nkhech نخش
Algerian Darja · verb
“nkhech” (نخش) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning I enter, I go in.
Meanings
- I enter, I go in
- I get back in, I join
Usage
Nkhech is the first person singular imperfect of the verb khach, "to enter", very common in Algeria. It means "I enter" or "that I enter" depending on the construction. It is used for a place (nkhech l'dar, "I go home") and, online, for a group, an app or a site: "so that I can get access to it". After bach, "so that", or after verbs like nqder, "I can", it has the value of a subjunctive. The corresponding past is khecht, "I entered". It should not be confused with the verb nkhach, "to scratch", which does not come from the same root. The register is colloquial and neutral.
Example
استنّاني شوية، نخش للدار ونخرج
stenani chwiya, nkhech l'dar w nekhrej
“Wait for me a bit, I'm going into the house and coming right back out.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “nkhech” but also “n5ech”, “nakhch”, “na5ch” and “nkhch”. 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.