ghira غيرة
Algerian Darja · noun
“ghira” (غيرة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning jealousy, envy.
Meanings
- jealousy, envy
- romantic jealousy
Usage
Ghira means jealousy, whether directed at someone else's success or romantic. It is often paired with hssed (malicious envy), for example in ghira w hssed. One says fih l'ghira (he is jealous), and the common adjective is ghiyour. In the context of couples and family, ghira can be seen positively, as a sign of attachment or protectiveness. In online comments, the word is mostly used to accuse someone of criticizing out of jealousy: ghir ghira (it's just jealousy).
Example
هادي ماشي نصيحة، هادي غيرة برك
hadi machi nasiha, hadi ghira berk
“This isn't advice, it's just jealousy.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ghira” but also “ghiira”, “3'ira” and “ghayra”. 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.
Type “ghira” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “jealousy (romantic or toward others)”; “protective pride, sense of honour”: ghira in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “jealousy (romantic or envious)”; “protective devotion, sense of honour”: ghira in Tunisian.