lkhobza الخبزة
Algerian Darja · noun
“lkhobza” (الخبزة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning livelihood, means of living.
Meanings
- livelihood, means of living
- loaf of bread
Usage
Literally, el khobza is a loaf of bread. Most often it is used figuratively to mean "livelihood", that is, the work that keeps one alive. People say yjri 3la lkhobza, "he runs after his livelihood". They also say win t3ayetlek lkhobza, "wherever work calls you". It is often used to excuse forced choices, such as going far away or accepting a hard job: it's for the khobza. The register is everyday, with a nuance of modesty and necessity. Pitfall: the figurative sense almost always outweighs the food sense.
Example
راح للصحرا على جال الخبزة.
ra7 lessa7ra 3la jal lkhobza.
“He went down south to earn a living.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “lkhobza” but also “khobza”, “l5obza” and “el5obza”. 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.