debber rassek دبر راسك

Algerian Darja · expression

“debber rassek” (دبر راسك) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning figure it out yourself.

Meanings

1. figure it out yourself
2. find a way, however you can

Usage

Debber rassek means "figure it out yourself". It is said to someone to leave them to find a solution on their own. Depending on tone, the expression can be a demand (I want the result, no matter how) or a refusal to help (it's not my business). The feminine is debbri rassek, and the plural debbrou rasskom. It is also used in the first person: ndebber rassi (I manage). The register is informal, and the expression can seem curt if said without a smile. The verb debber alone means to manage, to find something.

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “debber rassek” but also “dabber rassek”, “dabbar rassak”, “deber rasek” and “debar rassek”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.

Type “debber rassek” on the Arabic keyboard

In Tunisian Derja

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “manage on your own, find a solution”; “take care of yourself”: dabber rassek in Tunisian.