berhen برهن
Moroccan Darija · verb
“berhen” (برهن) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to prove, demonstrate.
Meanings
- to prove, demonstrate
- to substantiate, provide proof of
Usage
Berhen belongs to a formal register, close to Standard Arabic. It is heard mostly in serious discussions, at school, in the media or in debates. It takes a direct object (berhen lmas'ala, demonstrate the question) or "bli" / "belli" to introduce what is being proved: berhen lia bli nta m3aya, "prove to me that you are with me". In everyday life, Moroccans more often say "bayyen", to show, to prove through actions. The corresponding noun is borhan, proof. The conjugation is regular: berhent, kayberhen, berhnu.
Example
برهن ليا بلي عندك الحق
berhen lia bli 3andek l7e9
“Prove to me that you're right.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanbr8n | br8nt | |
| nta (you, m.) | katbr8n | br8nti | br8n |
| nti (you, f.) | katbr8ni | br8nti | br8ni |
| howa (he) | kaybr8n | br8n | |
| hiya (she) | katbr8n | br8nat | |
| 7na (we) | kanbr8no | br8nna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katbr8no | br8nto | br8no |
| homa (they) | kaybr8no | br8no |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “berhen” but also “br8n”, “ber8en”, “bar8an”, “berhan” and “bar8en”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.