mi مي
Algerian Darja · conjunction
“mi” (مي) is a conjunction in Algerian Darja meaning but (contrast).
Meanings
- but (contrast)
- but still, however (sentence-initial)
Usage
An adapted loan from French "mais", pronounced mi or mé, very common in speech, especially among young people and in cities. It introduces a contrast, exactly like bessa7, its Arabic-origin equivalent. The two are even combined in mi bessa7 ("but still, however"). It is also heard at the start of a sentence to restart the conversation or add nuance: mi n9ollek… ("but I'm telling you…"). The register is informal to neutral. In more careful written Arabic, bessa7 or lakin is preferred. The word stays short and unstressed in the sentence.
Example
حبيت نجي، مي ما لقيتش الطاكسي
7abit nji, mi ma l9itch taxi
“I wanted to come, but I couldn't find a taxi.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mi” but also “mé” and “mè”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.