chkoun شكون
Algerian Darja · pronoun
“chkoun” (شكون) is a pronoun in Algerian Darja meaning who (interrogative).
Meanings
- who (interrogative)
Usage
Chkoun is the interrogative pronoun "who". It goes at the start of a question: chkoun nta?, "who are you?", chkoun ja?, "who came?". To say "who is it that…", add li: chkoun li qallek?, "who told you that?". It also combines with ra-: chkoun rah m3aya?, "who is with me?", a frequent formula for calling out to an online audience. Note: chkoun is not used as a relative pronoun like "who" in "the man who is speaking"; there, li is used. The word is common throughout the country.
Example
شكون لي دق فالباب؟
chkoun li dagg fel bab ?
“Who knocked on the door?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chkoun” but also “chkon”, “shkoun”, “chkun” and “chkoune”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “chkoun” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “who (interrogative)”; “who (indirect question)”: chkoun in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “who (interrogative)”; “someone (in "famma chkoun")”: chkoun in Tunisian.