3layach علياش
Moroccan Darija · adverb
“3layach” (علياش) is an adverb in Moroccan Darija meaning why, for what reason.
Meanings
- why, for what reason
- something to, reason to
Usage
A variant of 3lach, formed from 3la and ach (what). It is used to ask or state the reason for an action, in direct or indirect questions: fesser liya 3layach (explain to me why). It can also mean "something to" or "reason to": 3ndek 3layach tferre7 (you have something to be happy about). This longer form is a bit more emphatic than 3lach, which remains the most common in everyday speech. The meaning "why" dominates; the second meaning appears mainly after verbs like 3ta or 3nd.
Example
كانتسنّا فيك ت فسّر ليا علياش هاد لمشروع دايرو
kantsenna fik t fsser liya 3layach had lmechro3 dayrou
“I'm waiting for you to explain to me why you did this project.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3layach” but also “3liyach” and “alayach”. 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.