mnakher مناخر
Moroccan Darija · noun
“mnakher” (مناخر) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning nose.
Meanings
- nose
- nostrils
Usage
Mnakher is the usual word for "nose" in darija. It has a plural form, but is normally used for the nose of a single person: one says mnakhri ("my nose"), mnakhru ("his nose"). It can also mean the nostrils. Depending on the speaker, it takes plural or feminine singular agreement, which can be confusing. It appears in everyday phrases such as "mnakhri msdud" (my nose is blocked) and "kaysil lih mnakhru" (his nose is running). The register is neutral, suitable in all situations.
Example
مناخري مسدودين من البرد
mnakhri msdudin mn lberd
“My nose is blocked from the cold.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mnakher” but also “mnakhr”, “menkher”, “mna5er”, “men5ar” and “mnkhr”. 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.