Lesson 74 · B2
Inshallah
You've heard that inshallah means “probably never”. Sometimes. It can also be a firm yes with a time attached, or a polite no nobody says out loud. This lesson teaches you to hear which, and to read proverbs, which work like English ones: he who…, two halves, a rhyme.
- Tell a yes-inshallah from a no-inshallah.
- Use the formulas for praise, loss and beginnings.
- Understand how a proverb is built.
- Quote a proverb at the right moment.
Twenty-four words
The first two families are formulas: they say little alone and a lot in context. The rest come from the proverbs.
The future in God's hands
-
إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْ
inshallah
God willing
Yes, maybe or no, depending on delivery.
-
إِلَا بْغَا اللَّهْ
ila bgha llah
God willing
More serious than inshallah.
- إِلَا عْطَا اللَّهْ ila 3ta llah if God grants it
- عْلَى اللَّهْ 3la llah we'll see; leave it to God
-
بِسْمِ اللَّهْ
bismillah
in the name of God
Before eating, working, setting out.
Other formulas
-
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهْ
l-7amdu lillah
thank God
Also the answer to “how are you?”.
-
مَا شَاءَ اللَّهْ
ma sha'a llah
how wonderful
Praise that wards off the evil eye.
-
اللَّهْ يْهْدِيكْ
llah yhdik
may God guide you
Often ironic: “oh, come on”.
-
اللَّهْ يْخْلَفْ
llah ykhlef
God will replace it
To someone who lost or broke something.
-
اللَّهْ يْسْمْحْ لِيكْ
llah ysem7 lik
God forgive you
Also “no, sorry” to someone begging.
From the proverbs
-
الْمْكْتُوبْ
l-mektub
fate
“What is written”.
- الرّْزْقْ r-rzeq livelihood; one's lot
- الْجْبِينْ j-jbin forehead
- الْحِيلَة l-7ila cunning; trick
- الْقْرِيصْ l-qris sting
- النّْحَلْ n-n7el bees
- الدّْقِيقْ d-dqiq flour
Proverb verbs
- غَرّْ gherr to fool; dazzle
- فَاتْ fat to get ahead of; pass
- نْسَى nsa to forget
- الْفْرَجْ l-ferj relief
Explaining a proverb
- مْعْنَى m3na meaning
- كَيْقْصْدْ kayqsed means; is getting at
- بْالنِّيَّة b n-niyya in good faith
Reading between formulas
Four sentences. Two contain inshallah. Which of the two people is really coming?
- — غَادِي تْجِي لْلْعْرْسْ؟ — إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْ، إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْ…— ghadi tji l l-3ers? — inshallah, inshallah…
- — نْتْلَاقَاوْ غْدَّا؟ — إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْ، مْعَ الْعَشْرَة فْالْقَهْوَة— ntlaqaw ghedda? — inshallah, m3a l-3ashra f l-qahwa
- اللِّي بْغَا الْعْسَلْ، يْصْبَرْ لْقْرِيصْ النّْحَلْlli bgha l-3sel, ysber l qris n-n7el
- خُوكْ خُوكْ، لَا يْغُرّْكْ صَاحْبْكْkhuk khuk, la ygherrek sa7bek
What goes with the inshallah in line 2 that doesn't in line 1? How are proverbs 3 and 4 built?
The rule
inshallah depends on what's around it:
With a concrete detail (time, place), it's yes: inshallah, ghedda m3a t-tlata.
Alone, repeated or drawn out, it's maybe or a polite no: inshallah, inshallah…
llah ysehhel and llah ysem7 lik: a gentle no to someone asking.
tbarek llah, ma sha'a llah: when praising; without them, praise can bring the evil eye.
A proverb: no “to be”, two parallel halves, often lli… (he who…) and a rhyme: lli fatek b lila, fatek b 7ila.
Formulas and proverbs
| Form | Say it | Means |
|---|---|---|
| إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْ، غْدَّا مْعَ التْلَاتَة | inshallah, ghedda m3a t-tlata | yes, tomorrow at three |
| إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْ… إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْ | inshallah… inshallah | we'll see (probably not) |
| اللَّهْ يْسَهّْلْ | llah ysehhel | no, sorry (to someone asking) |
| تْبَارْكْ اللَّهْ عْلِيهْ | tbarek llah 3lih | what a lovely child |
| اللِّي فَاتْكْ بْلِيلَة، فَاتْكْ بْحِيلَة | lli fatek b lila, fatek b 7ila | who's a night ahead of you is a trick ahead |
| الْجَّارْ قْبَلْ الدَّارْ | j-jar qbel d-dar | choose the neighbour before the house |
| زِيدْ الْمَا، زِيدْ الدّْقِيقْ | zid l-ma, zid d-dqiq | more water, more flour |
| كُلّْ نْهَارْ وْ رْزْقُو | koll nhar u rezqu | each day brings its bread |
Row 5: whoever's lived one night longer knows one trick more.
What English gives you, and what it costs
Free: “God willing” exists in English, if old-fashioned.
Free: proverb shape. “He who hesitates is lost”: “he who…”, no fuss. Same as lli….
Costly: the stereotype. Inshallah isn't always “never”. With a time attached, count on it.
Your mistake, not someone else's
Either you take every inshallah as a firm promise, or you take none seriously. Listen for the detail.
×قَالْ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْ، يَعْنِي غَادِي يْجِي بْالسّْيفْ“He said inshallah, so he's definitely coming”.
✓قَالْ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْ، يَعْنِي يْمْكْنْ“He said inshallah, meaning maybe”.
Want a firm yes? Ask for a detail: m3a sh7al?, “what time?”.
Eight proverbs
Moroccan proverbs from oral tradition, all still in use. Read each and look for an English equivalent.
اللِّي فَاتْكْ بْلِيلَة، فَاتْكْ بْحِيلَة.
اللِّي بْغَا الْعْسَلْ، يْصْبَرْ لْقْرِيصْ النّْحَلْ.
الْجَّارْ قْبَلْ الدَّارْ.
خُوكْ خُوكْ، لَا يْغُرّْكْ صَاحْبْكْ.
زِيدْ الْمَا، زِيدْ الدّْقِيقْ.
كُلّْ نْهَارْ وْ رْزْقُو.
الْمْكْتُوبْ عْلَى الْجْبِينْ، لَازْمْ تْشُوفُو الْعِينْ.
دِيرْ الْخِيرْ وْ نْسَاهْ.
Refranes de tradición oral marroquí, sin autor. Selección y transcripción de Learning Darija · dominio público
Did you follow?
Which one says experience counts?
Show answers
lli fatek b lila, fatek b 7ila.
Which matches “no pain, no gain”?
Show answers
lli bgha l-3sel, ysber l qris n-n7el.
Which is said when fixing a problem makes it bigger?
Show answers
zid l-ma, zid d-dqiq.
Which is about fate?
Show answers
l-mektub 3la j-jbin, lazem tshufu l-3in.
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.
1Finish the proverb
Join the two halves.
| 1 | اللِّي فَاتْكْ بْلِيلَة | a | قْبَلْ الدَّارْ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | اللِّي بْغَا الْعْسَلْ | b | فَاتْكْ بْحِيلَة |
| 3 | الْجَّارْ | c | زِيدْ الدّْقِيقْ |
| 4 | زِيدْ الْمَا | d | يْصْبَرْ لْقْرِيصْ النّْحَلْ |
| 5 | الْمْكْتُوبْ عْلَى الْجْبِينْ | e | لَازْمْ تْشُوفُو الْعِينْ |
2Yes or no?
Is the statement about each formula true?
- إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْ، غْدَّا مْعَ الْعَشْرَة It's a concrete yes.
- إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْ… إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْ… It's a concrete yes.
- اللَّهْ يْسَهّْلْ It's a polite no to someone asking.
- تْبَارْكْ اللَّهْ It's used to turn someone down.
3The right formula
Choose the formula for: 1) praising a baby; 2) a friend's phone has broken; 3) starting to eat.
- تْبَارْكْ اللَّهْ عْلِيهْ
- اللَّهْ يْسَهّْلْ
- اللَّهْ يْخْلَفْ
4Put in order
Three proverbs.
لاصاحبكخوكيغركخوك
5Your proverb
Explain one proverb from the lesson in six sentences, with an example from your life.
إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهْالْمْثَلْكَيْقُولُومْعْنَىكَيْقْصْدْ
The rest is in the B2 book
The B2 bookShow answers
| 1. Finish the proverb | 1-b, 2-d, 3-a, 4-c, 5-e |
|---|---|
| 2. Yes or no? | 1-True, 2-False, 3-True, 4-False |
The B2 book: In preparation
Write and I will tell you the day it is out. One email, no list.
I can now
- Tell a yes-inshallah from a no-inshallah.
- Use tbarek llah, llah ykhlef, bismillah.
- Recognise proverb structure.
- Quote and explain a proverb.