w9il وقيل
Algerian Darja · adverb
“w9il” (وقيل) is an adverb in Algerian Darja meaning maybe, probably.
Meanings
- maybe, probably
- it seems, I think
Usage
A very common adverb of supposition, especially in the Algiers area. It expresses doubt or an impression: "maybe", "it seems to me", "looks like". Its position is free: at the start of a sentence (w9il ma yjich, "he may not come") or at the end, as a nuance added afterwards. Used alone as an answer, it is equivalent to "I think so" or "possible". It is not the passive verb "it was said" of Standard Arabic: in darja, w9il does not report speech, it marks the speaker's uncertainty.
Example
وقيل راهو نايم، ما ردّش
w9il rah nayem, ma raddech
“Maybe he's asleep, he didn't answer.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “w9il” but also “wqil”, “wkil”, “wa9il” and “w9ile”. 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.