ma 3labalich ما علاباليش
Algerian Darja · expression
“ma 3labalich” (ما علاباليش) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning I don't know.
Meanings
- I don't know
- I have no idea
Usage
Ma 3labalich is the most typically Algerian way of saying "I don't know." It is the opposite of 3labali, "I know." The expression is conjugated with the final pronoun: ma 3labalekch (you don't know), ma 3labalouch (he doesn't know), ma 3labalnach (we don't know). It is often followed by an indirect question: ma 3labalich win rah, "I don't know where he is." It is used in all everyday registers. Its synonym ma na3refch is more neutral. On its own, it also serves as a curt reply to dodge a question, with a hint of disinterest depending on the intonation.
Example
ما علاباليش وين راح.
ma 3labalich win rah.
“I don't know where he went.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ma 3labalich” but also “ma 3lablich”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.