miyyez ميّز
Moroccan Darija · verb
“miyyez” (ميّز) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to distinguish, tell apart.
Meanings
- to distinguish, tell apart
- to treat unequally, favor
- to stand out
Usage
Miyyez is a commonly used verb. In its basic sense, it means to recognize the difference between two things or two people, often with the construction miyyez bin... w... or ma bin..., for example for twins who get mixed up. It is also used for unequal treatment: a parent who miyyez bin wladou favors one child over another. This sense is frequent in reproaches. With 3la, it can mean to stand out from others. The vowel varies by region (miyyez, meyyez), with no change in meaning.
Example
إمتا غادي ت ميّز ما بين دوك توام
imta ghadi t meyyez ma bin douk twam
“When will you be able to tell those two twins apart?”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanmiyyez | miyyezt | |
| nta (you, m.) | katmiyyez | miyyezti | miyyez |
| nti (you, f.) | katmiyyzi | miyyezti | miyyzi |
| howa (he) | kaymiyyez | miyyez | |
| hiya (she) | katmiyyez | miyyzat | |
| 7na (we) | kanmiyyzo | miyyzna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katmiyyzo | miyyezto | miyyzo |
| homa (they) | kaymiyyzo | miyyzo |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “miyyez” but also “meyyez”, “mayez”, “miyez” and “meyez”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.