galbi mawjou3 قلبي موجوع
Algerian Darja · expression
“galbi mawjou3” (قلبي موجوع) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning my heart is broken.
Meanings
- my heart is broken
- I am deeply hurt
Usage
An expression literally meaning "my heart is wounded, aching". It expresses emotional pain: heartbreak, bereavement, disappointment, injustice suffered. Very common in songs, raï and social media posts, it is also heard in conversation to say that something is causing suffering. It does not normally refer to physical pain in the heart: for a medical problem, one would rather say one has chest pain. The word galb, pronounced with a g in many regions, is also said qalb or 9alb.
Example
من نهار راحت، قلبي موجوع.
men nhar rahet, galbi mawjou3.
“Since the day she left, my heart aches.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “galbi mawjou3” but also “9albi mawjou3”, “galbi mewjou3” and “qalbi mawjou3”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.