kol mkan كل مكان
Algerian Darja · expression
“kol mkan” (كل مكان) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning everywhere, in every place.
Meanings
- everywhere, in every place
Usage
Kol mkan means "everywhere". It is used mostly with the preposition f: f kol mkan ("everywhere"). In everyday speech, many Algerians prefer f kol blassa, built on blassa ("place"), or f kol jiha. Kol mkan sounds slightly more formal and close to standard Arabic, but it remains natural in speech. It often appears in sentences of exaggeration or observation: "there's some everywhere", "I looked for it everywhere". The expression is invariable.
Example
قلبت عليه في كل مكان وما لقيتوش
9lebt 3lih f kol mkan w ma l9itouch
“I looked for him everywhere and didn't find him.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kol mkan” but also “koul mkan”, “kol mekan” and “kul mkan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.