chnafa شنافة شنايف
Algerian Darja · noun
“chnafa” (شنافة شنايف) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning lip (often a thick lip).
Meanings
- lip (often a thick lip)
- sulky pout (plural)
Usage
Chnafa, plural chnayef, colloquially means the lip, often with the idea of a thick or protruding lip. The word is more expressive, sometimes mocking, than the neutral term "chfer". It is heard mostly in expressions: "rafed chnayfou" or "hazz chnayfou", he is pouting or sulking. From it come "mchennef", sullen or angry, and "ychennef", to sulk. The register is colloquial: avoid it to describe someone neutrally, as the remark can offend. Depending on the region, the word can also refer to the area above the upper lip.
Example
واش بيه رافد شنايفو؟
wech bih rafed chnayfou ?
“What's with him, pouting like that?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chnafa” but also “chnayef”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.