3lik عليك
Algerian Darja · preposition
“3lik” (عليك) is a preposition in Algerian Darja meaning on you, for you.
Meanings
- on you, for you
- about you
- you must, it's up to you
Usage
3lik is the preposition 3la (on) followed by the second person singular pronoun. It appears in many blessing or admiration formulas: tbarek Allah 3lik (may God bless you, a compliment), Allah yfarajha 3lik (may God ease things for you). It is also used to mean "about you": hdrou 3lik (they talked about you). Alone or before a noun, it expresses an obligation or advice: 3lik b sabr (you need patience). The plural is 3likoum, as in the greeting salam 3likoum.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3lik” but also “alik”, “3leek” and “aalik”. 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.