Lesson 61 · B1
Asking without imposing
English speakers soften requests by instinct: could you, would you mind. Darija has the same ladder, and one step English has lost: the negative question. ma-t3tinish l-ma? “Won't you give me some water?” is the politest request there is.
- Grade a request from blunt to very polite.
- Use the negative question as courtesy.
- Address strangers: si, lalla, l-7ajj.
- Answer the set phrases that need a reply.
Twenty-four words
Almost all set phrases. Many mention God and are said by believers and non-believers alike: they're manners, not faith.
Asking
-
عَافَاكْ
3afak
please
Literally “may God give you health”.
-
اللَّهْ يْخَلّْيكْ
llah ykhellik
please (warmer)
“May God keep you”.
- إِلَا مَا فِيهَا بَاسْ ila ma-fiha bas if it's no trouble
- إِلَا مَا عْنْدْكْ مَانْعْ ila ma-3ndek mane3 if you don't mind
- وَاشْ يْمْكْنْ؟ wash yemken? could I?; is it possible?
- سْمْحْ لِيَّ sme7 liyya excuse me; sorry
Thanking
-
بَارَكْ اللَّهْ فِيكْ
barak llah fik
thank you
“God bless you”. Warmer than shukran.
- اللَّهْ يْجَازِيكْ بْخِيرْ llah yjazik b khir may God reward you
-
اللَّهْ يْرْحْمْ الْوَالِدِينْ
llah yr7em l-walidin
thanks (for a favour)
“God have mercy on your parents”.
-
مَا فِيهَا جْمِيلْ
ma-fiha jmil
you're welcome
“There's no favour in it”.
Good wishes
-
اللَّهْ يْعَاوْنْكْ
llah y3awnek
keep it up (to someone working)
“May God help you”.
-
اللَّهْ يْسَهّْلْ
llah ysehhel
good luck; may it go well
Also a soft “no” to someone begging.
- بْصَحّْتْكْ b se77tek enjoy it (something new)
- بْالشّْفَا b sh-shfa enjoy your meal; cheers
-
تْبَارْكْ اللَّهْ
tbarek llah
how lovely (no evil eye)
Said when praising a child, a house.
- لَا بَاسْ عْلِيكْ la bas 3lik get well soon
Addressing people
-
السِّي
s-si
sir
a s-si + name, or alone.
-
لَالَّة
lalla
madam
a lalla.
-
الْحَاجّْ
l-7ajj
respected elder
Literally “pilgrim”. Respect for age.
- خُويَا khuya brother (to an equal)
- الْوَالِدَة l-walida my mother (respectful)
Offering
- تْفَضّْلْ tfeddel here you are; go ahead
- زِيدْ zid go on; have more
- مَا تْحْشْمْشْ ma-t7shemsh don't be shy
The request ladder
Four requests on the street. All polite. What would surprise an English speaker?
- عَافَاكْ أَلَالَّة، مَا تْقُولِيشْ لِيَّ فِينْ جَاتْ الْمَحَطَّة؟3afak a lalla, ma-tqulish liyya fin jat l-ma7etta?
- إِلَا مَا فِيهَا بَاسْ، نْسْدّْ الشّْرْجْمْila ma-fiha bas, nsedd sh-sherjem
- وَاشْ يْمْكْنْ تْنْقّْصْ شْوِيَّة؟wash yemken tnaqqes shwiyya?
- اللَّهْ يْخَلّْيكْ آ السِّي، مَا تْبْدّْلْشْ لِيَّ هَادْ الْوَرْقَة؟llah ykhellik a s-si, ma-tbeddelsh liyya had l-werqa?
How many are negative? Who is each one addressed to? What word comes first?
The rule
From blunt to soft:
1. Imperative + 3afak: 3tini l-ma 3afak. Between equals, in a shop.
2. wash + verb without ka-: wash t3tini l-ma?
3. wash yemken + verb: wash yemken t3tini l-ma?, could you…?
4. ila ma-fiha bas + imperative: if it's no trouble…
5. Negative question: ma-t3tinish l-ma? The politest. It doesn't push: it leaves the other person room to say no.
Before it, a form of address: a s-si, a lalla, a l-7ajj. Often llah ykhellik too.
Blunt to polite
| Form | Say it | Means |
|---|---|---|
| عْطِينِي الْمَا | 3tini l-ma | give me the water (blunt) |
| عْطِينِي الْمَا عَافَاكْ | 3tini l-ma 3afak | give me the water, please |
| وَاشْ تْعْطِينِي الْمَا؟ | wash t3tini l-ma? | will you give me the water? |
| وَاشْ يْمْكْنْ تْعْطِينِي الْمَا؟ | wash yemken t3tini l-ma? | could you give me the water? |
| إِلَا مَا فِيهَا بَاسْ، عْطِينِي الْمَا | ila ma-fiha bas, 3tini l-ma | if it's no trouble, give me the water |
| مَا تْعْطِينِيشْ شِي شْوِيَّة دْ الْمَا؟ | ma-t3tinish shi shwiyya d l-ma? | won't you give me a little water? |
| اللَّهْ يْخَلّْيكْ، مَا تْعَاوْنِّيشْ؟ | llah ykhellik, ma-t3awnnish? | please, won't you help me? |
| إِلَا مَا عْنْدْكْ مَانْعْ نْجْلْسْ هْنَا | ila ma-3ndek mane3 nejles hna | if you don't mind, I'll sit here |
Rows 6 and 7 sound pushy in modern English. In Darija they're the politest.
What English gives you, and what it costs
Free: “could you…?”, “if it's no trouble”. English already avoids the bare imperative; so does polite Darija.
Costly: “won't you…?” sounds impatient or old-fashioned to you. In Darija it's the most courteous form.
Costly: set replies. “Enjoy your meal” can go unanswered in English. llah y3awnek can't: silence is rude.
Your mistake, not someone else's
You'd never say “tell me where the station is” at home either, but in Darija you've only drilled the imperative, so it's what comes out.
×قُولْ لِيَّ فِينْ الْمَحَطَّة“Tell me where the station is”.
✓اللَّهْ يْخَلّْيكْ آ الْحَاجّْ، مَا تْقُولْشْ لِيَّ فِينْ الْمَحَطَّة؟“Please, sir, won't you tell me where the station is?”.
Older people: a l-7ajj, a l-7ajja, whether or not they've been to Mecca.
Set phrases and their replies
Courtesy formulas from oral tradition, no author. Each has a fixed reply: the situation, the phrase, the answer.
— كَيْعْطِيكْ شِي حَاجَة: بَارَكْ اللَّهْ فِيكْ. — وْ فِيكْ بَارَكْ اللَّهْ.
— كَيْعَاوْنْكْ: اللَّهْ يْرْحْمْ الْوَالِدِينْ. — وْ الْوَالِدِينْ دْيَالْكْ.
— كَيْخْدْمْ: اللَّهْ يْعَاوْنْكْ. — آمِينْ، وْ إِيَّاكْ.
— كَيَاكُلْ وْلَّا كَيْشْرْبْ: بْالصَّحَّة. — اللَّهْ يْعْطِيكْ الصَّحَّة.
— لْبْسْ شِي حَاجَة جْدِيدَة: بْصَحّْتْكْ. — اللَّهْ يْعْطِيكْ الصَّحَّة.
— مْرِيضْ: لَا بَاسْ عْلِيكْ. — اللَّهْ يْسْلّْمْكْ.
— خَرْجْ مْنْ الْحَمَّامْ: بْالصَّحَّة وْ الرَّاحَة. — اللَّهْ يْعْطِيكْ الصَّحَّة.
— شْكْرْتِيهْ: مَا فِيهَا جْمِيلْ. — اللَّهْ يْخَلّْيكْ.
Fórmulas de trato de tradición oral marroquí, sin autor. Selección y transcripción de Learning Darija · dominio público
Did you follow?
What do you say to someone working?
Show answers
llah y3awnek. Reply: amin, u iyyak.
And to someone with something new?
Show answers
b se77tek.
How does a sick person answer la bas 3lik?
Show answers
llah ysellmek.
What's said to someone coming out of the hammam?
Show answers
b s-se77a u r-ra7a.
Check
Two here, three more in the B1 book.
Exercises 1 and 2 are here, with answers. Exercises 3 to 5 are in the B1 book, the PDF this site lives on: you can see the first item of each below.
1Match
Each phrase with its reply.
| 1 | بَارَكْ اللَّهْ فِيكْ | a | اللَّهْ يْسْلّْمْكْ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | اللَّهْ يْرْحْمْ الْوَالِدِينْ | b | وْ فِيكْ بَارَكْ اللَّهْ |
| 3 | لَا بَاسْ عْلِيكْ | c | اللَّهْ يْعْطِيكْ الصَّحَّة |
| 4 | بْصَحّْتْكْ | d | وْ الْوَالِدِينْ دْيَالْكْ |
2Soften it
Rewrite the request with the form in brackets.
- عْطِينِي الْقْلَمْ (وَاشْ يْمْكْنْ)
- عْطِينِي الْقْلَمْ (سُؤَالْ مْنْفِي)
- سْدّْ الْبَابْ (إِلَا مَا فِيهَا بَاسْ)
- عَاوْنِّي (سُؤَالْ مْنْفِي)
3True or false?
Is this phrase said in this situation?
- اللَّهْ يْعَاوْنْكْ To someone who is working.
4Sort
Blunt or softened?
عْطِينِي الْمَا
Blunt
Softened
5Ask a stranger
Write a dialogue: you ask an older person for directions, thank them, and they answer.
اللَّهْ يْخَلّْيكْمَا تْ…شْ؟إِلَا مَا فِيهَا بَاسْبَارَكْ اللَّهْ فِيكْمَا فِيهَا جْمِيلْ
The rest is in the B1 book
The B1 bookShow answers
| 1. Match | 1-b, 2-d, 3-a, 4-c |
|---|---|
| 2. Soften it | وَاشْ يْمْكْنْ تْعْطِينِي الْقْلَمْ؟ · مَا تْعْطِينِيشْ الْقْلَمْ؟ · إِلَا مَا فِيهَا بَاسْ، سْدّْ الْبَابْ · مَا تْعَاوْنِّيشْ؟ |
The B1 book: In preparation
Write and I will tell you the day it is out. One email, no list.
I can now
- Pitch a request blunt or soft depending on who I'm asking.
- Use the negative question as courtesy.
- Address strangers: a s-si, a lalla, a l-7ajj.
- Answer courtesy formulas.