yesal يسال
Algerian Darja · verb
“yesal” (يسال) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning to ask after someone.
Meanings
- to ask after someone
- to be owed by someone
- to ask, to question
Usage
The verb "ysal" is used mostly with "3la": "ysal 3lik" means "he asks after you", "he is worried about you". To ask a question in the strict sense, "ysa9si" is preferred, or "ysawel" in rural speech. A second, very common use: "nsalek" or "rani nsalek" means "you owe me", for example "nsalek alf dinar", "you owe me a thousand dinars". Pay attention to the construction: with "3la", it is about news; with a direct object and a sum of money, it is about a debt.
Example
يما راهي تسال عليك بزاف
yemma rahi tsal 3lik bezzaf
“Mum is asking after you a lot.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, it is written “yesal”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.