tkowwen تكوّن
Moroccan Darija · verb
“tkowwen” (تكوّن) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to take a course, be trained.
Meanings
- to take a course, be trained
- to consist of, be made up of
Usage
The verb tkowwen, with a doubled w, is used mostly in the context of studies and work: tkowwent f l-ma3had means "I trained at the institute". Followed by men, it means "to consist of". It is easily confused with tkun ("you will be", "she will be"), a form of the verb kan "to be". In writing, without vowels or doubling, the two can be spelled the same, and only context settles it. It is found in an everyday register, often alongside the noun takwin.
Example
تكوّنت فواحد المعهد ديال السياحة
tkowwent f wa7d l-ma3had dyal siya7a
“I trained at a tourism institute.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kantkowwen | tkowwent | |
| nta (you, m.) | kattkowwen | tkowwenti | tkowwen |
| nti (you, f.) | kattkowwni | tkowwenti | tkowwni |
| howa (he) | kaytkowwen | tkowwen | |
| hiya (she) | kattkowwen | tkowwnat | |
| 7na (we) | kantkowwno | tkowwnna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | kattkowwno | tkowwnto | tkowwno |
| homa (they) | kaytkowwno | tkowwno |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tkowwen” but also “tkawwen”, “tkowen”, “tkwen”, “tkon” and “tkoun”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “tkowwen” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “that you be, that she be”; “you will be, she will be”: tkoun in Tunisian.