kouni كوني
Moroccan Darija · verb
“kouni” (كوني) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning be (feminine imperative of “to be”).
Meanings
- be (feminine imperative of “to be”)
Usage
Kuni is the feminine singular imperative of the verb kan, “to be”. It addresses a woman. The masculine is kun and the plural is kunu. It is used in phrases of encouragement or comfort: kuni hanya, “be calm”, kuni qwiya, “be strong”. It is also used in warnings: kuni 3la bal, “be careful”. The adjective that follows agrees in the feminine. Pitfall: the same Arabic spelling can be read kawni, “universal”, a Standard Arabic word that does not belong to everyday speech.
Example
كوني هانية أختي
kouni haniya akhtu
“Be calm, my sister.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kouni” but also “koni”, “kuni”, “kooni” and “kawni”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.