7effez حفّز
Moroccan Darija · verb
“7effez” (حفّز) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to motivate, to encourage.
Meanings
- to motivate, to encourage
- to stimulate, to spur
Usage
7effez means "to motivate" or "to encourage". The verb is borrowed from the standard register, but it has become well established in spoken language. It is often heard in sport, at school or at work. For example, a coach motivates his team, or a fan calls for the crowd to be fired up. The construction is direct: 7effez lferqa, "motivate the team". One can add 3la for the goal: 7effzo 3la lqraya, "they motivated him to study". The corresponding noun is t7fiz, "motivation, bonus". In a more informal register, chejje3, "to encourage", is often preferred.
Example
حفّز ليا الجمهور را لماتش ميت
7ffez liya ljomhor ra lmatch miyet
“Motivate the crowd for me, the match is dead.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kan7ffez | 7ffezt | |
| nta (you, m.) | kat7ffez | 7ffezti | 7ffez |
| nti (you, f.) | kat7ffzi | 7ffezti | 7ffzi |
| howa (he) | kay7ffez | 7ffez | |
| hiya (she) | kat7ffez | 7ffzat | |
| 7na (we) | kan7ffzo | 7ffzna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | kat7ffzo | 7ffzto | 7ffzo |
| homa (they) | kay7ffzo | 7ffzo |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7effez” but also “7ffez”, “7afez”, “7affez” and “heffez”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.