How to say “like” in Darija
In Moroccan, you say “b7al” and “kif”; in Algerian, “kima” and “bhal”; in Tunisian, “kif”, “kima”, “za3ma” and “jam”.
In Moroccan Darija
b7al بحال
A preposition meaning “like, similar to”; “the same, identical (b7al b7al)”; “about, roughly”.
نتا بحال خويا: “You're like my brother.”
kif كيف
A preposition meaning “like, similar to”; “how (in greetings)”; “kif, cannabis for smoking”.
In Algerian Darja
kima كيما
A conjunction meaning “like, similar to”; “the same way as”.
هو كيما باباه، ما يحبش يهدر بزاف: “He's like his father, he doesn't like to talk much.”
bhal بحال
A preposition meaning “like, similar to”; “the same as, similar”.
راه بحال باباه، ما يحبش يهدر بزاف.: “He's like his father, he doesn't like talking much.”
In Tunisian Derja
kif كيف
A preposition meaning “like, same as”; “when”.
و ولدي ولّى يقول لي اشري لي كيف ولد عمي: “And my son started saying to me: buy me one like my uncle's son has.”
kima كيما
A conjunction meaning “like, in the same way as”; “such as, for example”; “when, as soon as”.
و تفورم كيما تحبّ: “And you shape it however you like.”
za3ma زعما
A particle meaning “supposedly, so-called”; “I mean, like, actually”; “could it be that?”.
زعما ما فهمتش؟: “So you supposedly didn't understand?”
jam جام
A noun meaning “a "like" on social media”.
حطّلي جام على التصويرة متاعي.: “Give my photo a like.”