cha شا شتا
Algerian Darja · pronoun
“cha” (شا شتا) is a pronoun in Algerian Darja meaning what? what is it that?.
Meanings
- what? what is it that?
Usage
Cha and chta are interrogative pronouns equivalent to wach or ach. They are heard mainly in western Algeria, in some inland regions and in the south. They come at the start of a question: chta bghit? ("what do you want?"). The form cha is often fused with the following word, as in charak dir? ("what are you doing?"). The register is informal and everyday. A speaker from Algiers would say wach instead, and these forms can signal the speaker's regional origin.
Example
شتا بغيت تاكل؟
chta bghit takoul ?
“What do you want to eat?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “cha” but also “chta”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.