khouya خويا
Moroccan Darija · noun
“khouya” (خويا) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning my brother.
Meanings
- my brother
- mate, friend (form of address)
Usage
Khouya is the possessive form of khu: "my brother". Beyond the family meaning, it is a very common way to address a man, known or not, with a touch of politeness or familiarity: "a khouya" (hey, my friend), including to a seller or a passer-by. Depending on tone, it can also express annoyance or insistence: "a khouya, safi!" For a woman, the equivalent is khti (my sister). Affectionate diminutive: khouiya. Don't confuse it with the literal use; context decides.
Example
خويا راه مات
khouya rah mat
“My brother is dead.”
Forms
| feminine | khti |
|---|---|
| plural | khouti |
| feminine plural | khwatati |
Forms as recorded in DODa, in its spelling.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khouya” but also “5ouya” and “khouia”. 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.
Type “khouya” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “my brother”; “my friend, buddy (address)”: khouya in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “my brother”; “bro, mate (form of address)”: 5ouya in Tunisian.