akhiran أخيرا
Moroccan Darija · adverb
“akhiran” (أخيرا) is an adverb in Moroccan Darija meaning finally, at last.
Meanings
- finally, at last
- lastly, in the end
Usage
Akhiran comes from Standard Arabic but is well established in darija. It is used mostly in the exclamatory phrase "wa akhiran!", which expresses relief or irony after a long wait: "wa akhiran jiti!" (you're here at last!). It goes at the start of the sentence. In a speech or a list, it also means "lastly". In a more colloquial register, people rather say "f l-akhir" or "7ta l-akhir". The tone is often expressive, even teasing.
Example
و أخيرا جيتي
wa akhiran jity
“At last, you've come!”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “akhiran” but also “a5iran”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.