sbah lkhir صباح الخير
Algerian Darja · expression
“sbah lkhir” (صباح الخير) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning good morning.
Meanings
- good morning
Usage
Sbah lkhir is the morning greeting, used until about the end of the morning. The usual reply is sbah nnour, or sbah lkhir in return. In Algeria, the common pronunciation drops the first vowel (sbah rather than sabah). It is used in all registers, at home, at work or in shops, often followed by "labas?". Many Algerians also simply say "bonjour" or "salam". It is not used in the afternoon: switch to msa lkhir then.
Example
صباح الخير، لاباس عليك؟
sbah lkhir, labas 3lik?
“Good morning, how are you?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sbah lkhir” but also “sba7 lkhir” and “sbah elkhir”. 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.
Type “sbah lkhir” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “good morning”: sbe7 lkhir in Tunisian.