chkli شكلي
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“chkli” (شكلي) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning purely for form, hollow.
Meanings
- purely for form, hollow
- superficial, empty
- relating to form or appearance
Usage
Chakli (often written chkli or chekli) describes something that exists only in appearance: a ceremony, a rule or a relationship that keeps up appearances but has nothing real behind it. It belongs to a fairly formal register, close to Standard Arabic, and is mostly heard in discussions, the media or administrative language. It often appears with ghir or gha ("only"): ghir chakli, "just for show". The feminine is chakliya. Careful: it does not mean "formal" in the sense of "polite, ceremonious". It always carries a critical nuance, that of a facade.
Example
راه هادش غا شكلي.
rah hadche gha chekli.
“All of this is merely for form's sake.”
Forms
| feminine | chklia |
|---|---|
| plural | chkliyin |
| feminine plural | chklyyat |
Forms as recorded in DODa, in its spelling.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chkli” but also “chakli”, “chekli” and “shakli”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.