Ramadan is the Best Month (Moroccan Arabic Lesson)

In this post, our dear friend, Mama Hafeeda, shares her perspective on the Holy month of Ramadan. 

She recorded this message via WhatsApp, so listening to it may help you to follow the WhatsApp messages you receive from your Moroccan friends and host families.

This post contains a lot of useful holiday vocabulary and conversational phrases.



السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
al-Salaamu alaikom wa rahmatullahi wa barakatho
 
Greetings of peace, God's mercy and His blessings be upon you
 
رمضان مبارك سعيد
Ramadan mubarak sa'id
 
Have a blessed and joyful Ramadan

إن شاء الله يا رب بالصحة والسلامة
In sha’ Allah ya rabbi bi sihha wa salaama, 
 
And, God willing, in health and safety,
 
 
باش ما كنتمنّو
bash ma kantamannaw 
 
May you get all that you wish for
 
 عواشر مباركة
 ‘awashir mubarika
 
Happy Holidays 

 معكم حفيدة، المعروفة باسم ماما حفيدة
Ma’akom Hafeeda, al-Ma’rufa bi Ism Mama Hafeeda
 
I am Hafeeda, also known as "Mama Hafeeda"

 الناس بزاف تيكولو لي ماما حفيدة
al-nas bzzaf taygulu li Mama Hafeeda 
 
People often call me, "Mama Hafeeda" 


كنت خالقة في مدينة مكناس وكبرت فيها
kunt khaliqa fi Madinat Meknes wa kabart fiha 
 
I was born and raised in the city of Meknes
 
ودبا أنا كاينة في واد جديدة
wa deba ana kayna fi Oued Jadida
 
 Now, I am located in Oued Jadida

هادا واد جديدة واحد قرية كاينة بين مكناس وفاس
hada Oued Jadida wahid qariya kayna bin Meknes ou Fes
 
Oued Jadida is a town located between Meknes and Fes
 
 هي مدينة صغيويرة سميتها واد جديدة ولكن أنا بعيدة عليها بأربع كيلومتر ما بين مكناس وفاس
 Hiya medina saghiwira smitha oued jdida wa lakin ana ba’ida ‘alayha bi arba’ kilometer ma bin Meknes ou Fes

It is a small city named Oued Jadida, however, I am outside of it by four kilometers, in the area between Meknes and Fes.

والحمد لله على كل شيء
wa Hamdu Lillah ‘ala kull shi

Praise be to God for anything and everything

حنا تنكولو في الأمتلة ديالنا: فين ما مشى عبد الله يلقى الله
7na tangulu fi l-amtila dialna fin mamsha ‘Abd Allah yalqa Allah

We have a proverb that we say: "Wherever God's servant goes, they will find God."

 هاد شي للي كاين
Had shi lli kayn

That's how it is.

(mic interruption - speaking about preparations for Ramadan)

كنحاولو نقيو القلوب ديالنا. ما كنخلًيوش فيهم شي حسد ولا غل ولا قطع صلة الرحيم
Kan7awalu nqiwu lqulub dialna mankankhalliwush fihim shi hisd ou la ghill ou la qata3 sillat al-rahim
 
We try to clean our hearts and not leave any jealousy, betrayal or cutting of blood ties in them. 
 
 هادا هو الاستعدادات بعد أول ديال شهر ديال رمضان
Hada huwa al-isti3dadat ba3da awwal dial shahr dial Ramadan

These are the preparations for the month of Ramadan

وكنستعدّو في البيوت ديالنا في النظافة ديال البيت الحقّاش هادا الشهر هادا تيكون فيه الدكر وتيكون فيه الصلاة وتيكون فيه الضيوف، تنجيوو الضيوف وتنحترموهم مزيان
Wa kansta3du fi l-buyut dialna fi nadhafa dial bayt al7aqqash hada shahr hada taykon fih ldikr wa taykon fihi lsalah wa taykon fihi lduyuf, tayjiwu lduyuf tanihtaramouhom mzian 

And we prepare our homes by cleaning them because during this month there is remembrance of God, prayer and guests, guests come and we take care of them well.

كنستعدّو شويا بالأكل، نوجّدو الأكل، واخا الأكل ماشي مهم، إلا ما كليناش في هادا الشهر غناكلو في الشهر من بعد
Kanista3du shwiya bi l-akl, nwujdu l-akl, wakha al-aklu mashi muhimm ila ma klinash fi hada al-shahr ghanaklo fi l-shahr min ba3d 
 
We prepare our food a little bit, we make meals in advance, but food is not that important. If we do not eat in this month, we will eat in the next one.
 
 ولكن العبادة مهمة أكتر من الأكل في هادا الشهر
wa lakin al-‘ibada muhimma aktar min al-akl fi had al-shahr

However, worship is more important than food during this month.

حنا ولو كنوجدو الأكل باش لأنً الضيوف يلقوو كل شي كاين في الدار، باش كنكرّمو ضيف الله إلا جاء شي ضيف
7nna wa law kanwjdu al-akl bash li-anna al-duyuf yalqaw kull shi kayn fi l-dar, bash kankarramu dayf Allah ila ja shi dayf 
 
For us, if we prepare [some food in advance] it so that our guests find everything read for them in the house, so that we can generously host the guests of God, if a guest should come
 
 ولو - ولكن الدكر والصلاة هادي أكبر من الأكل. الحمد لله والشكر لله
wa law - wa lakin l-dikr wa l-sala hadi akbar min al-akl. alhamdu lillahi wa l-shukru lillah
 
However, the remembrance of God and prayer are greater than food. Praise and thanks be to God.

وكنكولو إن شاء الله لا إلا جاء رمضان لقانا كاينين من أهل الدنيا كنكونو ناس محدودين
wa kangolo in sha allahi la ila ja ramadan lqana kaynin min ahl al-dunya kankono nas mahdudin
 
And we say that, God willing, it won't be that Ramadan comes and finds us as worldly people, and that we are cut off
 
تنكونو ناس محدودين بزاف إلا لقانا رمضان في الدنيا لأنّ رمضان تيغفّرنا، فيه تنغفّروا الدنوب ديالنا وفيها كنتقرّبو من الله سبحانه وتعالى
tankono nas mahdudin bzzaf ila lqana ramadan fi al-dunya li-anna ramadan tayghaffarna, fih tanghaffaru l-dunub dialna wa fiha kantqarrabu min Allah subahanho wa ta’ala 
 
We would be people cut off from a lot if Ramadan finds us only in this world. This is because Ramadan [is a source] of forgiveness for us. During it, we are forgiven of our since and we grow closer to God, the Exalted and Most High
 
فيه كنديرو الصدقة، فيه كنكونو قرّابين من الله سبحانه وتعالى. إلا جاء شهر رمضان ومنا من أهل الدنيا كنكونو من الناس محدودين في الدنيا
fih tandiro sadaqa fih kankono qrrabin min Allah subhanaho wa ta’ala. ila ja shahr ramadan wa kunna min ahl al-dunya kankono min nas mahdudin fi l-dunya. 
 
During Ramadan, we give charity, we are close to God, the Exalted and Most High. If the month of Ramadan comes and we are among the worldly people, then we are trapped, cut off in this world
 
كل واحد كاين في هاد الشهر في الدنيا ما زال حي، حي يرزق، هو كيعتبر رأسه
kullu wahid kayn fi had l-shahr, fi l-dunya ma zal hayy, hayyun yurzaq, huwa kaya’tabir ra’sho 
 
Anyone who is around during this month, in this world, still alive, alive and provided for, should consider their state
 
 
خصه يعتبر رأسه من ناس محدودين لأنّ هاد الشهر كنغفّرو الدنوب ديالنا وكنديرو فيه الحاجة مزيانة مع الله سبحانه وتعالى
khasso ya’tabir ra’sho min nas mahdudin li-anna hada lshahr kanghaffaru l-dunub dialna wa kandiro fih l-haja mziana ma’ allah subhana wa ta’ala 
 
They should reflect on whether they are among those cut off [in this world], because this is the month when our sins are forgiven and when we doing good things with God, the Exalted and Most High
 
وفي هاد الشهر نتقرّبو من الله سبحانه وتعالى وتنحاولو مانديرو حتى حاجة خيبة، كنديرو غير حاجة زوينة باش ربي كيمحينا الدنوب ديالنا
wa fi had l-shahr ntqarrabu min Allah subhanaho wa ta’ala wa tanhawalu mandiro hatta haja khayba kandiro ghayr haja zwina bash rabbi kaymhina dunub dialna.

And in this month, we get closer to God, the Exalted and Most High, and we try to not do anything bad, but rather do only beautiful things so that Our Lord will wipe away our sins.

وهاد هو أحسن شهر في السنة كاملة والحمد لله والشكر لله إلا كنا من أهل ديال هادا الشهر نكونو إن شاء الله حيين ويكون في نصيب ديالنا صومه
wa had howa ahsan shahr fi l-sanna kamila wa l-hamdu lillahi wa l-shukru lillahi illa kunna min ahl dial hada l-shahr nkono insha’allah hayyin wa ykon fi nasib dialna sawmho 
 
This is the best month in the whole year. And praise and thanks be to God if we are among this month's kin, and that, God willing, we are alive and it is our lot to fast.
 
يا ربي كتكتبنا الصيام مزيان يا ربي ربي
ya rabbi katktabna l-siyam mzian ya rabbi rabbi 
 
O my Lord, write for us a good fast, O my Lord, my Lord


Vocabulary Review:

bash ma kantamannaw - This is commonly used around holidays, especially Eid, when it is employed in the past tense form: bash ma tamanniti. It expresses a wish for good will and achievement in the coming year, or, in this case, during the month of Ramadan.

‘awashir mubarika - This is a another common holiday phrase that is used especially during the days leading up to Eid al-Adha, or the Big Eid, in the Month of Dhu al-Hijja. Eid al-Adha takes place on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijja. When the month begins, Moroccans commonly greet each other with 'awashir mabruka, or "Have a Blessed Ten Days." Outside of this context, it is used to send glad tidings ahead of a major holiday like Ramadan.
 
ma’akom - Literally, "with you", this formula is often used to inquire about or identify participants in a conversation. On the telephone it is common to ask, "shkun ma'ya?" or "Who is with me?" when you don't know who is calling you.
 
 ou - In this recording, we hear Mama Hafeeda pronounce the contraction wa, meaning "and", either as wa or ou.
 
fin mamsha ‘Abd Allah yalqa Allah - The phrase fin mamsha means "wherever he goes." It is comprised of the adverb fin, meaning "where", the preposition ma and the past tense verb msha. This adverbial construction is very common in Moroccan Arabic, an we see it above in the phrase bash ma tamanniti or "however you hope it to be." This construction's formula is: adverb + ma + past tense verb.
 
 mankankhalliwush - This is a good example of negation in Moroccan Arabic. The negative particle mash is broken apart and the negated verb is placed inside of it:

ma - negative particle
kankhalliwu - Present tense verb: "We leave"
sh - negative particle

= "We don't leave"
 
al7aqqash - This is one way to say "because" in Moroccan Arabic. It means: "the reason for that is."
 
mandiro hatta haja khayba - This is a good example of double negation in Moroccan Arabic. In double negation, the ending of the negative particle - sh - is omitted in place of a separate, additional negative particle:

ma - negative particle
ndiro - Present tense verb: "We do"

hatta - negative particle
haja - negated noun: "a thing"
khayba - adjective: "bad"

= "We don't do anything had"


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