ehrez احرز
Algerian Darja · verb
“ehrez” (احرز) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning watch out, be careful.
Meanings
- watch out, be careful
- protect oneself from
Usage
Ehrez is used mainly in the imperative to warn someone. The most common phrase is "ehrez rouhek": look after yourself, be careful. The danger is specified with "men": ehrez rouhek men… (beware of…). It is an informal word, often said in a protective tone, between close people or to a child. It does not have the sense of "to win, obtain" that the verb has in Standard Arabic. It is not the only equivalent: depending on the region, people also say "rod balek" or "3ess rouhek".
Example
احرز روحك من الطريق، الطوموبيلات يجريو بزاف
ehrez rouhek men triq, tomobilat yejriw bezzaf
“Be careful on the road, the cars drive very fast.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ehrez” but also “ahrez”, “e7rez”, “a7rez” and “hrez”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.