Language/Moroccan-arabic/Grammar/Relative-Pronouns

Moroccan Arabic Grammar → Relative Clauses → Relative Pronouns

As a Moroccan Arabic language teacher with 20 years of experience, I can tell you that understanding relative pronouns is essential to becoming proficient in the language. In this lesson, you will learn how to use relative pronouns in Moroccan Arabic.

What are Relative Pronouns?

Relative pronouns are words that link two elements in a sentence to show a relationship between them. In Moroccan Arabic, these pronouns are:

• دْيَالْ /dyaal/ : which, that (used with masculine and feminine nouns)

• لْلّي /llī/ : who, whom, which, that (used with masculine and feminine pronouns)

• وَلْيْ /waly/ : who, that (used only with masculine nouns)

• بْلي /bli/ : who, whom, which, that (used only with feminine nouns)

• أَش /ash/ : that (used for things)

How to Use Relative Pronouns in Moroccan Arabic

Relative pronouns function like conjunctions in that they join parts of a sentence together. Consider these two sentences:

1. الرَّجُلْ غَادِي يِجِي /rrajul ɣadi yiji/ - The man is coming.

2. الرَّجُلْ اللّيْ غَادِي يِجِي خُوْدُوْ لَيْهِ /rrajul lli ɣadi yiji khūdu laih/ - Take the man who is coming.

In the second sentence, the relative pronoun "اللّيْ /llī/" connects "الرَّجُلْ /rrajul/" (the man) and "غَادِي يِجِي /ɣadi yiji/" (is coming) to form a relative clause.

Here are some more examples:

Moroccan Arabic	Pronunciation	English
الفلان دْيَالْ مْكَانْ /lfllan dyaal mkan/	/al-flan djaal mkaan/	The guy who is from that place
اللّيْ كَتِيْحَبْ /llī kati-ḥab/	/al-li kati-hab/	The one who loves
العَرُوْسَةْ بْليْ لَابْسَةْ زْرُوْقْ /lʕruːsa bli labːsa zruːq/	/al-ʕruːsa bli labbsa zruːʔ/	The bride who is wearing blue

Note the different relative pronouns used, depending on the gender or number of the noun referred to.

Relative Pronouns in Context

Understanding how to use relative pronouns can come in handy when listening to or watching Moroccan movies, TV shows, or songs. Here are some popular examples:

• قُوْتُوْا اللّيْ رَادْ /quutū llī rād/ : Take the one who is coming back (song lyric)

• وَلْيْ آشْ دَارْ دَيَالْكُمْ /waly ash dār dyalkum/ : The one who has your house or property (movie title)

Conclusion

In conclusion, using relative pronouns in Moroccan Arabic allows speakers to link together parts of sentences to form cohesive thoughts. Understanding the differences and nuances between the different pronouns can help learners speak and comprehend Moroccan Arabic more effectively.

Remember to practice using these pronouns in context, and feel free to ask for feedback from your Moroccan Arabic teacher or language partner.

Shukran bzaaf!

Sources

• Relative Pronoun
• Moroccan Arabic

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

Related Lessons

• The Inclusive Case in Moroccan Arabic
• Indirect Questions
• Directional Prepositions
• Pronunciation
• Gender and Plurals
• How to use “can” in Moroccan Arabic
• Formation of the Conditional
• Conditional Mood
• Indefinite Articles in Moroccan Arabic
• How to use “to be” with names and places