7kili احكيلي
Algerian Darja · expression
“7kili” (احكيلي) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning tell me (a story).
Meanings
- tell me (a story)
- tell me what happened
Usage
"7kili" is the singular imperative of "7ka", "to tell, to recount", with "li", "to me", added. It is used to ask for a story or detailed news. With "3la", it means "tell me about": "7kili 3la safrek", "tell me about your trip". The plural is "7kiwli". For a single specific piece of information, "9olli", "tell me", is often preferred. The tone is informal and warm, typical of reunions or conversations between close people. It also suits children's requests for stories.
Example
احكيلي واش صرا البارح
7kili wach sra lbare7
“Tell me what happened yesterday.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7kili” but also “hkili”, “a7kili” and “ahkili”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.