Language/Moroccan-arabic/Grammar/Adjectives

Moroccan Arabic Grammar - Adjectives

Hi Moroccan Arabic learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be focusing on adjectives in Moroccan Arabic. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns. It is important to learn how to use adjectives to enhance your communication skills and to express yourself accurately. We will be covering different aspects of adjectives such as their placement, agreement, and comparison.

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Alphabet and Pronunciation in ..., How to use “can” in Moroccan Arabic, Verbs & The verb To learn.

Placement of Adjectives

In Moroccan Arabic, adjectives are usually placed after the noun they modify. For example:

Examples

Noun

Adjective

Translation

البقلاوة	al b'qlawa	كثير السكر	Very sweet
الكتاب	al kitab	جديد	New
المدرسة	al madrasa	كبيرة	Large

Note that there are some adjectives that come before the noun such as "جميل" and "قديم". In these cases, the adjective usually has a specific meaning.

Agreement of Adjectives

In Moroccan Arabic, adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender and number. This means that if the noun is masculine, the adjective must be masculine, and if the noun is feminine, the adjective must be feminine. For example:

Examples

Noun

Adjective

Translation

الطالب	al talib	مجتهد	Diligent (masculine singular)
الطالبة	al taliba	مجتهدة	Diligent (feminine singular)
الطلاب	al tullab	مجتهدون	Diligent (masculine plural)
الطالبات	al talibat	مجتهدات	Diligent (feminine plural)

As you can see from the examples above, the adjective "مجتهد" (diligent) changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes.

Comparison of Adjectives

In Moroccan Arabic, adjectives have three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative.

Positive Degree

The positive degree is the basic form of the adjective. For example:

Examples

Adjective

Translation

عالي	Aali	Tall/high
حلو	Hlou	Sweet/nice

Comparative Degree

The comparative degree is used to compare two things or people. In Moroccan Arabic, the comparative is usually formed by adding "-أكثر" to the end of the adjective for masculine and "-أكثرة" for feminine. For example:

Examples

Adjective

Comparative

Translation

كبير	Kebir	أكبر	Bigger
جميل	Jamil	أجملة	More beautiful

Superlative Degree

The superlative degree is used to describe something or someone as the highest or most. In Moroccan Arabic, the superlative is usually formed by adding "-أكثر-أ" to the end of the adjective for masculine and "-أكثر-ة" for feminine. For example:

Examples

Adjective

Superlative

Translation

صغير	Sghir	أصغرأ	Smallest
غني	Ghni	أغنىة	Richest

Practice Dialogue

A: البقلاوة حلوة؟ (Al b'qlawa hloua?) (Is the baklava sweet?) B: نعم، كثير السكر. (Na'am, ktheer ssukar.) (Yes, very sweet.)

A: كيف الجو بكرة؟ (Kif ljou bokra?) (How's the weather tomorrow?) B: سيئ. الجو بكرة بارد جدا. (Sayyè'. Ljou b-khra brrdd jdda.) (It's bad. The weather tomorrow will be very cold.)

A: مدرستنا كبيرة. (Mdrstna kbyra.) (Our school is big.) B: نعم، والمدرسين مجتهدون. (Na'm, w lmrdsin mjtahdon.) (Yes, and the teachers are diligent.)

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Other Lessons

• The Locative Case in Moroccan Arabic
• Possessive Pronouns
• Nouns
• The verb "To work"
• The Ablative Case in Moroccan Arabic
• The verb "to sleep"
• How to Use Have
• Verbs
• The Genitive Case in Moroccan Arabic
• Negation