lharba tsalek الهربة تسلك
Algerian Darja · expression
“lharba tsalek” (الهربة تسلك) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning running away is the way out.
Meanings
- running away is the way out
- time to get out of here
Usage
El harba tsellek literally means "fleeing saves." People say it when a situation turns bad and it is better to slip away: an argument heating up, an inspection coming, a chore one wants to avoid. The tone is often humorous, between friends, and the expression can also simply announce that one is leaving. It is informal and fixed: it is not conjugated. The verb sellek means "to get out of trouble, to save." Depending on context, it can be rendered as "every man for himself" or "let's get out of here."
Example
جا الشاف، الهربة تسلك!
ja el chef, el harba tsellek!
“The boss is coming, every man for himself!”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, it is written “lharba tsalek”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.