makanch ماكانش
Algerian Darja · expression
“makanch” (ماكانش) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning there is no, there isn't.
Meanings
- there is no, there isn't
- there was no
- he/it was not, it wasn't
Usage
Makanch is the negative form of kan ("to be, to exist") framed by ma… ch. It is the most common way to say "there isn't" in Algeria, in the present or the past depending on context: makanch el khobz can mean "there is no bread" or "there was no bread". Followed by an interrogative word, it expresses impossibility: makanch kifach, "there is no way". It can also be used with a subject: huwa makanch temma, "he wasn't there". The feminine is makantch. For the strict present, one often hears ma kayench.
Example
ماكانش الخبز في الحانوت
makanch el khobz fel hanout
“There's no bread at the grocery store.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “makanch” but also “makansh”, “makench” and “makanche”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.