khouya خويا
Algerian Darja · noun
“khouya” (خويا) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning my brother.
Meanings
- my brother
- my friend, buddy (address)
Usage
A form of khou ("brother") with the first-person possessive. Literally, khouya means one's own blood brother. It is mostly used to address a man, even a stranger, in a friendly and respectful way, like "my brother" or "my mate": "khouya, win rah lbosta ?". It is very common in online comments before or after a first name. The feminine is khti ("my sister"), used the same way for a woman. The plural is khawti ("my brothers").
Example
خويا، وين راهي البوسطة؟
khouya, win rahi lbosta ?
“Brother, where is the post office?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khouya” but also “5ouya”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.
Type “khouya” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “my brother”; “mate, friend (form of address)”: khouya in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “my brother”; “bro, mate (form of address)”: 5ouya in Tunisian.