How do you say “my brother” and “my sister” in Moroccan?
My brother calls himself khoya ( خويا ) and my sister khti ( ختي ). Mom = mama or l-walida , Dad = baba or l-walid . Khoya and khti are also used to address anyone in a friendly manner: “a khoya” = “my brother/my friend”.
Close family in Darija
| English | Darija | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Family | l-3a'ila / d-dar | العائلة |
| Brother | kho (khoya = mon frère) | خو / خويا |
| Sister | kht (khti = ma sœur) | خت / ختي |
| Mom / mother | mama / l-walida / l-omm | ماما / الوالدة |
| Dad / father | baba / l-walid / l-ab | بابا / الوالد |
| Parents | l-walidin | الوالدين |
| Son (my son) | weld (weldi) | ولد / ولدي |
| Daughter (my daughter) | bent (benti) | بنت / بنتي |
| Children | drari / wlad | دراري / ولاد |
| Baby | bibi / terbya | بيبي |
| Elder | l-kbir | الكبير |
| Cadet | s-sghir | الصغير |
| Twins | twam | توام |
Khoya (my brother) and khti (my sister) are used constantly between friends, with a seller, in the street: it's the warmest way to address someone.
Grandparents and grandchildren
| English | Darija | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Grandfather | jedd (jeddi = mon grand-père) | جد / جدي |
| Grandma | jedda (jeddati) / mmi 7enna / mima | جدة / جداتي |
| Grandfather (affectionate) | bba sidi | با سيدي |
| Grandson | 7fid (7fidi) | حفيد |
| Granddaughter | 7fida (7fidti) | حفيدة |
| Great-grandfather | jedd l-jedd | جد الجد |
Uncles, aunts, cousins
| English | Darija | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Paternal uncle | 3emm (3emmi = mon oncle) | عم / عمي |
| Maternal uncle | khal (khali) | خال / خالي |
| Paternal aunt | 3emma (3emmti) | عمة / عمتي |
| Maternal aunt | khala (khalti) | خالة / خالتي |
| Cousin (father's side) | weld 3emmi | ولد عمي |
| Cousin (father's side) | bent 3emmi | بنت عمي |
| Cousin (mother's side) | weld khali | ولد خالي |
| Cousin (mother's side) | bent khali | بنت خالي |
| Nephew | weld khoya / weld khti | ولد خويا |
| Niece | bent khoya / bent khti | بنت خويا |
The darija always distinguishes the paternal side ( 3emm ) from the maternal side ( khal ). 3emmi and khalti also serve as polite expressions for an older man or woman you don't know.
Husband, wife and in-laws
| English | Darija | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Husband (my husband) | rajel (rajli) | راجل / راجلي |
| Woman / wife (my wife) | mra (mrati) | مرا / مراتي |
| Fiancé / fiancée | khatib / khatiba | خطيب / خطيبة |
| Mother-in-law (mother of spouse) | 3gouza (3gouzti) / nsiba | عكوزة / نسيبة |
| Father-in-law | nsib (nsibi) | نسيب / نسيبي |
| Brother-in-law | nsib / lous (lousi) | نسيب / لوسي |
| Sister-in-law | nsiba / lousa (lousti) | نسيبة / لوستي |
| Son-in-law | nsib | نسيب |
| Daughter-in-law | nsiba / mrat weldi | مرات ولدي |
| Marriage | 3ers / zwaj | عرس / زواج |
| Divorced | mtelleq / mtellqa | مطلق |
Mon, ma, ton, ta: possessives
The possessive sticks to the end of the word: -i (my/my), -ek (ton/ta), -o (his, his), -ha (his, hers), -na (our). Examples: khoya (my brother), khouk (your brother), khouh (his brother), khtek (your sister), weldna (our son), mrato (his wife). For other words, we use dyal : d-dar dyali (my house).
Talking about your family in Darija
| English | Darija | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| I have two brothers and a sister | 3endi jouj khout w khet we7da | عندي جوج خوت وخت وحدة |
| How is the family? | Ki dayra l-3a'ila ? / Ki dayrin d-dar ? | كي دايرة العائلة؟ |
| Everyone is fine | Kolshi labas, l-7amdulillah | كلشي لاباس الحمد لله |
| This is my wife | Hadi mrati | هادي مراتي |
| He's my son | Hada weldi | هادا ولدي |
| Greet your mother for me | Sellem 3la mamak | سلم على ماماك |
| I am married | Ana mzewwej / mzewwja | أنا مزوج / مزوجة |
| Do you have children? | Wash 3endek drari ? | واش عندك دراري؟ |
To greet the in-laws, see hello and thank you in Moroccan ; for sweet words to your spouse, love messages in Darija .
Frequently asked questions
How do you say brother in Moroccan?
How do you say mom and dad in Darija?
How do you say uncle and aunt in Darija?
How do you say grandmother in Darija?
How do you say my wife and my husband in Darija?
How do you say mother-in-law in Darija Arabic?
Talk with your Moroccan in-laws
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