yahreg يحرڨ
Algerian Darja · verb
“yahreg” (يحرڨ) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning emigrate illegally by sea.
Meanings
- emigrate illegally by sea
- to burn
- to run (a red light)
Usage
Hreg, present tense yahreg, first means "to burn". In Algeria, the verb mainly refers to leaving clandestinely for Europe, usually by boat (botti). The person setting out is a harrag, plural harraga, and the phenomenon is called el hraga. One says hreg l'Espagne, or hreg with a destination, with no preposition required. The verb is also used to mean running a red light or skipping a step, and keeps its literal meaning of burning something. Context is usually enough to resolve the ambiguity.
Example
خوه حرق لسبانيا العام لي فات
khouh hreg l'Espanya l3am li fat
“His brother left illegally for Spain last year.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “yahreg” but also “yahrag”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.