qta3 lyas قطع الياس
Algerian Darja · expression
“qta3 lyas” (قطع الياس) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning to lose all hope.
Meanings
- to lose all hope
- to give up on someone
Usage
Qtaε lyas, literally "to cut off despair", means to lose hope for good and give up all expectation. The expression is conjugated on the verb qtaε: qtaεt lyas, "I have lost hope". It is built with men to name the thing or person from whom one expects nothing more: qtaεt lyas mennou, "I no longer expect anything from him". It is common in speech and often conveys weariness or discouragement after long waiting. Not to be confused with yaεs, which is more literary. The q is sometimes pronounced g depending on the region.
Example
قطعت الياس منو، ما راهوش يتبدل
qta3t lyas mennou, ma rahouch yetbeddel
“I've given up on him, he's not changing.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “qta3 lyas” but also “gta3 lyas”, “gtaa lyass” and “kta3 lyas”. 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.