garra قرة
Algerian Darja · noun
“garra” (قرة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning intense cold, freezing weather.
Meanings
- intense cold, freezing weather
- very cold day, often snowy
Usage
Garra (with the article: lgarra) refers to the sharp, biting cold of winter, of icy days when it freezes or snows. The word is mostly heard in the East and on the High Plateaus, for example in Sétif, where winters are harsh. Elsewhere, people more readily say lbard for cold in general. It is often used with rahi ("it is") or in exclamations about the weather. Note: do not confuse it with qorrat 3ayn, "the apple of the eyes", a Classical Arabic expression common in blessings and prayers, which is written the same way in Arabic but has a different meaning.
Example
اليوم راهي قرّة، ما تخرجش بلا معطف
lyoum rahi garra, ma tokhrojch bla me3taf
“Today it's freezing cold, don't go out without a coat.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “garra” but also “gerra” and “guerra”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.