ro7 tel3ab روح تلعب
Algerian Darja · expression
“ro7 tel3ab” (روح تلعب) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning go away, leave me alone.
Meanings
- go away, leave me alone
- forget it, you don't get it
Usage
Ro7 tel3ab literally means "go play". It is used to dismiss someone bluntly, as you would send away a child who is bothering you. The real meaning is "get lost", "leave me alone", or "you're not up to this discussion". The expression is informal and a bit scornful, without being vulgar. Depending on context, it can be teasing between friends or hurtful toward a stranger. In the feminine, say "ro7i tel3bi" and in the plural "ro7o tel3bo". It should not be taken literally: nobody is actually suggesting you go and play.
Example
روح تلعب، ماعندي وقت ليك
ro7 tel3ab, ma3andi wa9t lik
“Go away, I don't have time for you.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ro7 tel3ab” but also “roh tel3ab”, “ro7 tal3ab”, “rouh tel3ab” and “ro7 tl3ab”. 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; 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.