a3tini اعطيني
Algerian Darja · verb
“a3tini” (اعطيني) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning give me.
Meanings
- give me
- pass me, tell me (information)
Usage
Imperative of the verb a3ta (to give) followed by the pronoun -ni (me). It is the most common way to ask for something in darja, in a shop as well as at home. One says a3tini to one person and a3touni to several people or out of politeness toward several. The word is also used figuratively in the sense of "provide me with": a3tini the address, a3tini an idea, a3tini rayek (give me your opinion). The request is softened with "3afak", "llah ykhallik" or "please". Tone alone can make the sentence sound curt: for an English speaker, the form is direct but not impolite.
Example
اعطيني الما الله يخليك
a3tini lma llah ykhallik
“Give me the water, please.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “a3tini” but also “a3teni”, “aatini”, “3tini” and “a3tiini”. 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.