dmen ضمن
Moroccan Darija · verb
“dmen” (ضمن) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to guarantee, ensure.
Meanings
- to guarantee, ensure
- to vouch for someone
Usage
Dmen means "to guarantee" or "to ensure": you guarantee a result, a payment or someone's reliability. Typical constructions are ana Dameno, "I vouch for him", and chkoun ghadi yDmen lik ?, "who is going to guarantee it to you?". The negative form ma kayDmen walo expresses uncertainty: "nothing is guaranteed". The corresponding noun is Damana, "guarantee", which is also used for an appliance's warranty. The pronunciation is Dmen in the perfect and yDmen in the imperfect.
Example
نضمن ليك بلي غادي يخلصك
nDmen lik belli ghadi ykhellsek
“I guarantee you he will pay you.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanDmen | Dment | |
| nta (you, m.) | katDmen | Dmenti | Dmen |
| nti (you, f.) | katDmni | Dmenti | Dmni |
| howa (he) | kayDmen | Dmen | |
| hiya (she) | katDmen | Dmnat | |
| 7na (we) | kanDmno | Dmnna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katDmno | Dmnto | Dmno |
| homa (they) | kayDmno | Dmno |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dmen” but also “dman”, “dmn” and “damen”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.