Ways to say it
| Moroccan Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| اجي | aji | |
| جا | ja | past tense |
اجي is the imperative used to call someone over. The related word جا (ja) means 'he came' and is used to talk about the past.
What does it mean word for word?
اجي and جا come from the same root for coming or arriving. The imperative drops the ending used in the past tense.
Which one should you use?
اجي is a direct command, 'come here'. جا tells what already happened, as in 'he came yesterday'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
اجي is casual and direct, fine with family, friends and children. Adding عافاك, 'please', softens it for a stranger or an elder.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The word is used the same way across Morocco, with minor shifts in vowel length between regions.
How does it change in a sentence?
اجي stays the same for both genders in most of Morocco, while the plural for a group is اجيو (ajiw).
How do you pronounce it?
اجي is said quickly, almost one beat: 'a-ji', with light stress on the first syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Standard Arabic تعال (ta3al) is understood but sounds formal and distant. Darija speakers expect اجي in daily speech.
When do people say it?
Calling اجي across a room or a street is common and not seen as rude, though adding a name, like اجي ياسين, makes it warmer.
Did you know?
- The imperative اجي is one of the shortest commands in Darija, often used on its own without any extra verb ending.
- Children learning Darija usually hear اجي before almost any other verb, since it is called out constantly at home.
Examples in context
- اجي هنا شوية.aji hna shwiya.Come here for a moment.
- جا البارح عشية.ja lbareh 3eshiya.He came yesterday evening.
- اجيو جميعا، الماكلة واجدة.ajiw jmi3a, l-makla wejda.Come, everyone, the food is ready.
Example conversation
Fatima calls her son Ayoub from the kitchen.
- Fatimaاجي ياأيوب، الغدا واجد.aji ya Ayoub, lghda wejd.Come, Ayoub, lunch is ready.
- Ayoubدابا نجي، كنسالي الفيديو.daba nji, kansali lvidyo.I am coming now, I am finishing the video.
- Fatimaعافاك، بغيتو يسخن.afak, bghitu ysekhen.Please, I do not want it to get cold.
- Ayoubواخا، جيت.wakha, jit.Okay, I am here.
