tsab9 تسابق
Moroccan Darija · verb
“tsab9” (تسابق) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to race.
Meanings
- to race
- to compete, rush to be first
Usage
Tsabe9 means "to race" someone. The person you compete with is introduced by m3a: tsabe9 m3ah (race him). In the plural, tsab9o means "they raced" or "they hurried to see who would arrive first". The verb is common, especially among children and in games. It is also used figuratively for a rivalry to get something first. The related noun is msab9a, "race" or "competition".
Example
سير تسابق معاه
sir tsab9 m3ah
“Go race him.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kantsab9 | tsab9t | |
| nta (you, m.) | kattsab9 | tsab9ti | tsab9 |
| nti (you, f.) | kattsab9i | tsab9ti | tsab9i |
| howa (he) | kaytsab9 | tsab9 | |
| hiya (she) | kattsab9 | tsab9at | |
| 7na (we) | kantsab9o | tsab9na | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | kattsab9o | tsab9to | tsab9o |
| homa (they) | kaytsab9o | tsab9o |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tsab9” but also “tsabe9”, “tsab9o” and “tsabeq”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.