khass خاصّ
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“khass” (خاصّ) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning private.
Meanings
- private
- particular, special
- must, need (modal use)
Usage
As an adjective, khass means "private" (feminine khassa): sbitar khass (private clinic), madrasa khassa (private school), l9ita3 l-khass (private sector). It can also mean "particular, special". In spoken language, however, the same form mostly serves as an auxiliary of obligation: khass nmchi (I must go), khassni (I need). This is by far the most frequent use. So rely on context: before a verb or with a suffixed pronoun it means "must"; after a noun it means "private".
Example
كيخدم ف واحد السبيطار خاص.
kaykhdem f wa7d sbitar khass.
“He works in a private hospital.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khass” but also “5ass”, “khas” and “khaass”. 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 “khass” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “private, personal”; “special, particular”: khass in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “private, personal”; “special, reserved for”: 5as in Tunisian.