wa9t وقت
Algerian Darja · noun
“wa9t” (وقت) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning time.
Meanings
- time
- moment
- era, period
Usage
Wa9t refers to available time and to a moment. The most frequent phrases are ma 3andich lwa9t (I don't have time), f kol wa9t (at any time) and wa9tach? (at what time? when?). It can also mean an era: f dak lwa9t (at that time). Note: it is not used for the weather, where jaw is said. For the exact time of day, sa3a is used instead. Depending on the region, the q is pronounced (waqt) or a g (wagt). The plural is aw9at.
Example
ما عنديش الوقت اليوم
ma 3andich lwa9t lyoum
“I don't have time today.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wa9t” but also “waqt”, “wakt”, “wagt” and “wa9et”. 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.
Type “wa9t” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “time, moment”; “appointed time”: wa9t in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “time, moment”; “time of (prayer, meal)”: wa9t in Tunisian.