Ways to say it
| Moroccan Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| نتي زوينة | nti zwina | to a woman |
| نتا زوين | nta zwin | to a man, meaning handsome |
Said to a man, the same compliment becomes نتا زوين (nta zwin), closer to 'you're handsome'. Both use the same core word for beauty, just matched to the person addressed.
What does it mean word for word?
نتي and نتا are the Darija pronouns for 'you', feminine and masculine. زوينة and زوين are the feminine and masculine forms of the Darija word for beautiful.
Which one should you use?
The phrase itself does not change in meaning between genders, only the pronoun and adjective ending shift to match who is being spoken to.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
This is an informal, personal compliment, fitting a partner, a close friend or family, not a formal or professional setting.
Is it said differently in some regions?
زوين and زوينة are distinctly Darija, used across Morocco without an exact Standard Arabic equivalent in casual speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective agrees with the person addressed: zwina for a woman, zwin for a man, following the regular Darija gender pattern.
How do you pronounce it?
زوينة adds a soft final syllable to زوين, said 'ZWI-na', compared to the shorter 'ZWIN' for the masculine form.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Mixing up the gendered ending, such as saying نتا زوينة to a man, reverses the agreement and sounds clearly wrong to a native speaker.
When do people say it?
This compliment is said often and warmly within Moroccan families and relationships, not reserved only for rare, special occasions.
Did you know?
- زوين, unlike many basic Darija words, has no exact Standard Arabic counterpart, which is part of why it stands out to Arabic speakers outside Morocco.
- The gendered pair زوين and زوينة follows the same simple masculine-feminine pattern used across most Darija adjectives.
Examples in context
- نتي زوينة بزاف اليوم.nti zwina bzzaf lyom.You're really beautiful today.
- نتا زوين فهاد الصورة.nta zwin f-had ssura.You're handsome in this photo.
- نتي زوينة كيف ديما.nti zwina kif dima.You're beautiful as always.
Example conversation
Hamid compliments his wife Asmaa before they leave for a wedding.
- Hamidنتي زوينة بزاف الليلة.nti zwina bzzaf l-lila.You're really beautiful tonight.
- Asmaaشكرا حبيبي، نتا كمان زوين.shukran hbibi, nta kaman zwin.Thank you, my love, you look handsome too.
- Hamidيلا، غادي نتأخرو على العرس.yalla, ghadi nt2akhro ala l3ors.Let's go, we'll be late for the wedding.
- Asmaaواخا، خلاصت دابا.wakha, khlast daba.Okay, I'm ready now.
