sejjel, sign up.
-
بَاطَلْ
batel
free (of charge)
Also “in vain”. The poster means the first.
- شْوِيَّة بْشْوِيَّة shwiya b shwiya little by little
-
مْزْيَانْ
mzyan
well
After the verb: kat3ref tkheyyet mzyan, she sews well.
Can: know how, or be able
The first sentence has both verbs at once. The other three have one each.
- كَنْعْرَفْ نْسُوقْ، وَلَكِنْ الْيُومْ مَا كَنْقْدَرْشْ: شْرَبْتْ الدّْوَاkan3ref nsuq, walakin l-yum ma kanqdersh: shrebt d-dwa
- وَاشْ كَتْعْرَفْ تْعُومْ؟wash kat3ref t3um?
- مَا قْدَرْتْشْ نْجِي الْبَارَحْma qdertsh nji l-bare7
- خْتِي كَتْعْرَفْ تْخَيّْطْ مْزْيَانْkhti kat3ref tkheyyet mzyan
In the first: why does he know how to drive, but can't today?
The rule
3ref + verb means know how to: a learnt skill. kan3ref n3um, I can swim.
qder + verb means be able to: circumstances allow it. ma kanqdersh n3um l-yum, I can't swim today.
Both are regular and take ka- in the present. The next verb goes without ka-, with its person, as after bgha and khass.
Past: qdert, I could; 3reft, I knew. ma qdertsh nji, I couldn't come.
Two kinds of “can”
| Form | Say it | Means |
|---|---|---|
| كَنْقْدَرْ نْمْشِي | kanqder nemshi | I can go |
| كَتْقْدَرْ تْجِي؟ | katqder tji? | can you come? |
| مَا كَنْقْدَرْشْ نْجِي | ma kanqdersh nji | I can't come |
| مَا قْدَرْتْشْ نْمْشِي | ma qdertsh nemshi | I couldn't go |
| كَنْعْرَفْ نْعُومْ | kan3ref n3um | I can swim |
| كَتْعْرَفْ تْسُوقْ؟ | kat3ref tsuq? | can you drive? |
| مَا كَنْعْرَفْشْ نْغَنِّي | ma kan3refsh ngheni | I can't sing |
| كَنْعْرْفُو | kan3erfu | we know |
Same English word in half the rows, two Darija verbs. After bgha, khass, qder and 3ref: second verb without ka-.
What English gives you, and what it costs
Free: the structure. “Can” + verb, qder + verb. Modal first, action after.
Costly: the split. English “I can't sing” could mean “I have no voice” or “I've got a sore throat”. Darija makes you choose: ma kan3refsh ngheni or ma kanqdersh ngheni.
Costly: the second verb conjugates. “Can swim”, “can swim”, “can swim”; kan3ref n3um, kat3ref t3um, kay3ref y3um.
Your mistake, not someone else's
English “can” covers everything, so you pick one Darija verb and use it for everything. Usually it's qder, because it's the one taught as “can”. With skills, that goes wrong.
×كَنْقْدَرْ نْهْضَرْ الْفْرَانْسِيَّةWith qder: sounds like “I'm allowed to speak French today”.
✓كَنْعْرَفْ نْهْضَرْ الْفْرَانْسِيَّة“I can speak French”. A skill, with 3ref.
And negation sits on the modal: ma kanqdersh nji, not kanqder ma njish.
Autumn workshops
A youth-centre poster written for this lesson. The times are invented; posters like it are everywhere.
دَارْ الشّْبَابْ · وَرْشَاتْ الْخْرِيفْ
مَا كَتْعْرَفْشْ تْرْسَمْ؟ مَا كَتْعْرَفْشْ تْعْزَفْ؟ مَاشِي مُشْكِلْ!
الرّْسَمْ: الِاتْنِينْ وْ الْخْمِيسْ، 6 دْ الْعْشِيَّة
الْكِيتَارَة: الْأَرْبَعْ، 5 دْ الْعْشِيَّة
الْبِيسِي لْلْكْبَارْ: السَّبْتْ، 10 دْ الصّْبَاحْ
الْفْرَانْسِيَّة وْ الْإِنْڭْلِيزِيَّة: كُلّْ نْهَارْ، 7 دْ اللِّيلْ
التّْسْجِيلْ بَاطَلْ. الْبْلَايْصْ قْلِيلَة: سَجّْلْ دَابَا!
Did you follow?
Who is the first line talking to?
Show answers
People who can't draw or play: mashi mushkil, no problem.
Which day is guitar?
Show answers
Wednesday, at five.
Who is the computer workshop for?
Show answers
Adults: l l-kbar.
How much is registration?
Show answers
Nothing: batel.
Check
Two here, three more in the A2 book.
Exercises 1 and 2 are here, with answers. Exercises 3 to 5 are in the A2 book, the PDF this site lives on: you can see the first item of each below.
1Pick the right one
Ask yourself: skill or circumstance?
- كَنْعْرَفْ نْعُومْ
- كَنْقْدَرْ نْعُومْ
- كَنْعُومْ نْعْرَفْ
- مَا كَنْعْرَفْشْ نْجِي، مْرِيضْ
- مَا كَنْقْدَرْشْ نْجِي، مْرِيضْ
- مَا كَنْقْدَرْ نْجِيشْ، مْرِيضْ
- وَاشْ كَتْعْرَفْ تْسُوقْ؟
- وَاشْ كَتْعْرَفْ كَتْسُوقْ؟
- وَاشْ عْرَفْ تْسُوقْ؟
- مَا قْدَرْتْشْ نْنْعَسْ
- مَا قْدَرْتْ نْنْعَسْشْ
- مَا كَنْقْدَرْ نْعَسْتْ
2Fill in
With the form from the box each sentence needs.
كَتْعْرَفْكَنْقْدَرْقْدَرْتْكَيْعْرْفُومَا كَتْقْدَرْشْ
- خْتِي ___ تْغَنِّي مْزْيَانْ
- الْيُومْ فَاضِي، ___ نْجِي مْعَاكْ
- الْبَارَحْ مَا ___شْ نْخْرُجْ
- الدّْرَارِي ___ يْعُومُو
- نْتِ مْرِيضَة، ___ تْخْدْمِي الْيُومْ
3True or false?
According to the poster.
- Drawing is on Monday and Thursday.
4Sort
What goes after kan3ref, and what after kanqder?
نْعُومْ
After kan3ref (skill)
After kanqder (possible)
5Write
Five sentences: what you can do, what you can't, what you're able to do this week and something you couldn't do.
كَنْعْرَفْمَا كَنْعْرَفْشْكَنْقْدَرْمَا قْدَرْتْشْ
The rest is in the A2 book
The A2 bookShow answers
| 1. Pick the right one | 1-a, 2-b, 3-a, 4-a |
|---|---|
| 2. Fill in | كَتْعْرَفْ · كَنْقْدَرْ · قْدَرْتْ · كَيْعْرْفُو · مَا كَتْقْدَرْشْ |
The A2 book: In preparation
Write and I will tell you the day it is out. One email, no list.
I can now
- Say what I know how to do with kan3ref.
- Say what I can or can't do today with kanqder.
- Say I couldn't do something: ma qdertsh.
- Read a course poster.