3ari9 عالريق
Moroccan Darija · expression
“3ari9” (عالريق) is an expression in Moroccan Darija meaning on an empty stomach, fasting.
Meanings
- on an empty stomach, fasting
- first thing after waking up
Usage
3la r-ri9, often contracted in writing to "3ari9" or "3lari9", means "on an empty stomach," literally "on the saliva." It is used a lot for remedies and health advice, such as "kla 3la r-ri9" (eat on an empty stomach) or "chrob lma 3la r-ri9" (drink water on an empty stomach). It is also used for medical tests. By extension, the expression can refer to what one does straight out of bed, before eating or doing anything else. It is informal and very common.
Example
الطبيب قال ليا ناخد الدوا على الريق
tbib gal lia nakhod ddwa 3la ri9
“The doctor told me to take the medicine on an empty stomach.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3ari9” but also “3lari9”. 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; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.