z3af زعف
Algerian Darja · verb
“z3af” (زعف) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning to get angry, to lose one's temper.
Meanings
- to get angry, to lose one's temper
- to be upset, in a bad mood
Usage
Z3af means to get angry, to get worked up. The word is very common in speech. The corresponding adjective, za3fan ("angry, worked up"), is very frequent: rani za3fan, "I'm angry". The verb can take 3la to indicate the person one is angry with: z3af 3liya, "he got angry with me". The word covers both sharp anger and simple sulking or annoyance. Its register is informal and neutral. It should not be confused with the meaning "poison" that Standard Arabic gives to a neighboring root.
Example
زعف بابا كي ما رجعتش بكري
z3af baba ki ma rja3tch bekri
“My father got angry because I didn't come home early.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “z3af” but also “zaaf” and “z3ef”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.