Moroccan Arabic textbook 2011

Peace Corps / Morocco • 67
3 rd Category: Verb Has Internal Changes
Two verbs in Moroccan Arabic are conjugated in the present tense by changing their internal structure
in addition to adding the normal prefixes and suffixes.
In these forms, the
―u‖ is pronounced
very quickly. Thus,
one shouldn‘t say
―kan-akuuuuul,‖
but rather
―kan-akul‖
Another Verb like “kla”
“to eat”
I eat
you eat (masc. sing.)
you eat (fem. sing.)
he eats
she eats
we eat
you eat (plur.)
they eat
kla
kan-akul
kat-akul
kat-akuli
kay-akul
kat-akul
kan-aklu
kat-aklu
kay-aklu
to take
xda
Some examples:
Every Friday we eat couscous.
She takes medicine before she
goes to bed.
kul jmعa kan-aklu ksksu.
kat-axud d-dwa qbl
ma t-nعs.
Exercise: Describe in the present tense the following activities.
šnu kay-dir / kat-dir / kay-diru