Ways to say it
| Moroccan Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مراتي | mrati | my wife |
| زوجتي | zawjati | more formal |
مراتي is the everyday way a man refers to his wife, as in مراتي خدامة, 'my wife works'. زوجتي is more formal and closer to the Standard Arabic word.
What does it mean word for word?
مراتي comes from مرا (mra), the Darija word for 'woman' or 'wife', plus ي for 'my'. زوجتي comes from زوج (zawj), shared with Standard Arabic.
Which one should you use?
مراتي is the natural word in daily conversation. زوجتي sounds slightly more formal, closer to how it might appear in an official document or careful speech.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
مراتي fits casual speech and most of daily life. زوجتي leans more formal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
مرا for 'woman' or 'wife' is used across Morocco.
How does it change in a sentence?
Change the ending for someone else's wife: مراتو (mratu) is 'his wife'.
How do you pronounce it?
The stress falls on the first syllable: MRA-ti.
What mistakes should you avoid?
مرا alone can simply mean 'woman' in general, so context decides whether it means 'wife' or just 'a woman'.
Did you know?
- مرا is the common Darija word for both 'woman' and 'wife', so مراتي specifically adds 'my' to point to one's own wife.
- زوج and زوجة, the more formal words for husband and wife, come from the same root as Standard Arabic words meaning 'a pair'.
Examples in context
- مراتي خدامة فمستشفى.mrati khddama f mustashfa.My wife works at a hospital.
- شريت هاد الهدية لمراتي.sherit had lhdiya l mrati.I bought this gift for my wife.
- مراتو كاتدرس فالجامعة.mratu kattedres f ljami3a.His wife teaches at the university.
Example conversation
Two friends, Mustapha and Rachid, talk about weekend plans with their families.
- Mustaphaغادي نمشيو مع مراتي للشاطئ هاد السيمانة.ghadi nemshiw m3a mrati l shshatt had ssimana.My wife and I are going to the beach this weekend.
- Rachidزوينة الفكرة، مراتك بغاتها؟zwina lfekra, mratek bghatha?Nice idea, does your wife like that?
- Mustaphaواخا، حيت كانت بغات ترتاح.wakha, hit kanet bghat tertah.Yes, because she wanted to relax.
- Rachidمزيان، نهار زوين ليكم.mzyan, nhar zwin likom.Nice, have a good day.
