y3ammer el 3ayn يعمر العين
Algerian Darja · expression
“y3ammer el 3ayn” (يعمر العين) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning to satisfy, measure up.
Meanings
- to satisfy, measure up
- to look good, be presentable
Usage
Y3ammer el 3ayn literally means "to fill the eye". It is said of what fully satisfies by its appearance, quantity or quality: a generous dish, a lavish gift, a well-made house, a person with presence. The expression is common and positive, often used to judge whether something is fitting in the eyes of others, for example at a wedding or reception. It is used mostly in the negative to criticize: ma y3ammerch el 3ayn (it doesn't make a good impression). The register is familiar and neutral.
Example
الطابلة ديال العرس كانت تعمر العين
et-tabla dyal el-3ers kanet t3ammer el 3ayn
“The wedding table was really generous and beautiful to look at.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, it is written “y3ammer el 3ayn”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.