yekhzer يخزر
Algerian Darja · verb
“yekhzer” (يخزر) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning to look at, to watch.
Meanings
- to look at, to watch
- to stare at, to glare at
Usage
Yekhzer (imperative khzer, perfective khzer) is one of the most common verbs for "to look" in Algeria, alongside ychouf. It takes fi: yekhzer fih, "he looks at him". It can be neutral, but it often carries the nuance of an insistent or hostile look: ma tkhzerch fiya hakda, "don't look at me like that". The expression wahed ma yekhzer fina means that nobody dares to challenge or bother us. In the imperative, khzer is also used to get attention, like "look!".
Example
علاش راك تخزر فيا هاكدا؟
3lach rak tekhzer fiya hakda?
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “yekhzer” but also “yakhzar” and “yekhzar”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.