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LESSON 117The Verb “To Need / To Have To / Must / Should”
Lesson objective
In this lesson, you will learn how to express need, necessity, obligation, and advice. The Darija verb is xṣṣ, which can mean to need, to have to, must, or should, depending on the situation.
How to form it
Add an object-pronoun ending directly to xṣṣ. The verb is not normally used with the present-tense prefixes kay- or kat-.
| English | Darija |
|---|---|
| I need / I have to | xṣṣni |
| You need / have to — singular | xṣṣk |
| He needs / has to | xṣṣu |
| She needs / has to | xṣṣha |
| We need / have to | xṣṣna |
| You need / have to — plural | xṣṣkum |
| They need / have to | xṣṣhum |
Followed by another verb
When xṣṣ is followed by a verb, the second verb uses the present-tense form without ka-.
xṣṣni n-t3llm l-3rbiya mzyan. — I have to learn Arabic well.
xṣṣk t-ji f l-wqt. — You should arrive on time.
ma-xṣṣk-š t-shr. — You should not stay awake late.
xṣṣni n-mši. — I have to go.
The exact meaning — need, have to, must, or should — depends on the context.
Followed by a noun
When xṣṣ is followed by a noun, it means to need.
xṣṣni l-garru. — I need cigarettes.
xṣṣha dftar. — She needs a notebook.
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