3ach عاش
Algerian Darja · verb
“3ach” (عاش) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning to live, be alive.
Meanings
- to live, be alive
- to live somewhere
- to go through (an experience)
Usage
3ach, imperfective y3ich, is the usual verb for "to live". It is also used for a place: y3ich f França, "he lives in France", and for a lived experience: 3ach el ghorba, "he went through exile". Two very common expressions derive from it. 3ach men chafek is used to greet someone you haven't seen for a long time, like "it's been ages!". Y3aychek is used to thank or ask politely, meaning "thank you" or "please". The corresponding noun, "life", is l'3icha.
Example
عاش من شافك! وين راك غابر؟
3ach men chafek! win rak ghaber?
“It's been ages! Where have you been?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3ach” but also “aach”, “3ech” and “ach”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.
Type “3ach” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “to live, be alive”; “to live, reside somewhere”: 3ach in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “to live”; “to reside, dwell”: 3ach in Tunisian.