7raymi حرايمي
Algerian Darja · adjective
“7raymi” (حرايمي) is an adjective in Algerian Darja meaning sly, crafty, shrewd.
Meanings
- sly, crafty, shrewd
- crook, trickster
Usage
7raymi describes a person who knows how to play tricks, get around the rules or come out ahead through cunning. Depending on tone, it is a reproach (someone dishonest who can't be trusted) or an amused compliment for a resourceful child or friend. The word is also used as a noun: "had 7raymi" (he's a trickster). The feminine is 7raymiya. It does not mean "thief" in the strict sense. For the behavior itself, you hear 7raymiyat or t7ramit.
Example
ردّ بالك منّو، راهو حرايمي بزّاف.
red balek mennou, rahou 7raymi bezzaf.
“Watch out for him, he's really shrewd.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7raymi” but also “hraymi”, “7rayemi” and “hrami”. 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.