Present Tense In Moroccan Arabic

The present tense in Moroccan Arabic is pretty straightforward as there is a simple form to apply to verbs to get the conjugation right, but bear in mind that there are 4 types of Darija verbs: CCV, CVC, CCC, and CC (C: Consonant and V: Vowel) which we will explain and give some examples.

Present Tense In Moroccan Arabic

The present tense conjugation of Moroccan Arabic follows this form:

Note that you can use t/ت instead of k/ك .

Present Tense Form For CCV And CVC Verbs

For this group, most verbs follow the form we talked about, for the few ones left, the vowel transforms to “i“, “o“, or stays the same:

CCV Verbs Form

Examples of CCV verbs (Consonant, Consonant, Vowel):

• Shra (to buy) شرا (a transforms to i)
• Kla (to eat) كلا (irrigular! tadaaa!)
• Msha (to go) مشا (a transforms to i)

Conjugation of shra:

Short verbs as ja (to come) also fall into this category, here is its conjugation:

CVC Verbs Form

Examples of CVC verbs(Consonant, Vowel, Consonant)

• Tar (to fly) طار (a transforms to i)
• Ban (to appear) بان (a stays the same)

Conjugation of tar:

Present Tense Form For CCC And CC Verbs

Most verbs in Moroccan Arabic belong to this group of CCC and CC, and to conjugate them, you just add the form mentioned above.

CCC Verbs Form

Examples of CCC Verbs (Consonant, Consonant, Consonant):

• Ktb ( to write) كتب
• Shrb (to drink) شرب
• Gls (to sit) جلس

Conjugation of Ktb:

Note: verbs like attar are considered CCC as the second a is a short vowel (أتر)

ِConjugation of attar:

CC Verbs Form

Examples of CC Verbs (Consonant, Consonant)

• Sed (to close) سد
• Keb (to pour) كب

Conjugation of keb:

Note: you can practice what you’ve learned here, and learn how to pronounce each of the words in our Memrise course here, don’t know how to use the platform or sign up? we’ve got you covered in this easy-to-follow tutorial here.

The Irrigulars Kla (to eat) and Khda (to take)

The Verb Kla in Present:

The Verb Khda in Present:

Moroccan Arabic Present Tense Verb Conjugation Quiz

Quiz

Instructions: Please answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences.

1. What is the general formula for conjugating verbs in the Moroccan Arabic present tense?
2. What are the four verb types in Moroccan Arabic, categorized by consonants (C) and vowels (V)?
3. How does the conjugation of CCV verbs differ from CCC verbs in the present tense?
4. Conjugate the verb “ktb” (to write) in the present tense for the pronoun “he.”
5. Conjugate the verb “shra” (to buy) in the present tense for the pronoun “we.”
6. What happens to the vowel in the verb “tar” (to fly) when conjugated in the present tense?
7. What is irregular about the verb “kla” (to eat) in the present tense?
8. Conjugate the verb “khda” (to take) in the present tense for the pronoun “you” (feminine, singular).
9. Provide an example of a CC verb and its conjugation in the present tense for the pronoun “they.”
10. What is the significance of the second “a” in the verb “attar”? How does this impact its categorization and conjugation?

Answer Key

1. The general formula for conjugating verbs in the Moroccan Arabic present tense is: pronoun + (kan/kat/kay) + verb.
2. The four verb types in Moroccan Arabic are: CCV, CVC, CCC, and CC.
3. The conjugation of CCV and CCC verbs in the present tense differs primarily in the vowel changes within the verb stem. CCV verbs often have vowel transformations (e.g., “a” to “i”), while CCC verbs generally retain their consonant structure.
4. The conjugation of “ktb” (to write) for “he” is: Howa kayktb (هو كيكتب).
5. The conjugation of “shra” (to buy) for “we” is: 7na kanshriw (حنا كنشريو).
6. The vowel “a” in the verb “tar” (to fly) transforms to “i” when conjugated in the present tense.
7. The verb “kla” (to eat) is irregular because it does not follow the typical conjugation pattern and undergoes significant vowel changes.
8. The conjugation of “khda” (to take) for “you” (feminine, singular) is: Nti/Ntiya katakhdi (نتي / نتيا كتاخدي).
9. An example of a CC verb is “sed” (to close). Its conjugation for “they” is: Huma kaysedo (هوما كيسدو).
10. The second “a” in the verb “attar” is a short vowel. This classifies it as a CCC verb because the short vowel is not considered in the categorization. Therefore, it follows the standard CCC verb conjugation pattern.

Happy learning!

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