ye5alli يخلي
Algerian Darja · verb
“ye5alli” (يخلي) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning to leave, to quit.
Meanings
- to leave, to quit
- to let, to allow
- to make, to cause to become
Usage
Imperfect form (he leaves) of the verb khalla. It is a very frequent verb: "ykhalli lmefta7" (he leaves the key), "ma ykhallihomch yokhorjou" (he doesn't let them go out). It also has a causative value: "ykhalli nnas yad7kou" (he makes people laugh). The polite formula "llah ykhallik" (may God keep you) is equivalent to "please". On social media, "ykhalli jam" is written to invite people to leave a "like". The imperative is khalli, or khalli 3lik (drop it).
Example
ما يخليش ولادو يخرجو في الليل
ma ykhallich wladou yokhorjou fel lil
“He doesn't let his children go out at night.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ye5alli” but also “yekhalli”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.