ra7 l7al راح الحال
Algerian Darja · expression
“ra7 l7al” (راح الحال) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning it's getting late.
Meanings
- it's getting late
- it's too late
Usage
Ra7 el 7al literally means "the time has gone". It is very commonly used to say that it is getting late, often to justify leaving: ra7 el 7al, lazem nrou7. It can also mean that an opportunity has passed and it is too late to act. The register is informal and everyday. The expression is fixed: it is not conjugated for person. Do not confuse 7al, "time, moment", with its meaning of "situation" in kif rak, wach 7alek.
Example
راح الحال، لازم نروح للدار
ra7 el 7al, lazem nrou7 ldar
“It's getting late, I have to go home.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ra7 l7al” but also “rah lhal”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.