rjel رجل
Moroccan Darija · noun
“rjel” (رجل) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning foot.
Meanings
- foot
- leg
Usage
Rjel means both foot and leg. The context makes the meaning clear, which can be confusing for an English speaker. It is a feminine noun. With possessives, it gives rjli, "my foot", and rjlih, "his foot". The usual plural or dual is rjlin. One says 3la rjlih, "on foot". One also says rjel 3la rjel for someone sitting with legs crossed, at ease. Note: in arabizi, rjel can also be a spelling of rjal, "men". The two words are easily confused in writing.
Example
ضرّاتني رجلي
drratni rjli
“My foot hurts.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “rjel” but also “rjl”, “rejl” and “rijl”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “rjel” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “foot”; “leg”: rjel in Algerian.