khffef خفّف
Moroccan Darija · verb
“khffef” (خفّف) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to lighten, relieve.
Meanings
- to lighten, relieve
- to keep it short
- to hurry up
Usage
The verb khffef means to make lighter, both literally and figuratively. It is used for a weight, a pain, a sorrow or a workload. People say khffef ʿla rasek, "take it easy on yourself", and khffef men…, "to reduce, cut down". The proverb Allah yrḥem men zar w khffef advises not to prolong a visit. With rasek, the expression can also mean "hurry up" (khffef rasek). The verb is transitive, and the conjugation is regular: khffeft, kaykhffef. It should not be confused with the adjective khfif, which means "light" or "quick".
Example
كون غير قدرت ن خفّف على راسي
koun ghir 9dert n 5effef 3la rassi
“If only I could ease my load a little.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kankhffef | khffeft | |
| nta (you, m.) | katkhffef | khffefti | khffef |
| nti (you, f.) | katkhffefi | khffefti | khffefi |
| howa (he) | kaykhffef | khffef | |
| hiya (she) | katkhffef | khffefat | |
| 7na (we) | kankhffefo | khffefna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katkhffefo | khffefto | khffefo |
| homa (they) | kaykhffefo | khffefo |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khffef” but also “5effef”, “khaffef”, “5ffef” and “khefef”. 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 “khffef” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “lighten, relieve”; “hurry up”: khaffef in Tunisian.