The Possessive Word “dyal”

Lesson objective

In this lesson, you will learn another way to say that something belongs to someone.

Two ways to show possession

You already learned that possession can be shown by adding a possessive ending directly to a noun — for example ktab (book) becomes ktabi (my book).

Another way to express possession is by using the word dyal.

How to use “dyal”

The word dyal is placed after a noun that has the definite article “the”.

l-ktab = the book  ·  l-ktab dyali = my book

The same meaning can therefore be expressed in two ways — ktabi or l-ktab dyali — both mean my book.

Using a person’s name

A name can come after dyal: the structure is the object + dyal + the person.

l-ktab dyal John = John’s book

Forms of “dyal”

English	Darija
My / mine	dyali
Your / yours — singular	dyalk
His	dyalu
Her / hers	dyalha
Our / ours	dyalna
Your / yours — plural	dyalkum
Their / theirs	dyalhum

These forms can mean both my, your, his, her, our, their and mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.

Examples

had s-stilo dyali. — This pen is mine. (had s-stilo = this pen, dyali = mine)

dik z-zrbiya dyalk. — That rug is yours. (dik z-zrbiya = that rug, dyalk = yours)

Exercise

Replace the name or names after dyal with the correct possessive form:

1. The pen belongs to John — s-stilu dyal John. Replace John with the form meaning his.
2. The book belongs to Amber — l-ktab dyal Amber. Replace Amber with the form meaning hers.
3. The house belongs to Driss and Zubida — ḍ-ḍar dyal Driss u Zubida. Replace Driss u Zubida with the form meaning theirs.