kallef كلف
Tunisian Derja · verb
“kallef” (كلف) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to cost (dearly).
Meanings
- to cost (dearly)
- to entrust someone with a task
- to go to trouble
Usage
Kallef is used mainly for the cost of something. The person who pays is marked by a suffix pronoun: kalfetni barcha, "that cost me dearly". It also means "to entrust someone with" with b: kallfouh b el mouhemma, "they entrusted him with the mission". The reflexive form ma tkallefch rou7ek means "don't put yourself out". It is a frequent polite formula when receiving or giving. The expression mahma kallef translates as "cost what it may".
Example
الكرهبة كلفتني برشة فلوس
el karhba kalfetni barcha flous
“The car cost me a lot of money.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kallef” but also “kalef”, “kallaf”, “kellef” and “kalf”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “kallef” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “to cost someone (a lot)”; “to assign someone a task”: kllef in Moroccan.