tfahem تفاهم
Moroccan Darija · verb
“tfahem” (تفاهم) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning come to an agreement.
Meanings
- come to an agreement
- talk it out calmly
- understand each other
Usage
tfahem (imperfect itfahem) takes m3a: "tfahem m3ah" (sort it out with him). The verb refers to settling a matter through discussion: a price, a quarrel, a division of something. It is very common in speech, often in advice or appeals for reconciliation ("tfahmo binatkom", sort it out between yourselves). The noun tfahom means understanding or agreement. Pitfall: it does not simply mean "to understand" (fhem); tfahem implies reciprocity and the idea of reaching an agreement.
Example
سير تفاهم معا سيد
sir tfa8em m3a seyed
“Go and sort it out with the gentleman.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kantfa8em | tfa8emt | |
| nta (you, m.) | kattfa8em | tfa8emti | tfa8em |
| nti (you, f.) | kattfa8mi | tfa8emti | tfa8mi |
| howa (he) | kaytfa8em | tfa8em | |
| hiya (she) | kattfa8em | tfa8mat | |
| 7na (we) | kantfa8mo | tfa8mna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | kattfa8mo | tfa8emto | tfa8mo |
| homa (they) | kaytfa8mo | tfa8mo |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tfahem” but also “tfa8em”, “tfahm” and “itfahem”. 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.