Grammar & Reference
Your Darija textbook — read, study, come back anytime
Tenses in Darija
Moroccan Darija has three tenses: past, present, and future. Unlike Modern Standard Arabic, Darija uses simple prefixes and suffixes — once you learn the pattern, it applies to almost every verb.
Example verb
📌 Past Tense — الماضي (l-maDi)
The past tense is the base form of the verb with person suffixes added directly. No prefix needed. Verb roots are usually 3 consonants (e.g. k-t-b for write).
Pattern
verb root + suffix
Suffixes: I→t · you→ti · he→(none) · she→at · we→na · you(pl)→tu · they→u
Past — كتب / kteb (to write)
| Person | Pronoun | Translit | Darija |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | أنا | ktbt | كتبت |
| You (m) | نتا | ktbti | كتبتي |
| You (f) | نتي | ktbti | كتبتي |
| He | هو | kteb | كتب |
| She | هي | ktbat | كتبات |
| We | حنا | ktbna | كتبنا |
| You (pl) | نتوما | ktbtu | كتبتو |
| They | هوما | ktbu | كتبو |
💡 The he-form (3rd person masculine singular) is usually just the bare verb root. All other forms add a suffix.
🔄 Present Tense — المضارع (l-muDari3)
The present tense adds a ka- prefix (continuity marker) + a person prefix + the verb root. This expresses habitual or ongoing actions: "I write", "she eats", "they go".
Person prefixes (after ka-)
kan- I
kat- You (m)
kat-...-i You (f)
kay- He
kat- She
kan-...-u We
kat-...-u You (pl)
kay-...-u They
Present — كتب / kteb (to write)
| Person | Pronoun | Translit | Darija |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | أنا | kankteb | كانكتب |
| You (m) | نتا | katkteb | كاتكتب |
| You (f) | نتي | katktbi | كاتكتبي |
| He | هو | kaykteb | كايكتب |
| She | هي | katkteb | كاتكتب |
| We | حنا | kanktbu | كانكتبو |
| You (pl) | نتوما | katktbu | كاتكتبو |
| They | هوما | kayktbu | كايكتبو |
💡 Drop the ka- prefix after "ghadi" (future) or in commands. The underlying person prefixes remain the same.
🔮 Future Tense — المستقبل (l-musta9bal)
The future tense is formed with ghadi (غادي) + present tense without the ka- prefix. Simple rule: ghadi + [person prefix] + verb root [+ suffix]
I am going to write
غادي نكتب
ghadi nkteb
She is going to eat
غادي تكلا
ghadi tkla
We are going to go
غادي نمشيو
ghadi nmchiu
Future — كتب / kteb (to write)
| Person | Pronoun | Translit | Darija |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | أنا | ghadi nkteb | غادي نكتب |
| You (m) | نتا | ghadi tkteb | غادي تكتب |
| You (f) | نتي | ghadi tktbi | غادي تكتبي |
| He | هو | ghadi ykteb | غادي يكتب |
| She | هي | ghadi tkteb | غادي تكتب |
| We | حنا | ghadi nktbu | غادي نكتبو |
| You (pl) | نتوما | ghadi tktbu | غادي تكتبو |
| They | هوما | ghadi yktbu | غادي يكتبو |
💡 You can also use daba (دابا = now/soon) for near future: "daba nmchi" = "I'm going now / I'll go soon".
📢 Commands (Imperative)
For commands, use the present tense stem without ka- and without the person prefix. Masculine singular = bare stem. Feminine = stem + i. Plural = stem + u.
Write! (to a man)
كتب
kteb
Write! (to a woman)
كتبي
ktebi
Write! (to a group)
كتبو
ktebu
Go! (to a man)
مشي
mchi
Eat! (to a group)
كلاو
klau