nta3 نتاع
Algerian Darja · preposition
“nta3” (نتاع) is a preposition in Algerian Darja meaning of, belonging to.
Meanings
- of, belonging to
- related to, concerning
Usage
"Nta3" expresses belonging or relation, like English "of" or a possessive: "tomobil nta3 baba" (my father's car). It takes suffixes: "nta3i" (mine), "nta3ek" (yours), "nta3ou" (his). Depending on the region, people say "nta3" or "ta3", the latter being very common in Algiers and in online writing. It is the Algerian equivalent of "dyal" in Morocco. It is often used where Standard Arabic would use the direct construct (idafa). It can also stand alone: "hada nta3i" (this is mine).
Example
هادي الطوموبيل نتاع خويا
hadi tomobil nta3 khouya
“This car is my brother's.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “nta3” but also “ntaa” and “nta3i”. 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.