Ways to say it
| Moroccan Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| سمح لي | smeh liya | |
| سمحلي | smehli | contracted, casual |
| المعذرة | l-ma3dra | more formal |
In fast speech this is often contracted to سمحلي (smehli). المعذرة (l-ma3dra) is more formal, closer to 'excuse me', used when interrupting or passing by someone.
What does it mean word for word?
سمح لي literally means 'forgive me', from سمح, 'to forgive' or 'to permit', and لي, 'to me'.
Which one should you use?
سمح لي fits a real apology, for a mistake or for bumping into someone. المعذرة is lighter, closer to asking permission before a small interruption.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
سمح لي works at every level of formality, from a small bump in the street to a more serious apology. المعذرة leans slightly more formal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
سمح لي is used across Morocco with no major regional variation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase does not change with the speaker's or listener's gender, since لي simply means 'to me' regardless of who is speaking.
How do you pronounce it?
سمح لي is said quickly in casual speech, 'SMEH-li', almost as one word.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Learners sometimes reach only for the Standard Arabic آسف (asif), which Moroccans understand but use less often than the Darija سمح لي in daily speech.
When do people say it?
In Morocco, سمح لي is often paired with عافاك, 'please', as a softer way to admit a mistake, such as عافاك سمح لي.
Did you know?
- سمح لي and المعذرة can be combined into عافاك سمح لي, stacking two polite markers into one softer apology.
- The root سمح also gives the common Darija word سماح, meaning forgiveness, used in more serious apologies between people.
Examples in context
- سمح لي، ما قصدتش نجرحك.smeh liya, ma qasdtsh njerhek.Sorry, I did not mean to hurt you.
- سمحلي على التأخر.smehli ala t-ta'khir.Sorry for being late.
- المعذرة، فاش كنتي كاتهضري؟l-ma3dra, fash kinti katheddri?Excuse me, what were you saying?
Example conversation
Karim accidentally steps on his friend Mounia's foot on the bus.
- Karimسمح لي، ما شفتش قدمك.smeh liya, ma shiftsh qademek.Sorry, I did not see your foot.
- Mouniaماكاين مشكل، عادي.makayn mushkil, aadi.No problem, it's fine.
- Karimسمحلي بزاف، كان الطوبيس مزحوم.smehli bzzaf, kan t-tobis mezhoum.Really sorry, the bus was crowded.
- Mouniaلا باس، ماشي مشكل.labas, mashi mushkil.It's fine, no problem.
