Language/Moroccan-arabic/Grammar/Demonstratives

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Moroccan Arabic → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Demonstratives

Welcome, dear learners! Today, we dive into an essential element of Moroccan Arabic grammar: demonstratives. Understanding demonstratives is crucial for effective communication. They help you point out specific things, whether they are near you or farther away, and they add clarity to your conversations.

In this lesson, we will explore the different types of demonstrative pronouns and adjectives in Moroccan Arabic. By the end, you will be able to confidently use these words to refer to objects, people, and places in your everyday conversations.

What are Demonstratives?

Demonstratives are words that indicate specific items or people relative to the speaker's location. In Moroccan Arabic, there are two main types of demonstratives:

• Demonstrative Pronouns: These replace nouns and refer to specific entities.

• Demonstrative Adjectives: These modify nouns and provide more information about them.

In Moroccan Arabic, demonstratives change based on gender (masculine or feminine) and proximity (near or far). Let’s break this down further.

Types of Demonstratives in Moroccan Arabic

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in Moroccan Arabic include:

• هذا (hādha) - this (masculine, near)

• هذه (hādhi) - this (feminine, near)

• ذاك (dhāk) - that (masculine, far)

• تلك (tilka) - that (feminine, far)

Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives are similar but are used to describe nouns:

• هذا (hādha) - this (masculine)

• هذه (hādhi) - this (feminine)

• ذاك (dhāk) - that (masculine)

• تلك (tilka) - that (feminine)

Let’s see these in action with some examples:

Moroccan Arabic	Pronunciation	English
هذا الكتاب	hādha l-kitab	this book (masculine)
هذه الطاولة	hādhi ṭ-ṭāwila	this table (feminine)
ذاك الرجل	dhāk ar-rajul	that man (masculine)
تلك المرأة	tilka l-mar'a	that woman (feminine)

Examples in Context

To give you a clearer picture, let’s look at more examples that illustrate how to use these demonstrative pronouns and adjectives in sentences.

Moroccan Arabic	Pronunciation	English
هذا هو مفتاحي	hādha huwa muftāḥi	this is my key (masculine)
هذه هي حقيبتي	hādhi hiya ḥaqībati	this is my bag (feminine)
ذاك هو بيت الجار	dhāk huwa bayt al-jār	that is the neighbor's house (masculine)
تلك هي سيارتي	tilka hiya sayārati	that is my car (feminine)

Proximity and Gender

When using demonstratives in Moroccan Arabic, always remember to consider both the gender of the noun and its distance from the speaker.

== Near vs. Far

• For something near (like a book in front of you), use هذا (hādha) or هذه (hādhi).

• For something far (like a tree across the street), use ذاك (dhāk) or تلك (tilka).

Practice Scenarios

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s put your knowledge to the test with some practice scenarios.

Exercises

1. Identify the Demonstrative

• Read the following sentences and identify the demonstrative used.

• هذا هو القلم.

• ذاك هو الطعام.

2. Fill in the Blanks

• Complete the sentences with the correct demonstrative pronoun/adjective:

• ____ (this) هو كتاب.

• ____ (that) هي سيارة.

3. Translate the Sentences

• Translate the following sentences into Moroccan Arabic:

• This is my house.

• That is your (feminine) dress.

4. Matching Exercise

• Match the Moroccan Arabic demonstratives with their English meanings:

• A. هذا

• B. هذه

• C. ذاك

• D. تلك

5. Sentence Construction

• Use the demonstrative pronouns to create sentences about objects around you.

6. Choose the Correct Form

• Choose the correct demonstrative for the following:

• ____ (this/that) هو شجرة (masculine).

• ____ (this/that) هي حديقة (feminine).

7. Dialogues

• Create a short dialogue using at least three demonstratives.

8. Contextual Use

• Write a paragraph describing your room using demonstrative adjectives.

9. Group Activity

• Work in pairs to point out items in the classroom using demonstratives.

10. Self-Reflection

• Write about a place you like using demonstrative pronouns.

Solutions

1.

• هذا (hādha) for the first sentence and ذاك (dhāk) for the second.

2.

• هذا هو كتاب (hādha huwa kitab) and ذاك (dhāk) هي سيارة (hiya sayāra).

3.

• هذا هو منزلي (hādha huwa manzili) and تلك هي فستانك (tilka hiya fustānk).

4.

• A: This (hādha)

• B: This (hādhi)

• C: That (dhāk)

• D: That (tilka)

5.

• Sentences will vary based on the objects identified.

6.

• هذه (hādhi) هو شجرة and تلك (tilka) هي حديقة.

7.

• Dialogues will vary but should include the use of demonstratives appropriately.

8.

• Paragraphs will vary but should describe the room effectively using demonstratives.

9.

• Activity will depend on classroom layout and participants.

10.

• Reflections will vary based on personal experiences.

By practicing these exercises, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the use of demonstratives in Moroccan Arabic! Remember, the key is to practice speaking and writing with these new words to get comfortable with them.

Now, go ahead and explore your surroundings, using your newfound knowledge to point out all the interesting things around you. Happy learning!

Table of Contents - Moroccan Arabic Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction

• Alphabet and Writing
• Pronunciation

  ---

Greetings and Basic Phrases

• Introducing Yourself and Others
• Asking for Directions
• Numbers and Counting

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Gender and Plurals
• Demonstratives
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Food and Drink

• Ordering Food in a Restaurant
• Describing Food
• Beverages and Ordering Drinks

  ---

Verbs

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

House and Home

• Rooms and Furniture
• Household Chores
• Renting an Apartment

  ---

Adjectives

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

  ---

Traditions and Customs

• Weddings and Celebrations
• Greetings and Etiquette

  ---

Prepositions

• Directional Prepositions
• Temporal Prepositions

  ---

Transportation

• Taking a Taxi
• Public Transportation

  ---

Imperative Mood

• Affirmative Imperative
• Negative Imperative

  ---

Shopping and Bargaining

• Shopping for Clothes
• At the Market
• Bargaining and Haggling

  ---

Historical Sites and Landmarks

• The Medina
• Kasbahs

  ---

Relative Clauses

• Direct and Indirect Object Clauses
• Relative Pronouns

  ---

Health and Emergencies

• At the Hospital
• Emergencies and First Aid

  ---

Passive Voice

• Formation of Passive Constructions
• Uses of the Passive

  ---

Leisure and Entertainment

• Music and Dance
• Sports and Activities

  ---

Holidays and Festivals

• Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha
• Ramadan

  ---

Conditional Mood

• Formation of the Conditional
• Uses of the Conditional

  ---

Regional Dialects

• Darija and Other Dialects
• Language Use and Social Context

  ---

Indirect Speech

• Reported Speech
• Indirect Questions

  ---

Weather and Climate

• Describing the Weather
• Seasons and Climate

Sources

• Moroccan-arabic Grammar - Demonstrative Adjectives
• Moroccan-arabic Grammar - Demonstrative Pronouns

Other Lessons

• How to use “to be” with adjectives in Moroccan Arabic
• Gender and Plurals
• Reported Speech
• The verb "To work"
• Independent Pronouns
• Demonstrative Adjectives
• Possessive Pronouns
• The verb "To Walk"
• How to use “can” in Moroccan Arabic
• 0 to A1 Course

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Next Lesson — Possessive Pronouns ▶️