mo7tamal محتمل
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“mo7tamal” (محتمل) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning probable, possible.
Meanings
- probable, possible
- potential, prospective
Usage
Mo7tamal is used to express probability. It often comes at the start of a sentence, alone or after "rah", and is followed by a verb in the imperfective: mo7tamal yji (he may come). It can also be followed by "belli" or "anna". The word belongs to a somewhat formal register; it is heard mostly in the media and in serious conversations. In everyday speech, people more readily say yemken or ymken. As an adjective placed after a noun, it means "potential": ch5es mo7tamal (a potential candidate).
Example
محتمل يبقاو معطلين
mo7tamal yab9aw m3TTlin
“They will probably be delayed.”
Forms
| feminine | mo7tamala |
|---|---|
| plural | mo7tamalin |
| feminine plural | mo7tamalat |
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 “mo7tamal” but also “m7tamal”, “mo7tamel” and “mohtamal”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.