Language/Moroccan-arabic/Grammar/Directional-Prepositions

Moroccan Arabic Grammar → Prepositions → Directional Prepositions

As a Moroccan Arabic teacher with 20 years of experience, I am excited to teach you about directional prepositions in Moroccan Arabic. This lesson is part of the larger course titled "Complete 0 to A1 Moroccan Arabic Course." By the end of this lesson, you will have a good understanding of directional prepositions in Moroccan Arabic, and you will be able to use them in basic sentences.

What are Prepositions?

Before we dive into the details of directional prepositions, it's important to understand what prepositions are. Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words or parts of a sentence. These words provide additional information such as time, location, and direction, to help describe the relationship between the words in a sentence. In Moroccan Arabic, prepositions are placed before the phrase or noun that they modify.

Directional Prepositions

Directional prepositions express direction, movement or place with regards to a specific location. They indicate the direction or destination of the subject. They are essential in describing the location or direction of nouns, pronouns, and phrases in Moroccan Arabic sentences.

The most commonly used directional prepositions in Moroccan Arabic are:

Moroccan Arabic	Pronunciation	English Translation
فَال	fāl	to, towards
لِ	li	for, towards, to
الْعِنْد	al-'ind	at, beside, near
فْوْق	fūq	above
تَحْت	taht	below, under
بَيْن	bayn	between

How to Use Directional Prepositions

To use a directional preposition, you first need to know the noun, pronoun, or phrase that you are referring to. Then, choose the appropriate preposition that describes the direction or location of the subject.

Here are some examples:

• I am going to the market.
  • Ana ghādī nḍuk l lfūḳ. (أَنَا غَادِي نْذُوقْ لْفّوْقْ)
    • In this sentence, the directional preposition used is فَال (fāl), which means 'to' or 'towards'. It indicates the direction of the subject, which is 'the market'.

• My phone is under the table.
  • Telephone dyāli taht l-qnṭra. (تِلِفُوْنْ دِيَالِي تَحْتْ الْقُنْطْرَةْ)
    • In this sentence, the directional preposition used is تَحْت (taht), which means 'below' or 'under'. It indicates the location of the subject, which is 'the table'.

• The cat is beside the tree.
  • Lqati khādā l-3arūḍa. (لْقَطِّيْ خَدَّا لْعَرُوْضَةْ)
    • In this sentence, the directional preposition used is الْعِنْد (al-'ind), which means 'at', 'beside' or 'near'. It indicates the location of the subject, which is 'the tree'.

Tips for Using Directional Prepositions

• Practice using directional prepositions in context. This will help you get familiar with how they are used in sentences.
• Learn the most commonly used directional prepositions first. This will make it easier for you to communicate in basic conversations.
• Be aware of preposition idioms. Like in any language, preposition idioms exist in Moroccan Arabic. For example, in Moroccan Arabic, the preposition فْوْق (fūq) is used in the idiom “by the sea”, which in Moroccan Arabic is ' فِي ال بَحْرْ' (fī l-baḥr).

Congratulations on completing this lesson on directional prepositions in Moroccan Arabic! With practice and continued study, you will become more confident in your ability to use them correctly in sentences.

Sources

• Preposition
• 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

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Traditions and Customs

• Weddings and Celebrations
• Greetings and Etiquette

  ---

Prepositions

• Directional Prepositions
• Temporal Prepositions

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Transportation

• Taking a Taxi
• Public Transportation

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Imperative Mood

• Affirmative Imperative
• Negative Imperative

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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

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Health and Emergencies

• At the Hospital
• Emergencies and First Aid

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Passive Voice

• Formation of Passive Constructions
• Uses of the Passive

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Leisure and Entertainment

• Music and Dance
• Sports and Activities

  ---

Holidays and Festivals

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

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Conditional Mood

• Formation of the Conditional
• Uses of the Conditional

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Regional Dialects

• Darija and Other Dialects
• Language Use and Social Context

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Indirect Speech

• Reported Speech
• Indirect Questions

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Weather and Climate

• Describing the Weather
• Seasons and Climate

Related Lessons

• Pronunciation
• Indirect Questions
• The verb "To Run"
• Alphabet and Writing
• Affirmative Imperative
• The verb "To Walk"
• Adjectives
• The Genitive Case in Moroccan Arabic
• The verb "To Drink"
• The Inclusive Case in Moroccan Arabic