3lah علاه
Moroccan Darija · adverb
“3lah” (علاه) is an adverb in Moroccan Darija meaning why.
Meanings
- why
Usage
3lah is the interrogative adverb "why". It is equivalent to 3lach, the other very common form in Morocco. It is placed at the start of the sentence: 3lah ma jitich? ("why didn't you come?"). To answer "because", one uses 7it or 7itach. 3lah is also used in familiar exclamations to express surprise or reproach. Be careful not to confuse it with 3lih ("on him"): the pronunciation is close, but the meaning is different.
Example
علاه ما جيتيش البارح؟
3lah ma jitich lbare7?
“Why didn't you come yesterday?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3lah” but also “3llah”, “3alah” and “3elah”. 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.
Type “3lah” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “why”: 3lah in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “why”: 3leh in Tunisian.