y7ab يحب
Algerian Darja · verb
“y7ab” (يحب) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning he loves, he likes.
Meanings
- he loves, he likes
- he wants
Usage
Yhab is the third person of the verb "hab": it means "he loves", but very often "he wants". Followed by a noun, it expresses liking or affection: "yhab el koura" (he likes football). Followed by another conjugated verb, it expresses desire: "yhab yrouh" (he wants to leave). It is the usual verb for "to want" in much of Algeria. Some western regions say "bgha" instead. In a sentence like "wach thab?", it should be understood as "what do you want?" and not "what do you like?".
Example
خويا يحب الكورة
khouya y7ab el koura
“My brother likes football.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, it is written “y7ab”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.