tchipa تشيبة
Algerian Darja · noun
“tchipa” (تشيبة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning bribe, backhander.
Meanings
- bribe, backhander
- small tip, gratuity
Usage
Tchipa is the common word for a bribe paid to obtain a service, an administrative paper or special treatment. The register is informal and often critical: it is used to denounce everyday corruption. Typical constructions: yakhou tchipa (he takes bribes), mdlo tchipa (give him a bribe). The word can also refer, in a lighter tone, to a small banknote slipped over to speed things up. The pitfall is to hear it as a simple tip: the nuance of corruption is almost always present.
Example
بلا تشيبة ما تقضي والو
bla tchipa ma tqadi walou
“Without a bribe, you get nothing done.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tchipa” but also “tchippa” and “tshipa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.