Darija Prepositions
The Core Prepositions
A handful of prepositions cover most of daily speech: 'f' (in/at), '3la' (on/about), 'm3a' (with), 'l' (to/for), 'mn' (from), 'bin' (between), '7da' (next to), and 'qbel/be3d' (before/after).
These small words connect ideas and locate actions in space and time. Mastering them early makes your sentences far more precise and natural.
Prepositions of Place
'F' means in or at: 'f d-dar' (in the house), 'f l-medina' (in the city). '3la' means on: '3la t-tabla' (on the table). '7da' means next to: '7da l-bab' (next to the door).
'Quddam' (in front of), 'mura' (behind), and 'taht' (under) round out spatial description. 'L-kteb 7da t-telephone' means 'the book is next to the phone'.
Prepositions of Direction
'L' marks direction toward: 'mchit l-souk' (I went to the market). 'Mn' marks origin: 'ana mn l-Maghrib' (I am from Morocco). Together they express movement: 'mn d-dar l-l-khedma' (from home to work).
These are essential for giving directions and describing journeys, which come up constantly when traveling in Morocco.
Prepositions Taking Suffixes
Like verbs and nouns, prepositions take pronoun suffixes. 'M3a' (with) becomes 'm3aya' (with me), 'm3ak' (with you), 'm3ah' (with him), 'm3aha' (with her), 'm3ana' (with us).
'3la' (on) becomes '3liya', '3lik', '3lih', '3liha'. 'L' (to) becomes 'liya', 'lik', 'lih', 'liha'. Notice some prepositions add a small vowel before the suffix for smoothness.
The Versatile 3and
'3and' literally means 'at/by' but is the main way to express 'to have'. '3andi' (I have), '3andek' (you have), '3andu' (he has). '3andi flous' means 'I have money'.
It also means 'at someone's place': 'ana 3and khouya' (I am at my brother's). This double duty makes '3and' one of the most useful words in the language.
Common Mistakes
Learners often translate English prepositions literally, but Darija pairs verbs with specific prepositions that may differ. For example, you 'search on' something: 'kanqalleb 3la' (I am looking for).
The fix is to learn verb-plus-preposition combinations as set phrases rather than translating word by word. Listening to natives reveals which preposition each verb prefers.
| English | Darija | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| In the house | f d-dar | ู ุงูุฏุงุฑ |
| On the table | 3la t-tabla | ุนูู ุงูุทุงุจูุฉ |
| With me | m3aya | ู ุนุงูุง |
| To the market | l-souk | ููุณูู |
| From Morocco | mn l-Maghrib | ู ู ุงูู ุบุฑุจ |
| I have money | 3andi flous | ุนูุฏู ูููุณ |
Examples
FAQ
What are the most common Darija prepositions?
The essentials are 'f' (in), '3la' (on), 'm3a' (with), 'l' (to), 'mn' (from), and '3and' (at/have).
Do prepositions change with pronouns?
Yes. They take suffixes, so 'm3a' becomes 'm3aya' (with me) and '3la' becomes '3liya' (on me).
How do I say 'I have' in Darija?
Use '3and' with a suffix: '3andi' means 'I have', as in '3andi flous' (I have money).
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