yakol ro7o ياكل روحو
Algerian Darja · expression
“yakol ro7o” (ياكل روحو) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning to get overly angry.
Meanings
- to get overly angry
- to fret, to torment oneself
Usage
Literally, yakol rouhou means "he eats himself". The expression describes someone who gets agitated, angry or tormented to an exaggerated degree, often to no avail. It is conjugated with the reflexive pronoun rouh: nakol rouhi (I), takol rouhek (you), takol rouhha (she). It is very often heard in the negative, to calm someone down: ma takoulch rouhek, "don't get yourself into such a state". The register is informal and common. Ndab rouhou, "he laments loudly", is close but puts more emphasis on theatrical complaining. Note: the expression has nothing to do with food.
Example
ما تاكلش روحك، كلش يتصلح
ma takoulch rouhek, koulech yetsalah
“Don't get yourself into such a state, everything will work out.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “yakol ro7o” but also “yakoul rouhou”, “yakol rouho” and “yakel ro7o”. 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.