marokkanisch.com

Words

Zwin

In Moroccan Arabic, zwin means “beautiful, pretty” and is also used for “good”.

What it is

Richard S. Harrell’s dictionary of Moroccan Arabic gives “beautiful, attractive” for zwin, with the plural zwinin and the diminutive zwiwen. As an example it cites the beautiful coat of a foal.

The 2011 textbook of Peace Corps Morocco translates zwin as “pretty, handsome, good”. The word fits people as well as things: “Susan bnt zwina”, Susan is a pretty girl, “dar zwina”, a beautiful house, “film zwin”, a good film.

When

With the article in front, zwin becomes a superlative: “hiya z-zwina” means “she is the prettiest”. The word agrees in gender and number: zwin, zwina, zwinin, zwinat.

At a glance

Moroccan Arabic
zwin, plural zwinin; diminutive zwiwen
Arabic script
زوين, feminine زوينة, plural زوينين, زوينات

Where it comes from

At home throughout the country, with no place of origin named by a source.

When you come across it

Everyday

Goes with it

WordsBsaha“B'ssaha”, literally “with health”, is said to someone who is eating or drinking, wearing new clothes, or coming from the barber or the baths; the reply is “Allah yaʿtik ssaha”, may Allah give you health too.WordsHchoumaHchouma is a word of Moroccan Darija that lies between shame and modesty. It is said of behaviour that breaks shared norms, even of a child who does not say hello.WordsMezyanIn Moroccan Arabic, mezyan means “good”, also “pretty”; as an exclamation it means “all right”.

More from Words

Pass it on

As a link, by WhatsApp or email.

WhatsAppEmailFacebookX

Last checked on 27 Oct 2026. 2 sources, 0 of them primary (authority, UNESCO, operator).

  1. Richard S. Harrell (Hg.), Thomas Fox, Mohammed Abu-Talib, Georgetown University Press (Internet Archive): A Dictionary of Moroccan Arabic: Moroccan-English (1966), English-Moroccan (1963), Einträge zwin, zwiwen. https://archive.org/details/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  2. Richard S. Harrell (Hg.), Thomas Fox, Mohammed Abu-Talib, Georgetown University Press (Internet Archive): A Dictionary of Moroccan Arabic: Moroccan-English (1966), English-Moroccan (1963), Einträge zwin, zwiwen. https://archive.org/details/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  3. Peace Corps Morocco (Internet Archive): Moroccan Arabic Textbook (2011), S. 78. https://archive.org/download/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic/Moroccan%20Arabic%20Textbook.pdf. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  4. Peace Corps Morocco (Internet Archive): Moroccan Arabic Textbook (2011), S. 78. https://archive.org/download/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic/Moroccan%20Arabic%20Textbook.pdf. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  5. Peace Corps Morocco (Internet Archive): Moroccan Arabic Textbook (2011), S. 78. https://archive.org/download/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic/Moroccan%20Arabic%20Textbook.pdf. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  6. Peace Corps Morocco (Internet Archive): Moroccan Arabic Textbook (2011), S. 78. https://archive.org/download/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic/Moroccan%20Arabic%20Textbook.pdf. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  7. Richard S. Harrell (Hg.), Thomas Fox, Mohammed Abu-Talib, Georgetown University Press (Internet Archive): A Dictionary of Moroccan Arabic: Moroccan-English (1966), English-Moroccan (1963), Einträge zwin, zwiwen. https://archive.org/details/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  8. Peace Corps Morocco (Internet Archive): Moroccan Arabic Textbook (2011), S. 78. https://archive.org/download/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic/Moroccan%20Arabic%20Textbook.pdf. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  9. Peace Corps Morocco (Internet Archive): Moroccan Arabic Textbook (2011), S. 78. https://archive.org/download/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic/Moroccan%20Arabic%20Textbook.pdf. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.