arwahi ارواحي
Algerian Darja · verb
“arwahi” (ارواحي) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning come! (to a woman).
Meanings
- come! (to a woman)
- come on, go ahead
Usage
Arwahi is the feminine singular imperative meaning "come!". The masculine is "arwah", the plural "arwahou". Very common in speech, it is used to call someone over or to invite them to do something, often followed by another verb: "arwahi tchoufi" (come and see). It can also serve as encouragement or a challenge: "arwahi jarbi" (go on, try). It exists almost only in the imperative; for "to come" in other forms, the verb "ja / yji" is used. Not to be confused with "rouhi", which means "go away".
Example
أرواحي نوريلك واش شريت.
arwahi nwarilek wach charit.
“Come, I'll show you what I bought.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “arwahi” but also “arwa7i”, “arouahi” and “arwhi”. 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.