mtchabh متشابه
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“mtchabh” (متشابه) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning similar, resembling each other.
Meanings
- similar, resembling each other
- almost identical, hard to tell apart
Usage
Mtchabeh describes two things or two people that resemble each other. It is mostly used in the plural, mtchabhin, when comparing: "these two brothers look alike". The typical construction is mtchabeh m3a ("similar to"). The register is neutral, a little more formal than the very common bhal bhal ("the same") or the verb kaytchabhou ("they look alike"), which are more spontaneous in speech. The feminine is mtchabha. The final h is often written 8 in online writing. It should not be confused with chbih ("resembling"), which is rarer in speech.
Example
هاد جوج تصاور متشابهين بزّاف
had jouj tsawer mtchabhin bezzaf
“These two photos look very much alike.”
Forms
| feminine | mtchab8a |
|---|---|
| plural | mtchab8in |
| feminine plural | mtchab8at |
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 “mtchabh” but also “mtchabeh”, “mtchab8” and “mtshabh”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.