hofra حفرة
Algerian Darja · noun
“hofra” (حفرة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning hole, pit.
Meanings
- hole, pit
- pothole
- grave (religious sense)
Usage
Hofra is the common word for a hole dug in the ground, a pit or a pothole: people often complain about the "hfer" (plural) in the roads. It is used with the verb hfer (to dig): "hfer hofra". In a religious register, it evokes the grave, notably in the phrase "hofra men hofer en-nar" (a pit among the pits of hell). For a small hole in fabric or a wall, t'qeb is used instead. The word is neutral and in everyday use throughout the country.
Example
رد بالك، كاين حفرة كبيرة قدام الدار
red balek, kayen hofra kbira gddam ddar
“Be careful, there's a big hole in front of the house.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “hofra” but also “hfra”, “houfra”, “7ofra” and “hefra”. 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.
Type “hofra” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “hole, pit”; “pothole in the road”: 7ofra in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “hole, hollow in the ground”; “pothole in the road”: 7ofra in Tunisian.