3qel عقل
Algerian Darja · noun
“3qel” (عقل) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning mind, intelligence.
Meanings
- mind, intelligence
- reason, common sense
- wisdom, maturity
Usage
3qel means the mind, reason and common sense. It appears in many expressions: 3endou 3qel, "he is reasonable", and ma 3endouch 3qel, "he is thoughtless". Rja3lou 3qlou means "he came back to his senses", and khrej 3la 3qlou, "he lost his mind". Calling someone bel 3qel means they are wise and level-headed. Note: in Darja, the same root also gives the verb 3qel, "to remember". Ma 3qeltch therefore means "I don't remember".
Example
خمّم بعقلك قبل ما تهدر
khemmem b 3qlek qbel ma tehder
“Think with your head before you speak.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3qel” but also “3a9l”, “aqel”, “3aql” and “3qal”. 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; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.
Type “3qel” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “mind, reason, intelligence”; “common sense, wisdom”: 39el in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “mind, reason, intelligence”; “wisdom, good sense, maturity”: 3a9l in Tunisian.