chqfa شقفة
Algerian Darja · noun
“chqfa” (شقفة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning shard, fragment.
Meanings
- shard, fragment
- broken piece of pottery or glass
Usage
Chqfa means a broken piece, especially a shard of pottery, glass or a plate. The plural or collective chqef means debris. It is used in daily life, for example when something breaks: "rah chqef" (it's in pieces). The register is colloquial and neutral. Note that it is not just any piece, like a slice of cake, but a fragment resulting from breakage. The Latin spelling varies (chqfa, chakfa) depending on how the q is transcribed.
Example
رد بالك، كاين شقفة تاع زاج في الأرض.
redd balek, kayen chqfa ta3 zaj fel ard.
“Be careful, there's a shard of glass on the floor.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chqfa” but also “chakfa”, “chekfa” and “chqefa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.