Ways to say it
| Moroccan Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| سكوت | skut | |
| ساكت | saket | stay quiet |
سكوت tells someone to stop talking right now, as in سكوت شوية!, 'be quiet for a bit!' ساكت describes staying quiet over time.
What does it mean word for word?
Both words come from the root سكت (sket), 'to be silent', shared across Arabic dialects.
Which one should you use?
سكوت is a sharp command for right now. ساكت describes a state, as in بقى ساكت, 'he stayed silent'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both are direct and can sound rude if said sharply to someone you should treat with more respect.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The words are used the same way across Morocco.
How does it change in a sentence?
Add ي for speaking to a woman in the imperative: سكوتي (skuti) rather than سكوت.
How do you pronounce it?
The stress falls on the second syllable: sku-TI for the feminine form, and SKUT for the plain command.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Shushing an elder or a stranger with سكوت is considered disrespectful. It is normally used with children, close friends or siblings.
Did you know?
- سكوت and ساكت share the same root found in Standard Arabic سكت, one of the oldest and most stable roots in Arabic.
- Darija marks a command to a woman with the ending ي, turning سكوت into سكوتي, the same pattern used in many other Darija imperatives.
Examples in context
- سكوت شوية، كنحاول نسمع.skut shwiya, kanhawel nesma3.Be quiet for a bit, I'm trying to listen.
- سكوتي، الطفل نايم.skuti, ttfel nayem.Be quiet, the baby is asleep.
- بقى ساكت طول الطريق.bqa saket tul ttriq.He stayed quiet the whole way.
Example conversation
A mother, Khadija, asks her son Yunes to be quiet while the baby sleeps.
- Khadijaسكوتو شوية، الطفل نايم.skutu shwiya, ttfel nayem.Be quiet for a bit, the baby is asleep.
- Yunesواخا ماما، غادي نهدرو بشويا.wakha mama, ghadi nhedru b shwiya.Okay mom, we'll talk quietly.
- Khadijaشكرا، بغيتو ترتاحو حتى انتوما.shukran, bghitu tertahu hetta ntuma.Thanks, I want you to rest too.
- Yunesواخا، غادي نقرا شي كتاب.wakha, ghadi nqra shi ktab.Okay, I'll read a book.
