Lesson 66 · B2
Newspaper Darija
“The official opening of the library took place.” Nobody talks like that, but every newspaper writes like that. Press Darija does the same: tamm ifti7a7 l-maktaba. This lesson teaches you to read it and turn it into plain Darija.
- Recognise tamm + masdar and qam b + masdar.
- Turn them into plain Darija.
- Understand press connectors.
- Read an editorial in Darija.
Twenty-four words
The second family is the building blocks of press register. The rest is the editorial's vocabulary: a new library and the readers it lacks.
The press
- الْجَّرِيدَة j-jarida newspaper
- الْمَقَالْ l-maqal article
- الِافْتِتَاحِيَّة l-iftita7iyya editorial
- الصَّحَافِي s-sa7afi journalist
- التَّرْجَمَة t-tarjama translation; subtitles
Newspaper phrasing
-
تَمّْ
tamm
took place; was carried out
Before an action noun.
- قَامْ بْ qam b carried out; made
-
إِلَّا أَنّْ
illa anna
however
Fusha. On the street, walakin.
- بِالْإِضَافَة لْ bi l-idafa l in addition to
-
مِنْ أَجْلْ
min ajl
in order to
Fusha. On the street, bash.
- حَيْثُ 7aythu where; since
Action nouns
-
الِافْتِتَاحْ
l-ifti7a7
opening; inauguration
Form VIII masdar.
- الزِّيَارَة z-ziyara visit
-
التَّنْظِيمْ
t-tanzim
organisation
Form II masdar.
- الْمُبَادَرَة l-mubadara initiative
Reading
- الْمَكْتَبَة l-maktaba library
-
الْقْرَايَة
l-qraya
reading
Darija word.
-
الْقَارِئْ
l-qari'
reader
Plural: qurra'.
-
الْكْتُوبَة
l-ktuba
books
Darija collective.
- الشّْبَابْ sh-shbab young people
Local politics
- الْمَسْؤُولِينْ l-mas'ulin officials
- الْمِيزَانِيَّة l-mizaniyya budget
- النَّتَايْجْ n-nata'ij results
- الْوَاقِعْ l-waqi3 reality
Tamm, qam b, and formal connectors
Four lines from the editorial. Find the verb: where's the action?
- تَمّْ افْتِتَاحْ الْمَكْتَبَة الْجْدِيدَة نْهَارْ السّْبْتْtamm ifti7a7 l-maktaba j-jdida nhar s-sebt
- قَامْ الْعَامِلْ بْزِيَارَة لْلْحَيّْqam l-3amil b ziyara l l-7ayy
- الْمُبَادَرَة مْزْيَانَة، إِلَّا أَنّْ الْمِيزَانِيَّة صْغِيرَةl-mubadara mzyana, illa anna l-mizaniyya sghira
- بِالْإِضَافَة لْلْكْتُوبَة، كَايْنِينْ أَنْشِطَة لْلدّْرَارِيbi l-idafa l l-ktuba, kaynin anshita l d-drari
In line 1, who opened the library? Which word carries “open”? What does qam do in line 2?
The rule
tamm + masdar: “X took place”, no agent. tamm ifti7a7 l-maktaba, the library was opened. Plain Darija: ttfet7at l-maktaba.
qam b + masdar: the subject “carries out” the action. qam l-wazir b ziyara, the minister paid a visit. Plain: zar l-wazir.
Connectors: illa anna (however) = walakin; bi l-idafa l (in addition to) = ziyada 3la; min ajl + masdar (in order to) = bash + verb.
The grammar stays Darija: kaynin, dyal, khassna. Only the pieces change.
Press → street
| Form | Say it | Means |
|---|---|---|
| تَمّْ افْتِتَاحْ الْمَكْتَبَة ← تّْفْتْحَاتْ الْمَكْتَبَة | tamm ifti7a7 l-maktaba → ttfet7at l-maktaba | the opening took place → it opened |
| قَامْ الْوَزِيرْ بْزِيَارَة ← زَارْ الْوَزِيرْ | qam l-wazir b ziyara → zar l-wazir | the minister paid a visit → the minister visited |
| تَمّْ تَنْظِيمْ مَعْرِضْ ← تّْنَظّْمْ مَعْرِضْ | tamm tanzim ma3rid → ttnezzem ma3rid | an exhibition was organised |
| إِلَّا أَنّْ الْقُرَّاءْ قْلَالْ ← وَلَكِنْ الْقُرَّاءْ قْلَالْ | illa anna l-qurra' qlal → walakin l-qurra' qlal | however, readers are few → but… |
| بِالْإِضَافَة لْلْكْتُوبَة ← زِيَادَة عْلَى الْكْتُوبَة | bi l-idafa l l-ktuba → ziyada 3la l-ktuba | in addition to books |
| مِنْ أَجْلْ تَشْجِيعْ الْقْرَايَة ← بَاشْ نْشَجّْعُو الْقْرَايَة | min ajl tashji3 l-qraya → bash nshejj3u l-qraya | in order to promote reading → so we promote… |
| حَيْثُ ← فِينْ / حِيتْ | 7aythu → fin / 7it | where; since |
| تَمّْ + مَصْدَرْ = بْلَا فَاعْلْ | tamm + masdar = bla fa3el | tamm + masdar = no agent |
Left column: newspaper. Right column: conversation.
What English gives you, and what it costs
Free: “the opening took place”, “paid a visit”. English officialese nominalises the same way.
Free: “however” vs “but”. Same register gap as illa anna vs walakin.
Costly: the passive. English press would say “was opened by the governor”; tamm won't take a “by”.
Your mistake, not someone else's
You mix the systems: press tamm with a street verb, conjugated.
×تَمّْ فْتْحُو الْمَكْتَبَةtamm + conjugated verb.
✓تَمّْ افْتِتَاحْ الْمَكْتَبَة“The library was opened” (press).
Either all press, tamm ifti7a7, or all street, ttfet7at.
An editorial
An editorial written for this lesson in newspaper Darija. Town and figures invented. Underline each Fusha phrase and say it in plain Darija.
مَكْتَبَة جْدِيدَة… وْ فِينْ هُمَا الْقُرَّاءْ؟
تَمّْ نْهَارْ السّْبْتْ افْتِتَاحْ الْمَكْتَبَة الْجّْمَاعِيَّة الْجْدِيدَة، وْ قَامْ الْعَامِلْ بْزِيَارَة لِيهَا مْعَ عَدَدْ دْ الْمَسْؤُولِينْ.
الْمَكْتَبَة فِيهَا كْثَرْ مْنْ عْشْرْ آلَافْ كْتَابْ، بِالْإِضَافَة لْقَاعَة دْ الْإِنْتَرْنِيتْ وْ رْكْنْ خَاصّْ بْالدّْرَارِي.
هَادْشِّي مْزْيَانْ، إِلَّا أَنّْ السُّؤَالْ اللِّي خَاصّْنَا نْطْرْحُوهْ هُوَ: شْكُونْ غَادِي يْقْرَا؟
الْمَكْتَبَة الْقْدِيمَة، حَسَبْ الْأَرْقَامْ دْيَالْ الْجَّمَاعَة، مَا كَانْ كَيْدْخْلْهَا غِيرْ شِي عْشْرِينْ وَاحْدْ فْالنّْهَارْ، وْ أَغْلَبْهُمْ طْلَبَة جَايِينْ يْرَاجْعُو.
الْمُشْكِيلْ مَاشِي فْالْبْنَايَة. الْمُشْكِيلْ فْالْعَادَة. مِنْ أَجْلْ تَشْجِيعْ الْقْرَايَة، خَاصّْ الْعَمَلْ يْبْدَا مْنْ الْمَدْرَسَة وْ مْنْ الدَّارْ.
الْبْنَايَة كَتْتّْبْنَى فْعَامْ. الْقَارِئْ كَيْتّْبْنَى فْعْشْرِينْ عَامْ.
Did you follow?
Who visited the library?
Show answers
The governor, with several officials.
What does it have besides books?
Show answers
An internet room and a children's corner.
How many people used the old library?
Show answers
About twenty a day, mostly students.
Where's the problem, according to the writer?
Show answers
Not the building but the habit: it has to start at school and at home.
Check
Two here, three more in the B2 book.
Exercises 1 and 2 are here, with answers. Exercises 3 to 5 are in the B2 book, the PDF this site lives on: you can see the first item of each below.
1Match
The press phrase with its street equivalent.
| 1 | تَمّْ افْتِتَاحْ | a | وَلَكِنْ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | قَامْ بْزِيَارَة | b | تّْفْتَحْ |
| 3 | إِلَّا أَنّْ | c | بَاشْ |
| 4 | مِنْ أَجْلْ | d | زَارْ |
| 5 | بِالْإِضَافَة لْ | e | زِيَادَة عْلَى |
2Say it plainly
Rewrite each headline in plain Darija.
- تَمّْ تَنْظِيمْ مَعْرِضْ
- قَامْ الْوَزِيرْ بْزِيَارَة لْلْمَدْرَسَة
- تَمّْ افْتِتَاحْ السّْبِيطَارْ
- مِنْ أَجْلْ تَشْجِيعْ الشّْبَابْ
3True or false?
According to the editorial.
- The library opened on a Saturday.
4Fill the gap
With the press phrase that fits.
تمقامإلا أنبالإضافةمن أجل
- ___ افتتاح الملعب البارح
5Your story
Write a short piece in press Darija about an opening.
تَمّْقَامْ بْإِلَّا أَنّْبِالْإِضَافَة لْمِنْ أَجْلْ
The rest is in the B2 book
The B2 bookShow answers
| 1. Match | 1-b, 2-d, 3-a, 4-c, 5-e |
|---|---|
| 2. Say it plainly | تّْنَظّْمْ مَعْرِضْ · زَارْ الْوَزِيرْ الْمَدْرَسَة · تّْفْتَحْ السّْبِيطَارْ · بَاشْ نْشَجّْعُو الشّْبَابْ |
The B2 book: In preparation
Write and I will tell you the day it is out. One email, no list.
I can now
- Recognise tamm and qam b + masdar.
- Turn a headline into plain Darija.
- Understand illa anna, min ajl, bi l-idafa.
- Read an editorial in Darija.