khan خان
Moroccan Darija · verb
“khan” (خان) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to betray.
Meanings
- to betray
- to cheat on (in a couple)
Usage
Khan means to "betray" someone's trust. The object is direct: khanni, "he betrayed me", khanha, "he cheated on her". In the imperfective, one says ykhoun, kaykhoun. It is used for a friendship, a promise, a country, and very often for romantic infidelity. Its derivatives are common: khayen, "traitor", and lkhiyana, "betrayal". Be careful not to confuse it with the other khan, which serves as a future auxiliary in some regions.
Example
خانّي صاحبي
khanni sa7bi
“My friend betrayed me.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kankhon | khnt | |
| nta (you, m.) | katkhon | khnti | khoun |
| nti (you, f.) | katkhoni | khnti | khouni |
| howa (he) | kaykhon | khan | |
| hiya (she) | katkhon | khant | |
| 7na (we) | kankhono | khnna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katkhono | khnto | khouno |
| homa (they) | kaykhono | khano |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khan” but also “5an” and “khaan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.
Type “khan” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “to betray (someone, their trust)”; “to fail, to let down”: khan in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “to betray (someone, one's country)”; “to cheat on (a partner)”: khan in Tunisian.