Darija lesson 39: because, because of, but, or

1

Twenty-one words

The pieces that join sentences, and the words of someone who has to apologise.

Joining

حِيتْ 7it because
With a clause after it: 7it kont mrid.
عْلَى قْبَلْ 3la qbel because of
With a noun after it: 3la qbel sh-shta, because of the rain.
وَلَكِنْ walakin but
وْلَّا wlla or
In questions and choices: atay wlla qahwa?
حْتَّى 7tta even; not even
With a negative, it's “not even”, “not a single”: ma ja 7tta wa7ed, nobody came.
يَعْنِي ya3ni I mean; that is
Constant filler: ya3ni..., well...
عْلَاشْ 3lash why?
3la ash, “on what?”. The answer starts with 7it.

What happened

تْعَطّْلْ t3ettel to be late
t3ettelt, I was late.
غَابْ ghab to be absent
Hollow: ghbt, I was absent.
تْخَسّْرْ tkhesser to break down
A machine, car or phone.
سْمَحْ sme7 to forgive
sme7 liya, forgive me: with l-.
عْذَرْ 3dher to excuse
3dherni, excuse me. More formal.
فَاتْ fat to pass (time)
l-weqt fat, it got too late.

Papers and reasons

الْعُذْرْ l-3udr excuse
السّْبَابْ s-sbab reason
الْغْيَابْ l-ghyab absence
الْمُدِيرْ l-mudir director; boss
s-si l-mudir: si is “Mr”, from sidi.
الشّْهَادَة الطّْبِّيَّة sh-shahada t-tibbiya medical certificate
Office word.

Apologising

سْمْحْ لِيَّ sme7 liya sorry
The everyday apology.
مَا عْنْدِي مَا نْدِيرْ ma 3ndi ma ndir I couldn't help it
“I've nothing to do”: there was no choice.
مَاشِي بْالْعَانِي mashi bl-3ani it wasn't on purpose

2

Reasons with a clause, reasons with a noun

Two reasons, a contrast and a “not even”. Look at what follows 7it and what follows 3la qbel.

مَا جِيتْشْ حِيتْ كُنْتْ مْرِيضْma jitsh 7it kont mrid
تْعَطّْلْنَا عْلَى قْبَلْ الشّْتَاt3ettelna 3la qbel sh-shta
بْغِيتْ نْكْمّْلْ، وَلَكِنْ الْوَقْتْ فَاتْbghit nkemmel, walakin l-weqt fat
مَا عَيّْطْ لِيَّ حْتَّى مَرَّةma 3eyyet liya 7tta merra

Why does the first sentence use 7it and the second 3la qbel?

The rule

7it takes a clause: 7it kont mrid, because I was ill.

3la qbel takes a noun: 3la qbel sh-shta, because of the rain.

walakin contrasts: bghit, walakin... wlla offers a choice: atay wlla qahwa?

7tta means “even”: 7tta huwa ja, even he came. With a negative, “not even”, “not a single”: ma ja 7tta wa7ed, nobody came; ma 3eyyet 7tta merra, he didn't call once.

Linking words

Sentence	Say it	Means
تْعَطّْلْتْ حِيتْ الطُّوبِيسْ مَا جَاشْ	t3ettelt 7it t-tobis ma jash	I was late because the bus didn't come
تْعَطّْلْتْ عْلَى قْبَلْ الزّْحَامْ	t3ettelt 3la qbel z-z7am	I was late because of the traffic
بْغِيتْ نْجِي، وَلَكِنْ كُنْتْ مْرِيضْ	bghit nji, walakin kont mrid	I wanted to come, but I was ill
أَتَايْ وْلَّا قَهْوَة؟	atay wlla qahwa?	tea or coffee?
حْتَّى هُوَ جَا	7tta huwa ja	even he came
مَا جَا حْتَّى وَاحْدْ	ma ja 7tta wa7ed	nobody came
عْلَاشْ؟ — حِيتْ...	3lash? — 7it...	why? — because...
يَعْنِي مَا غَادِيشْ تْجِي؟	ya3ni ma ghadish tji?	so you're not coming?

Rows 1 and 2: English switches from “because” to “because of”. Darija switches from 7it to 3la qbel. Same logic.

What English gives you, and what it costs

Free: the pair. because / because of maps onto 7it / 3la qbel exactly.

Free: but, or: one to one.

Costly: “not even”. English builds it from “not” + “even”, and “nobody” is a separate word. Darija uses 7tta + negative for all of it.

Your mistake, not someone else's

In a hurry, “because” comes out for everything, and so 7it gets a noun after it. Casual English does the same (“because traffic”); Darija doesn't.

×تْعَطّْلْتْ حِيتْ الزّْحَامْ“I was late because the traffic”.

✓تْعَطّْلْتْ عْلَى قْبَلْ الزّْحَامْ“I was late because of the traffic”.

If you want 7it, give it a verb: 7it kan z-z7am, because there was traffic.

3

The apology

A note from an employee to his director after two days off sick. Written for this lesson: count how often he gives a reason, and with which word.

لْلسِّي الْمُدِيرْ، السَّلَامُ عْلِيكُمْ.

سْمْحْ لِيَّ، مَا جِيتْشْ لْلْخْدْمَة نْهَارْ الِاتْنِينْ وْ الثّْلَاتْ.

غْبْتْ حِيتْ كَانَتْ فِيَّا السّْخُونِيَّة، وْ الطّْبِيبْ قَالْ لِيَّ نْبْقَى فْالدَّارْ.

بْغِيتْ نْعَيّْطْ لِيكْ، وَلَكِنْ التِّيلِيفُونْ دْيَالِي تْخَسّْرْ.

صِيفْطْتْ لِيكْ الشّْهَادَة الطّْبِّيَّة مْعَ خُويَا.

الْيُومْ تْعَطّْلْتْ شْوِيَّة عْلَى قْبَلْ الطّْرِيقْ، وَلَكِنْ رَانِي هْنَا.

مَاشِي بْالْعَانِي. شُكْرَانْ عْلَى الْفَهْمْ. — يُوسْفْ

To the director

Did you follow?

Which days did Yusef miss?
Show answers
Monday and Tuesday.
Why?
Show answers
He had a fever and the doctor told him to stay at home.
Why didn't he phone?
Show answers
His phone broke down.
Why was he late today?
Show answers
Because of the road: 3la qbel t-triq.

4

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.

1Fill in

One linking word from the box in each sentence.

حِيتْعْلَى قْبَلْوَلَكِنْوْلَّاحْتَّى

مَا خْرَجْتْشْ ___ كَانْ الْبَرْدْ
التّْرَانْ تْعَطّْلْ ___ الرّْيحْ
الدَّارْ صْغِيرَة، ___ زْوِينَة
بْغِيتِي الْحُوتْ ___ اللّْحَمْ؟
مَا كْلِيتْ ___ حَاجَة

2Match

Each beginning with its end.

1	مَا جِيتْشْ لْلْخْدْمَة	a	وَلَكِنْ مَا كَانْشْ الرّْيزُو
2	تْعَطّْلْتْ	b	حِيتْ كُنْتْ مْرِيضْ
3	بْغِيتْ نْعَيّْطْ لِيكْ	c	حْتَّى وَاحْدْ
4	مَا جَا	d	عْلَى قْبَلْ الزّْحَامْ