snan صنان
Algerian Darja · noun
“snan” (صنان) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning armpit smell, body odor.
Meanings
- armpit smell, body odor
Usage
Snan refers to the strong, unpleasant smell of sweat, especially from the armpits. It is used with the article and often with the verb "to have": 3andou snan, "he smells of sweat". The word is quite blunt. Telling someone they have snan is offensive, so it is said mostly among close friends or family, or about a third person. It does not apply to bad smells in general. For a musty smell or a rotten smell, other words are used. The term often comes up when talking about deodorant or heat.
Example
عندو الصنان، لازم يحط ديودوران
3andou snan, lazem y7ot déodorant
“He has body odor, he needs to put on deodorant.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “snan” but also “9nan”, “ssnan”, “sneen” and “9naan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.