7taj حتاج
Moroccan Darija · verb
“7taj” (حتاج) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to need.
Meanings
- to need
- to lack
Usage
The verb ḥtaj is conjugated ḥtajit in the past and kanḥtaj or yḥtaj in the imperfect. It expresses the need for something or someone. The complement is direct or introduced by l-: "ḥtajit chi flus", "ila ḥtajiti l-chi ḥaja". It is very common in offers of help, such as "ila ḥtajiti chi ḥaja, gul liya". To express a necessity or obligation ("must"), darija rather uses khaṣṣ: "khaṣṣni n-mchi". So use ḥtaj for a material or one-off need, and khaṣṣ for an obligation.
Example
إلا حتاج شي حاجة
ila htaj chy haja
“If he needs anything.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kan7taj | 7tajt | |
| nta (you, m.) | kat7taj | 7tajti | 7taj |
| nti (you, f.) | kat7taji | 7tajti | 7taji |
| howa (he) | kay7taj | 7taj | |
| hiya (she) | kat7taj | 7tajat | |
| 7na (we) | kan7tajo | 7tajna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | kat7tajo | 7tajto | 7tajo |
| homa (they) | kay7tajo | 7tajo |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7taj” but also “htaj” and “7tajit”. 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.