Lesson 89 · C1
Formal “you”, in the plural
In a meeting, at a counter or before a court, Darija goes up a register: the plural for one respected person, “Mr” and “Mrs” with the surname, Fusha verbs for proposing and agreeing. And the reference text is as formal as it gets: the Constitution.
- Address someone formally with plural ntuma.
- Chair and take part in a meeting.
- Use administrative formulas.
- Read an article of the Constitution.
Twenty-four words
Forms of address, meeting vocabulary, formal connectors and the language of the Constitution.
Address
-
السَّيِّدْ
s-sayyid
Mr; sir
+ surname or title.
- السَّيِّدَة s-sayyida Mrs; madam
- بِإِمْكَانْكُمْ b imkankum could you…? (formal)
-
تْفَضّْلُو
tfeddlu
please, come in; sit down
Respectful plural.
- شُكْرًا لِيكُمْ shukran likum thank you (formal)
-
مِنْ فَضْلِكُمْ
min fadlikum
please (formal)
Fusha.
The meeting
- الِاجْتِمَاعْ l-ijtima3 meeting
- جَدْوَلْ الْأَعْمَالْ jadwal l-a3mal agenda
- الْمَحْضَرْ l-ma7dar minutes
- الْمُدَاخَلَة l-mudakhala contribution; statement
- نْعْطِيكُمْ الْكَلْمَة n3tikum l-kelma I give you the floor
- نْقْتَارْحْ nqtare7 I propose
- نْوَافْقْ عْلَى nwafeq 3la I agree with
Formal connectors
- فْهَادْ السِّيَاقْ f had s-siyaq in this context
- بِالنِّسْبَة لْ bi n-nisba l as for
- فِيمَا يْخُصّْ fima ykhuss regarding
The Constitution
- الدُّسْتُورْ d-dustur constitution
-
الْفَصْلْ
l-fasl
article
In Morocco, literally “chapter”.
- رَسْمِي rasmi official
- الدَّوْلَة d-dawla the state
- الْهُوِيَّة l-huwiyya identity
- اللّْهَجَاتْ l-lahajat dialects
Citizens
- الْمُوَاطِنْ l-muwatin citizen
- الْإِدَارَة l-idara administration
Going up a register
Four sentences in an office. Each person is addressed in the plural. How many people are there?
- السّْلَامْ عْلِيكُمْ، وَاشْ نْتُومَا الْمَسْؤُولْ عْلَى الْمَلَفّْ؟s-slamu 3likum, wash ntuma l-mas'ul 3la l-malaff?
- بِإِمْكَانْكُمْ تْشْرْحُو لِيَّا هَادْ الْفَصْلْ؟b imkankum tsher7u liyya had l-fasl?
- فْهَادْ السِّيَاقْ، الدُّسْتُورْ كَيْقُولْ بْلِّي الْأَمَازِيغِيَّة رَسْمِيَّةf had s-siyaq, d-dustur kayqul blli l-amazighiyya rasmiyya
- شُكْرًا لِيكُمْ، السَّيِّدَة، عْلَى هَادْ التَّوْضِيحْshukran likum, s-sayyida, 3la had t-tawdi7
How many people is ntuma in line 1? Which phrase introduces the topic in line 3?
The rule
Respectful plural: a person in authority, or a stranger in a formal setting, is addressed in the plural: wash ntuma l-mas'ul?, b imkankum…?, tfeddlu, shukran likum.
Address: s-sayyid, s-sayyida + surname or title; l-ustad for lawyers and teachers.
Meetings: Fusha verbs in Darija form: kanqtare7, nwafeq 3la, n3tikum l-kelma, 3ndi mudakhala.
Connectors: f had s-siyaq, bi n-nisba l, fima ykhuss.
Outside the office, back to the singular without ceremony.
Office formulas
| Form | Say it | Means |
|---|---|---|
| وَاشْ نْتُومَا السَّيِّدْ الْمُدِيرْ؟ | wash ntuma s-sayyid l-mudir? | are you the director, sir? |
| بِإِمْكَانْكُمْ تْعَاوْنُونِي؟ | b imkankum t3awnuni? | could you help me? |
| تْفَضّْلُو، جْلْسُو | tfeddlu, jelsu | please, take a seat |
| شُكْرًا عْلَى الِاسْتِقْبَالْ | shukran 3la l-istiqbal | thank you for seeing me |
| دَابَا نْعْطِيوْ الْكَلْمَة لْلسَّيِّدَة بْنَانِي | daba n3tiw l-kelma l s-sayyida Bennani | I now give the floor to Mrs Bennani |
| عَنْدِي مُدَاخَلَة صْغِيرَة | 3ndi mudakhala sghira | I have a brief point |
| كَنْقْتَارْحْ نْأَجّْلُو هَادْ النُّقْطَة | kanqtare7 n'ajjlu had n-nuqta | I propose we postpone this item |
| فِيمَا يْخُصّْ الْمِيزَانِيَّة، نْوَافْقْ | fima ykhuss l-mizaniyya, nwafeq | as regards the budget, I agree |
Rows 1–3: one person, plural verb.
What English gives you, and what it costs
Free: titles and formulas: “Mr”, “Madam Chair”, “I propose”, “as regards”: all have direct equivalents.
Costly: English has one “you”. Darija's formal plural is a grammar change: verbs and pronouns go plural for one person.
Costly: switching. Casual English stays casual with officials; in a Moroccan office, the plural is expected.
Your mistake, not someone else's
Without a T/V habit, you use the singular with an official. Not a disaster, but it sets the wrong distance.
×وَاشْ نْتَا الْمُدِيرْ؟Singular “you” to an unknown official.
✓وَاشْ نْتُومَا السَّيِّدْ الْمُدِيرْ؟“Are you the director, sir?”.
If they switch to singular with you, you can follow.
The Constitution, Article 5
The real text of Article 5 of Morocco's 2011 Constitution, on languages. Read carefully which languages it names, and which it doesn't.
الْفَصْلُ 5
تَظَلُّ الْعَرَبِيَّةُ اللُّغَةَ الرَّسْمِيَّةَ لِلدَّوْلَةِ.
وَتَعْمَلُ الدَّوْلَةُ عَلَى حِمَايَتِهَا وَتَطْوِيرِهَا، وَتَنْمِيَةِ اسْتِعْمَالِهَا.
تُعَدُّ الْأَمَازِيغِيَّةُ أَيْضًا لُغَةً رَسْمِيَّةً لِلدَّوْلَةِ، بِاعْتِبَارِهَا رَصِيدًا مُشْتَرَكًا لِجَمِيعِ الْمَغَارِبَةِ، بِدُونِ اسْتِثْنَاءٍ.
تَعْمَلُ الدَّوْلَةُ عَلَى صِيَانَةِ الْحَسَّانِيَّةِ، بِاعْتِبَارِهَا جُزْءًا لَا يَتَجَزَّأُ مِنَ الْهُوِيَّةِ الثَّقَافِيَّةِ الْمَغْرِبِيَّةِ الْمُوَحَّدَةِ، وَعَلَى حِمَايَةِ اللَّهَجَاتِ وَالتَّعْبِيرَاتِ الثَّقَافِيَّةِ الْمُسْتَعْمَلَةِ فِي الْمَغْرِبِ […].
Constitución del Reino de Marruecos (2011), art. 5. Texto oficial, excluido de protección (ley marroquí 2-00, art. 8). Texto de ar.wikisource.org; vocalización de Learning Darija · dominio público
Did you follow?
Which languages are official?
Show answers
Arabic and Amazigh.
How is Amazigh described?
Show answers
As a common heritage of all Moroccans, without exception.
Which variety is expressly protected?
Show answers
Hassaniya.
Does it name Darija?
Show answers
No: it speaks of “the dialects and cultural expressions used in Morocco”.
Check
Two here, three more in the C1 book.
Exercises 1 and 2 are here, with answers. Exercises 3 to 5 are in the C1 book, the PDF this site lives on: you can see the first item of each below.
1Go formal
Put each sentence into formal register.
- وَاشْ نْتَا الْمَسْؤُولْ؟ (رَسْمِي)
- عَاوْنِّي (رَسْمِي)
- جْلَسْ (رَسْمِي)
- شُكْرًا لِيكْ (رَسْمِي)
2Fill the gap
With the meeting formula.
جدول الأعمالنعطيو الكلمةكنقتارحفيما يخص
- نبداو بالنقطة اللولة من ___
- دابا ___ للسيد العلمي
- ___ نأجلو الاجتماع للخميس
- ___ الميزانية، ما عندنا حتى مشكيل
3True or false?
According to Article 5.
- Arabic is an official language of the state.
4Sort
Formal or casual?
شُكْرًا لِيكُمْ
Formal
Casual
5A meeting
Write a short eight-line meeting: agenda, a proposal, an agreement.
السَّيِّدْبِإِمْكَانْكُمْنْعْطِيكُمْ الْكَلْمَةكَنْقْتَارْحْشُكْرًا لِيكُمْ
The rest is in the C1 book
The C1 bookShow answers
| 1. Go formal | وَاشْ نْتُومَا الْمَسْؤُولْ؟ · بِإِمْكَانْكُمْ تْعَاوْنُونِي؟ · تْفَضّْلُو، جْلْسُو · شُكْرًا لِيكُمْ |
|---|---|
| 2. Fill the gap | جدول الأعمال · نعطيو الكلمة · كنقتارح · فيما يخص |
The C1 book: In preparation
Write and I will tell you the day it is out. One email, no list.
I can now
- Address someone formally with ntuma.
- Ask for and give the floor.
- Propose and agree in a meeting.
- Read a constitutional article.