khayf خايف
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“khayf” (خايف) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning afraid, scared.
Meanings
- afraid, scared
- worried (about someone)
Usage
Khayf is the active participle of the verb khaf (to be afraid). It is used as an adjective to say "to be afraid": ana khayf means "I'm afraid". It agrees in gender and number: khayfa in the feminine, khayfin in the plural. The thing feared is introduced by men: khayf men lkelb (he is afraid of the dog). With 3la, the meaning changes: khayf 3lik means "he is worried about you", not "he is afraid of you". It is a common word, used in all registers.
Example
أنا خايف بزاف
ana khayf bzaf
“I'm very scared.”
Forms
| feminine | khayfa |
|---|---|
| plural | khayfin |
| feminine plural | khayfat |
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 “khayf” but also “5ayf”, “khayef”, “5ayef” and “khaif”. 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 “khayf” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “afraid, scared”; “worried, fearing that”: khayef in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “afraid, scared”; “worried about someone”: khayef in Tunisian.