chkhir شخير
Moroccan Darija · noun
“chkhir” (شخير) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning snoring.
Meanings
- snoring
Usage
The noun chkhir means snoring. It is formed from the verb chkher, "to snore". It is used with fih to say that someone snores: fih chkhir, literally "there is snoring in him". It is also combined with bzaf or bezzaf for emphasis. The word is common and informal, often used to complain about a roommate or a relative. It can also point to a health problem worth getting checked. Do not confuse it with chkhar, whose use is not attested.
Example
ممكنش تنعس حداه فيه شخير بزّاف
mimknch tn3ss 7dah fih chkhir bezzaf
“You can't sleep next to him, he snores a lot.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chkhir” but also “chekhir” and “ch5ir”. 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.