mabaynch ماباينش
Moroccan Darija · expression
“mabaynch” (ماباينش) is an expression in Moroccan Darija meaning not visible, doesn't show.
Meanings
- not visible, doesn't show
- not clear, not obvious
- doesn't look like (with 3la)
Usage
Mabaynch is the negative form of bayn, "apparent, visible". It is used for an object that cannot be seen: lkteba mabaynach, "the writing can't be read". It is also used for something that is not obvious. With 3la and a pronoun, it means "not to look" a certain way: mabaynch 3lih mrid, "he doesn't look sick". The word agrees: mabaynach in the feminine, mabaynin-ch in the plural. It is in common, informal use. The English gloss "subtle" is approximate: the word marks the absence of visibility, not subtlety.
Example
ما باينش عليه عيان
mabaynch 3lih 3yan
“He doesn't look tired.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mabaynch” but also “mabayench”, “mabayanch” and “mabaynche”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.