za33ag زعق
Algerian Darja · verb
“za33ag” (زعق) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning to shout loudly, to yell.
Meanings
- to shout loudly, to yell
- to complain noisily
Usage
Za33ag (present yza33ag) means to shout loudly, to raise one's voice, often out of anger or irritation. It is used with 3la to indicate the person targeted: "ma tza33agch 3liya" (don't yell at me). The verb can also describe someone who grumbles or protests noisily, without necessarily addressing anyone. The corresponding noun is za3ga, a shout. Informal but neutral register, very common in daily life. For an English speaker, it is closer to "yell" than to simply "call": it is not used to politely hail someone.
Example
ما تزعقش عليا، راني نسمع مليح
ma tza33agch 3liya, rani nesma3 mli7
“Don't yell at me, I can hear fine.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “za33ag” but also “za3ag”, “z3ag” and “za33eg”. 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.