Lesson 1 • Darija Basics
The Foundations of the Language
Pronouns, verb forms, and simple sentence structure — with clear explanations and easy examples.
SVO: Subject–Verb–Object
Present tense: kan-/kat-/kay-
“to have”: 3ndi / 3ndk / 3ndha
Lesson Goal
- You quickly see: Darija is logical and regular.
- You use clear prefixes in the present tense.
- You build simple sentences without stress.
Transcription style: ae = ع • H = ح
Personal Pronouns (Subject)
Pronouns — the Foundation
Remember: pronouns are short and extremely important. You use them every day.
| English | Darija | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I | Ana | ana |
| You (m) | Nta | nta |
| You (f) | Nti | nti |
| He | Howa | huwa |
| She | Hia | hiya |
| We | Hna | hna |
| You (plural) | Ntoma | ntoma |
| They | Homa | homa |
Present Tense — Verb Structure
Example Verb
Conjugation with Prefixes
Darija is very regular. In the present tense, the verb always has a prefix.
| Subject | Prefix |
|---|---|
| Ana | Kan- |
| Nta | Kat- |
| Nti | Kat-…-i |
| Howa | Kay- |
| Hia | Kat- |
| Hna | Kan-…-u |
| Ntoma | Kat-…-u |
| Homa | Kay-…-u |
Akel → “to eat”
Stem: -akul- / -akl-
| Person | Darija | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ana | kanakul | I eat |
| Nta | katakul | You eat (m) |
| Nti | katakli | You eat (f) |
| Howa | kayakul | He eats |
| Hia | katakul | She eats |
| Hna | kanaklu | We eat |
| Ntoma | kataklu | You eat (plural) |
| Homa | kayaklu | They eat |
Sentence Structure — Simple Pattern
Auxiliary verbs “to be” & “to have”
SVO: Subject + Verb + Object
Darija follows SVO order (just like English): subject first, then verb, then object.
| English | Darija |
|---|---|
| I eat the bread. | Ana kanakul l-khobz. |
| You drink the water. | Nta katshrab l-ma. |
| She sees the book. | Hia katshef l-ktab. |
“to be”
In the present tense, “to be” is usually omitted in Darija.
“to have”
“to have” = 3ndi / 3ndk / 3ndha …
| English | Darija |
|---|---|
| I have the book. | Ana 3ndi l-ktab. |
| You have money. | Nta 3ndk flus. |
| She has time. | Hia 3ndha l-waqt. |
Mini Dialog (Very Simple)
Short & Real
A: Salam, kif dayr(a)?
B: Labas, shukran. W nta?
A: Ana labas. Bghit nshrab atay.
B: Yallah, nmshiw l-qahwa.
Translation:
A: Hi, how are you?
B: Fine, thanks. And you?
A: I’m fine. I want to drink tea.
B: Come on, let’s go to the café.
Homework
Build These Sentences Yourself
- I drink water.
- You have time.
- She wants to eat.
- We go home.
- I am tired.