Guide to the Darija Word of the Day

Edit: When Moroccans send text messages, they don’t use Arabic letters.  Instead they use the “French” letters.  Still some symbols are required so we’re updating our guide with italics to reflect the way we write these sounds when texting.

January 31, 2015

So Arabic has several sounds that we don’t have in English, and that makes writing the words in a latin script kind of tricky.  Sure I can write a sound as a 3, but if you don’t know what that sound is like, then it’s not much use to you.  So I thought I would post a little key to Arabic sounds for those of you who want to know, or are bored and want to practice them in front of your mirror.

3: this is the first letter of the word for arabic, which is spelled 3rabia.  As I mentioned in another post, it is the sound a Wookie (from Star Wars for those of you who are like “a what?) would make if he had a sore throat. If that doesn’t help, think “say, ahhh” and them move that sound further back in your throat.

Capital G or the number 8: Remember all of those times your mom made you gargle with salt water when you had a sore throat?  Little did you know, she was actually teaching you to make this sound.  Gargle, but only once; don’t roll it (like the aforementioned Wookie would).

c or ch: this is the “sh” sound.  Arabic often puts s and h next to each other and pronounces both individualy so we’ll use the letter c to avoid confusion, and k and s will be used for the sounds c makes in English.

Capital H or the number 7: This is the throaty sigh your child might make when asked to clean up her room (Or 19 year old…yeah we’re talking to you Allie. Clean your room!)  It’s kind of like an h in English, but further back in the throat.  No phlegm though…we’ll get there. This sound is the reason no one can pronounce the name AHmed correctly.

X or the number 5:  Bring on the phlegm.  After your dog finishes eating, or has something in its throat, it might make this sound.  Anne’s dog Lucy did.  It is the ch sound in German like the word ich or in Scottish loch.

q or the number 9:  Try to say a k, but go back as far as you can in your throat.  Nothing creative about this one.  If you’re doing it right you can put your hand on your throat and feel it more than a nomral k.  It would be entertaining for us if you recorded yourself trying to do it.

Capital S, T, and D:  These are the same as normal s, t, and d except make them with your tongue as far back in your mouth as it will go.  Or have someone punch you in the stomach as you try to say a normal s, t, or d.

I think that’s it.  Oh and you roll your “r”s like in Spanish.  We might have made these letters sound disgusting, but we promise they sound normal when spoken.

As I tell my English students,  go to your bathroom, close the door, practice in the mirror, and we will try again tomorrow!

Darija Word of the Post: حمّق       Hammq or 7amm9    crazy