khayen خائن
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“khayen” (خائن) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning traitor.
Meanings
- traitor
- unfaithful (in love)
Usage
In darija, this word is generally pronounced khayen (feminine khayna, plural khaynin). It is used as an adjective or as a noun for someone who betrays trust: a friend who gives away a secret, a dishonest partner, or an unfaithful spouse. The romantic context is very common, in songs as well as in conversation. The related verb is khan, "to betray" (khani, "he betrayed me"), and the noun is lkhyana, "betrayal". The spelling kha2in reflects the standard pronunciation, but in speech people say khayen.
Example
طلع خاين، باع سري للناس
tla3 khayen, ba3 sirri l nnas
“He turned out to be a traitor, he sold my secret to people.”
Forms
| feminine | kha2ina |
|---|---|
| plural | khawana |
| feminine plural | kha2inat |
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 “khayen” but also “kha2in”, “khayn”, “5ayen”, “khaa2in” and “5aa2in”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 2 is hamza (ء), a glottal stop; 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.