ya9ra يقرا
Algerian Darja · verb
“ya9ra” (يقرا) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning to study, to be in school.
Meanings
- to study, to be in school
- to read
- to recite (the Quran)
Usage
Imperfect form (he, 3rd person masculine singular) of the verb qra. In Algeria, this verb means first of all "to study, to be in school": yaqra fel lycée, "he is in high school"; wach taqra? can mean "what year are you in?" or "what are you studying?". It also keeps the meaning "to read" (yaqra ktab, "he is reading a book") and "to recite" the Quran. Pitfall: mazal yaqra does not mean "he is still reading" but "he is still a student". The past is qra and the imperative is aqra.
Example
خويا مازال يقرا في الجامعة
khouya mazal ya9ra fel jami3a
“My brother is still at university.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ya9ra” but also “yaqra”, “yakra” and “yegra”. 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.