Algerian Darja – English dictionary

Algerian Darja is the Arabic spoken every day in Algeria, alongside Tamazight. A handful of words give it away: wach (what), bezzaf (a lot), kifach (how), sahbi (my friend) and saha (thanks).

It borrows heavily from French, often reshaped to its own pronunciation, as in tomobil (car). In Arabizi, 3, 7 and 9 stand for ayn, ha and qaf, as in Morocco: 3lash (why), ch7al (how much).

1,900 words are explained here in English, each with its meanings, usage, a translated example and the ways it is written in Latin letters.

The 100 most common words

Ranked by how often they appear in a corpus of Algerian texts, leaving out function words (conjunctions, prepositions, particles).

1. allah الله God
2. ana انا I
3. li اللي who
4. khouya خويا my brother
5. ghir غير only
6. nta نتا you
7. had هاد this
8. salam سلام hi
9. win وين where
10. hada هدا this
11. 7na حنا we
12. dir دير do
13. hadi هادي this one
14. nas ناس people
15. khir خير good
16. ra7 راح he went
17. wach واش what
18. rabbi رب God
19. koul كل every
20. 7aja حاجة thing
21. kayen كاين there is
22. wella ولا to become
23. howa هو he
24. kan كان was
25. kamel كامل whole
26. sahbi صاحبي my friend
27. chkoun شكون who
28. saha صحا thanks
29. bezzaf بزاف a lot
30. hiya هي she
31. chbab شباب young people
32. chwiya شوية a little
33. blad بلاد country
34. wahed واحد one
35. berk برك only
36. thani ثاني also
37. hadak هداك that one
38. ntouma نتوما you
39. jay جاي coming
40. si سي mister
41. saha صحة health
42. ydir يدير to do
43. nchouf نشوف I see
44. kifach كيفاش how
45. walou والو nothing
46. aya ايا come on! let's go!
47. mliha مليحة good
48. ah اه yes
49. mazal مزال still
50. nhar نهار day
51. mat مات to die
52. marhba مرحبا welcome
53. dima ديما always
54. hadou هادو these
55. ja جا to come
56. 7ab حب to want
57. lyoum اليوم today
58. sa3a ساعة hour
59. dar دار to do
60. taleb طالب student
61. mlih مليح good
62. lala لالا no
63. barak بارك to bless
64. jdid جديد new
65. weld ولد boy
66. wi وي yes
67. dok دوك now
68. sidi سيدي sir
69. moral المورال morale
70. 9al قال to say
71. houma هوما they
72. arwah ارواح come
73. nti نتي you
74. nouss نص half
75. bayna باينة it's clear
76. hak هاك here
77. hakda هكدا like this
78. hala حالة state
79. ktar كتر more
80. ghorba الغربة exile
81. yakho ياخو bro
82. 3in عين eye
83. kif كيف how
84. wilaya ولاية wilaya
85. khawa خاوة brothers
86. khedma خدمة work
87. chab شاب young man
88. drahem دراهم money
89. char شر evil
90. balak بلاك maybe
91. balek بالك maybe
92. oued واد river
93. wahda وحدة one
94. zad زاد to add
95. chi شي something
96. hadik هديك that one
97. jdida جديدة new
98. batel باطل for free
99. dija ديجا already
100. khatra خطرة time

All words from A to Z

Words that begin with a digit are filed under the sound it stands for: 3 with A, 7 with H, 9 with K, 5 with the K of “kh”.

Filter