ban بان
Moroccan Darija · verb
“ban” (بان) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to seem (to someone).
Meanings
- to seem (to someone)
- to appear, show up
- to become clear, evident
Usage
This hollow verb is conjugated ban in the perfect and ybān in the imperfect. Followed by l-, it expresses opinion: ach ban lik?, "what do you think?", and li ban lik, "as you like, whatever seems good to you". Without a complement, it means "to appear" or "to show up": ma banch lyoum, "he didn't show up today". It also means "to become evident": ban lhaqq, "the truth has come out". The register is neutral and it is very frequent. The pitfall is translating ach ban lik word for word: the phrase simply means "your opinion?".
Example
أش بان ليك
ach ban lik
“What do you think?”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanban | bnt | |
| nta (you, m.) | katban | bnti | ban |
| nti (you, f.) | katbani | bnti | bani |
| howa (he) | kayban | ban | |
| hiya (she) | katban | bant | |
| 7na (we) | kanbano | bnna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katbano | bnto | bano |
| homa (they) | kaybano | bano |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ban” but also “yban”, “bant” and “baan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “ban” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “to appear, show up”; “to seem”: ban in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “appear, show up”; “seem, look”: ban in Tunisian.