rajel الراجل
Moroccan Darija · noun
“rajel” (الراجل) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning man.
Meanings
- man
- husband
- real man, man of his word
Usage
Rajel refers to an adult man: "had rrajel" (this man). With a possessive, it means husband: "rajli" (my husband), "rajlha" (her husband). Its counterpart for the wife is mrati. The plural is rjal, which can also describe courageous or reliable people: "nta rajel!" (you're a good man, a man of your word). The expression is sometimes said to a woman, meaning "you rose to the occasion". The register is common and neutral. Note that the context and the possessive alone are enough to indicate "husband", with no additional word.
Example
عمرك تكره داك الراجل
3emrek t kreh dak rajel
“Never hate that man.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “rajel” but also “rrajl”, “rajl”, “arrajel”, “rrajal” and “rajal”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find الراجل and راجل, all the same word.
Type “rajel” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
The same word also exists in Algerian Darja, written راجل, where it means “man”; “husband”: rajel in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
The same word also exists in Tunisian Derja, written راجل, where it means “man”; “husband”: rajel in Tunisian.