yemken يمكن
Moroccan Darija · adverb
“yemken” (يمكن) is an adverb in Moroccan Darija meaning maybe, perhaps.
Meanings
- maybe, perhaps
- it is possible that
Usage
Ymken is the most common adverb of doubt in darija. It often goes at the start of a sentence, before an imperfect verb without ka-: ymken yji (he may come). It is also found at the end of a sentence or alone, as a reply: ymken! (maybe!). For stronger doubt, say ymken la (maybe not). Close variants are imken and 9ad, the latter being rarer in this sense. Note: ymken does not express permission ("can"); for that, use y9der, or mumkin in a more formal register.
Example
يمكن مرة أخرى
ymken mrra khra
“Maybe another time.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, it is written “yemken”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “yemken” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “maybe, perhaps”; “it is possible that”: yemken in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “maybe, perhaps”; “it is possible (that)”: yemken in Tunisian.