dija ديجا
Algerian Darja · adverb
“dija” (ديجا) is an adverb in Algerian Darja meaning already.
Meanings
- already
- first of all, anyway
Usage
Dija comes from French "déjà" and is fully integrated into everyday speech in Algeria. Its primary meaning is the same as in French: "dija klit" (I've already eaten). It also serves as a discourse marker at the start of a sentence, meaning "first of all" or "anyway": "dija nta ma tfehemch" (anyway, you don't understand anything). It combines freely with darja verbs and belongs to the informal register. Just watch the second use, which is more argumentative and can come across as curt depending on tone.
Example
ديجا كليت، ما نقدرش نزيد
dija klit, ma neqderch nzid
“I've already eaten, I can't have more.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dija” but also “deja”, “déjà”, “dijà” and “diija”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “dija” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “already”: deja in Tunisian.