Of all the languages spoken in Algeria, Derja is the most common. It’s sometimes referred to as Algerian Arabic, and even among Algerians, many consider the language a dialect of Arabic. Yet, it is, in many ways, different from Arabic, and I, personally, think that Algerian should be considered a language apart.
If you’re interested in learning the Algerian language, you might find that it’s an uphill battle. Not because it’s an extremely difficult language (though it is quite complex for the average English-speaker) but because it’s extremely difficult to find any useful learning resources for it. While some courses exist for people aiming to learn Moroccan, it isn’t exactly the same.
That’s why I’ve decided to do my part in making the Algerian language more available. It’s a small part, and the below words and phrases are far from being a complete course, but it might be helpful for someone who’s just starting out learning Algerian.
The below recordings were made by Redouane Aouameur (link to fiverr). They’re mainly in the accent spoken in Algiers, the capital, but with a few scattered exampled from other Algerian regions too.
Enjoy!
Contents
Greetings, Goodbyes, Pleasantries, And Asking Questions
| English | Algerian |
| Hello. | Sa7a. |
| Good morning. | Sba7 elkhir. |
| Good evening. | Mess elkhir. |
| Good night. | Tasba7 bkhir. |
| Goodbye. | B9a 3la khir. |
| See you later. | Netla9aw omba3d. or Hia . (familiar in Algiers) |
| How are you? | Wesh rak? (M) Wesh raki? (F) Kifesh rak (M) Kifesh raki? (F) (Mostly in Aliers) Ki dayer (M) Ki dayra (F) (Oran) Ma3liksh? (Constantine) ça va? (Everywhere) |
| I’m fine. | Rani mli7. (M) Rani mli7a. (F) or Labess or Ghaya (In Oran) |
| I’m not feeling well. | Ma ranish mli7. (M) Ma ranish mli7a. (F) |
| God be praised. | 7amdoullah. |
| Anything new? | Kesh jdid? |
| What have you been doing lately? | Wesh dert fiha? or Wesh rak dayer fiha? |
| How is your health? | Kifesh rahi ssa7a? |
| How is the family? | kifesh rahi la famille? or Wesh 7wel la famille? |
| Say hi to your father. | Sallem 3la bebek. |
| Tell your mother to take care. | 9oll lyemmak tethalla. |
| It was nice talking to you. | Gasserna mli7 or 3adjbetni lgassra |
| What’s your name? | Wassmek? |
| My name is Tom. | Wassemni Tom. |
| Did you come here for work? | Djit llahna besh takhdem? |
| I’m a tourist. | Ana touriste. or Djit n7awess. |
| I work in a bank. | Nakhdem fel banka. |
| Don’t stress about it. | Matet9alle9sh. |
| Don’t think too much. | Matkhemmemsh. |
| It doesn’t matter. | Ma3liche. or Ma fiha walou. |
| That’s great. | 7ala. Intik. Bien. Fort bezzaf. |
| I’m happy for you. | Fra7tlek. |
| If God wills. | Nchallah. |
| In the name of God. | Besmellah. |
| May God make you succeed. | Llah y3awnek. |
| God bless you. | Barakallahoufik. |
| God rest his soul. | Rabbi yarra7mou. |
| God rest her soul. | Rabbi yar7amha. |
| To God we belong, and to him we shall return. | Inna lillah wa inna ilayhi radji3oun. |
| May God accept it. | Rabbi ya9bel. (When you see someone who just finished a prayer). |
| The food is delicious. | Lmekla bnina. |
| Would you like some more? | Nzidlek? (Do you want me to add for you) |
| A little more. | Chwiya. |
| No thank you. | Lala sa7a |
| Yes please. | Ih sa7a. |
| I’m full. | Rani chab3an. (M) Rani chab3ana. (F) |
| I’m hungry. | Rani dji3an. (M) Rani dji3ana. (F) |
| I love fish. | N7abb el 7ot. |
| I don’t like grapes. | Man7ebsh la3neb. |
Time
| English | Algerian |
| Time | Ssa3a lwa9t |
| What time is it? | Sh7al rahi ssa3a? |
| When should I come? | Wa9tesh lazem ndji? |
| When does the bus arrive? | Wa9tesh ydji lbus? |
| I’ll be there in ten minutes. | 3ashr d9aye9 wenkoun 3andek or Nkoun 3andek 3la 3ashr d9aye9. |
| I’ll wait here an hour. | Nessenna hna sa3a. |
| I’ll stay in Algiers for a week. | Ne93oud fe Dzayer smana. |
| I’ll travel in the country for a month. | N7awess fleblad shhar. |
| I haven’t eaten Algerian pastries for a whole year. | 3andi 3am maklitch lgâtto nta3 Dzayer. |
| When is your flight? | 3a9eddash ttiyara nta3ek t9alle3? 3a9eddash lvol nta3ek. |
| How old are you? | Sh7al fi 3omrek. |
| I’m 20 years old. | Fi 3omri 3ashrin sna. |
Finding Your Way And Specific Places
| English | Algerian |
| How do I get to the Casbah? | Kifesh nro7 lel9asba? |
| How do I find a taxi? | Kifesh nel9a taxi? |
| Where’s the Agha station? | Win djaya la gare nta3 agha |
| Where can I buy train tickets? | Win yashrou tikiyatte nta3 lmachina? |
| Is there a tram that goes to Babezzouar? | Kayen tramway yro7 lbabezzouar? |
| How much is a bus-ticket? | Sh7al yasswa ettiki nta3 lbus? |
| Turn left by the post office. | Ki tal7a9 lelposta, dor à gauche. |
| Go right after the white building. | Dor à droite mor el batima el bidha. |
| Go straight by those trees. | Ro7 9bala m3a shdjer hadouk. Ro7 nichan m3a shdjer hadouk. (in Western regions) |
| Go back where you came from. | 3awed welli mnin djit. |
| Continue along the palm-trees. | Kammel 9bala m3a nnkhel. |
| I’ll go buy eggs at the shop. | Nro7 lel7anout besh neshri lbidh. |
| Later I’ll go to the supermarket. | Omba3d nro7 le supermarché. |
| You can get copies at the cyber-café. | Ta9der dir fotocopi fe cyber-café. |
| You can get phone-credit at the kiosk. | ta9der dir flexy 3and lekiosk. |
| I’m looking for the butcher’s. | Rani n7awess 3la boucher. |
| Where can I find the bakery? | Win nel9a boulanger? or Win nel9a khabbez? |
| Can you recommend a family-friendly restaurant? | ta9der twarrili restaurant familiale? or ta9der tconseillili restaurant familiale? |
| Where can I buy cheap fast-food? | Win na9der neshri fast food mashi ghali? |
| I walk my son to school. | Naddi wlidi llemsid. Naddi wlidi llikoul. |
| He’s in primary school. | Rahou fel ibtida’i. |
| My daughter takes the bus to her high-school. | Benti ta7kem lbus besh tro7 lelyci. |
| My younger brother takes the bus to the university. | Khoya sghir ya7kem lbus besh yro7 leldjami3a |
| I drive my car to work. | nro7 lelkhedma fe tomobil. |
| I have to go to the Dutch embassy | Lazem nro7 llambassade nta3 la Hollande. |
| Where can I find an ATM machine that accepts VISA cards? | Win na9der nel9a distributeur ya9bel les cartes VISA. |
| Where can I change euros to dinars? | Win na9der nbeddel l’euro be ddinar. |
| Can you recommend a certified translator? | Ta9der twirili win nal9a traducteur certifié. (M) Ta99adri twirili win nal9a traducteur certifié. (F) |
| What’s the direction to the police station? | Win djay lcommissariat? |
| Dim your lights at the checkpoint. | Na9ess les phares 3and lbarage. Naqess edhou a3n lbarage |
| The big mosque of Algiers is next to the freeway. | Ldjame3 lekbir nta3 Dzayer djay 9addem l’autoroute. |
| How do I get to the Notre Dame D’Afrique church? | Kifesh nro7 lléglise nta3 Notre Dame D’Afrique. |
| This mosque used to be a synagogue. | Had el djame3 kan synagogue Had el djame3 kan ma3bed nta3 lihoud. |
| I need to find a taxi to bring me to the graveyard. | Lazem nal9a taxi ywessalni leldjebbana. |
| There’s the statue of Amir Abdel Kader. | Haylik la statue nta3 lamir 3abdel Kader. |
| The monument of the martyrs is in the heights of Algiers. | Ma9am echahid djay f les hauteurs nta3 Alger. |
| I recommend visiting the Roman ruins in Tipaza. | Nannas7ak tvisiti les ruines romaines nta3 Tipaza. |
The Market
| English | Algerian |
| The market | Lmarché |
| How much does this cost? | Sh7al yaswa hada (M) Sh7altaswa hadi (F) |
| Can I buy it for 1000 dinars? | Na9der neshrih be miyatalef? (Literaly: one hundred thousand – prices are often in cents) |
| It’s too expensive | Ghali bezzaf |
| It’s not cheap | Mashi rkhiss |
| It’s a good price | Prix mli7 Prix shbab |
| It’s a bad price | Prix 3eyan |
| Do you have this in size “L”? | Kayen hada fe la taille ‘’L’’? |
| Do you have coffee? | Kayen 9ahwa? 3andek 9ahwa? 3andkoum 9ahwa? (if it’s a café) |
Groceries
| English | Algerian |
| Groceries | Gedhyan |
| Bread | Khobz |
| Sweets | 7alwa |
| Cakes | Lgâtto |
| Milk | la7lib |
| Eggs | Lbidh Wled el djedj (Algiers) La3dham (Eastern regions) |
| Flour | Farina |
| Sugar | Sokker |
| Honey | 3ssel |
| Chickpeas | 7missa |
| Couscous | T3am (Central regions) Seksou (Central and Eastern regions) Na3ma (Constantine) Berboucha (Sétif, Aures, etc) |
| Spices | 39a9er or Twabel |
| Salt | Lmel7 |
| Black pepper | Felfel k7el |
| Cinnamon | 9arfa |
| Cumin | Kemmoun |
| Chili pepper | Felfel 7arr |
| Paprika | Felfel 3akri or Felfel 7mer |
| Meat | L7am |
| Beef | Bagri |
| Lamb | Ghanmi |
| Chicken | Djedj |
| Fish | 7out |
| Dishes | Les plats Lemwakel |
| Soup | Chorba Souppa |
| Stew | Djwaz |
| Baked vegetables Baked fish Baked meat | Khedra koucha 7out koucha L7am koucha |
| Fried vegetables Fried fish Fried meat | khedra ma9lia 7out ma9li l7am ma9li |
Numbers
| English | Algerian |
| One, first | wa7ed Louwel (M) Louwla (F) |
| Two, second | Zoudj Tani (M) Tània (F) |
| Three, third | Tlata Talet (M) Tàlta (F) |
| Four, fourth | Rab3a Rrabe3 (M) Rràb3a (F) |
| Five, fifth | Khamsa Lkhamess (M) Lkhàmssa (F) |
| Six, sixth | Setta Sadess (M) Sàdssa (F) |
| Seven, seventh | Sab3a Ssabe3 (M) Ssàb3a (F) |
| Eight, eighth | Tmenia Tamen (M) Ttémna (F) |
| Nine, ninth | Tess3a Tàsse3 (M) Tàss3a (F) |
| Ten, tenth | 3ashra l3àsher (M) l3àshra (F) |
| Eleven | 7desh |
| Twelve | Ttnash |
| Thirteen | Tlettash |
| Fourteen | Rba3tash |
| Fifteen | Khmastash |
| Sixteen | Settash |
| Seventeen | Sba3tash |
| Eighteen | Tmentash |
| Nineteen | Tssa3tash |
| Twenty | 3ashrine |
| Twenty-one | Wa7ed ou3ashrine |
| Twenty-two | Tnin ou3ashrine |
| Twenty-three | Tlata ou3ashrine |
| Twenty-four | Rab3a ou3ashrine |
| Twenty-five | Khamsa ou3ashrine |
| Twenty-six | Setta ou3ashrine |
| Twenty-seven | Seb3a ou3ashrine |
| Twenty-eight | Tmenia ou3ashrine |
| Twenty-nine | Tess3a ou3ashrine |
| Thirty | Tlatine |
| Fourty | Rab3ine |
| Fifty | Khamssine |
| Sixty | Settine |
| Seventy | Seb3ine |
| Eighty | Tmanine |
| Ninety | Tess3ine |
| 100 | Mia |
| 101 | Mia ouwa7ed |
| 200 | Mitine |
| 300 | Telt mia |
| 1000 | Alef |
| 1001 | Alf ouwa7ed |
| 1100 | Alf oumia |
| 2000 | Alfine |
| 3000 | Teltalaf |
| 1.000.000 | Mellioune |
| 1.000.000.000 | Melliarr |
Colors, Adjectives And Adverbs
| English | Algerian |
| Good | Mli7 (M) Mli7a (F) |
| Bad | Mashi mli7 (M) Mashi mli7a (F) or 3iyen (M) 3iyana (F) |
| Beautiful | Shbab (M) Shabba (F) or Zina (F) |
| Ugly | Mez3o9 (M) Mez3o9a (F) |
| Cute | Mesrar (M) Mesrara (F) |
| Quickly | Bezzerba |
| Slow | t9il (M) t9ila (F) (Same word as “heavy”) |
| Light | Khfif (M) Khfifa (F) |
| Heavy | t9il (M) t9ila (F) (Same word as “slow”) |
| Cheap | Rkhiss (M) Rkhisa (F) |
| Expensive | Ghali (M) Ghalia (F) |
| New | Jdid (M) Jdida (F) |
| Old | 9dim (M) 9dima (F) |
Adjectives For Speaking About Food
| English | Algerian |
| Fresh | Frishka |
| Rotten | Mdewed (M) Mdeweda (F) or Ma3foun (M) Ma3founa (F) |
| Sweet | 7louw (M) 7louwa (F) |
| Salty | Male7 (M) Mal7a (F) |
| Spicy | Mtabbel (M) Mtabbela (F) |
Colors
| White | byedh (M) bidha (F) or bitta (Algiers) (F) |
| Black | k7el (M) ka7la (F) |
| Yellow | Sfarr (M) Saffra (F) |
| Green | Khder (M) Khedra (F) |
| Blue | zre9 (M) or zreg (M) zer9a (F) or zerga (F) |
| Brown | 9ahwi (M) 9ahwiya (F) (related to coffee “9ahwa”) |
| Red | 7marr (M) 7amra (F) |
| Pink | Khokhi (M) Khokhiya (F) (related to peach ‘’khokh’’) |
Orange | Tchini (M) Tichinia (F) |
Shapes
| English | Algerian |
| Long | Twil (M) Twila (F) |
| Short | 9ssir (M) 9ssira (F) |
| Round | Mdower (M) Mdowera (A) |
| Square | Carré (M) Carria (F) |
| Big | Kbir (M) Kbira (F) |
| Small | Sghir (M) Sghira (F) |
| Thick | Khshine (M) Khshina (F) |
| Thin | r9i9 (M) r9i9a (F) |
Temperature
| English | Algerian |
| Hot | Skhoun (M) Skhouna (F) |
| Cold | Bared (M) Barda (F) |
| Lukewarm | Dafi (M) Dafia (F) |
The Weather And The Seasons
| English | Algerian |
| The sun is shining | Shems rahi tssatta3 |
| It’s raining | Rahi tssabb eshta or rahou yssabb ennou (in other regions) |
| It was windy yesterday | Kan erri7 el bare7 |
| It’s snowing in the mountains | Rahou yssabb etheldj fledjbal |
| It’s hot in the south (the dessert) | Skhana fe sa7ra |
| It’s cold in January | El berd f janvier |
| There was an earthquake in 2003 | Darbett ezzelzla f 2003 |
| There is a forest fire in Kabylia | lghabat rahoum yat7argo fi blad 9bayel |
| There was a flood in Algiers | Djat el 7amla f Dzayer |
Months Of The Year
| English | Algerian |
| January | Janvier |
| February | Fivri |
| March | Mares or Mayo |
| April | Avril |
| May | May |
| June | Jwan |
| July | Jwiyi |
| August | Août |
| September | September |
| October | October |
| November | November |
| December | Dicember |
Seasons
| English | Algerian |
| Spring | Rbi3 |
| Summer | Ssiff |
| Fall | Lekhrif |
| Winter | Shta |
Holidays And Festivities
| English | Algerian |
| Congratulations | Mabrouk 3lik |
| Happy ramadan | Sa7a ramdanek (one person) Sa7a ramdankoum (a group of people) |
| Children are encouraged to fast, but they don’t have to | Drari ya99adrou yssomo bessa7 mashi bessif 3lihoum |
| Have a nice breakfast (Used, literally for the breaking of the fast) | Sa7a ftourek (one person) Sa7a ftourkoum (a group of people) |
| Happy eid | Sa7a 3idek (one person) Sa7a 3idkoum (a group of people) |
| Did your family slaughter a sheep for eid? | Dba7tou kebsh el 3id? |
| Happy Yennayer (The traditional Berber new-year) | Yennayer amarvou7 |
| Happy mawlid (The birthday of the prophet of Islam) | Sa7a mouloudek (one person) Sa7a mouloudkoum (a group of people) |
| You’re invited to the circumcision party of my son | rak ma3rodh lelkhtana nta3 wlidi |
| I went to my friend’s marriage | Ro7t lel3arss nta3 sa7bi |
| The bride wore many traditional dresses | La3rossa labsset 7wayedj ta9lidia |
| The groom spoke to his father in-law | La3riyess hdar m3a chikho |
| They received many presents | Djaboulhoum bezzaf les cadeaux |
| All guests got a box of traditional sweets | Maddou bwayett nta3 el gâtto lkamel dhyaf |
| Happy birthday | Joyeux anniversaire or 3id milad sa3id |
| May you reach a hundred years | la39oba lemyat sna |
| Happy new year | Bonne année or 3am sa3id |
| Best wishes for you and your family | Netmennalek ghir el khir lik wel familtek |
Jobs, Occupations, And People
| English | Algerian |
| I brought a mason to renovate my kitchen | Djebt el masson besh n3awed lkouzina nta3i |
| Do you know a good electrician? | Ta3ref kesh électricien mli7? |
| You shouldn’t look down on the garbage man | Malazemsh tahgar bel3in nnadhaff |
| I’m proud that my daughter is an engineer | Rani far7an b benti l’ingénieur |
| My son is studying to become a doctor | Wlidi raho ya9ra besh ywelli tbib |
| My uncle is a taxi driver | 3ammi taxieur 3ammi chauffeur nta3 taxi |
| I’m a banker | Nakhdem fel banka |
| I work as a clerk in a supermarket | Nbi3 fe supermarché |
| I’m a car-salesman | Nbi3 ttomobilettes |
| My dad used to be a farmer | Beba kan fella7 Beba kanet 3andou firma |
| Now my father is retired | Dokka beba rahou retraité |
| My grandfather was a shepherd | Djeddi kan ra3i |
| I’m looking for a job | Rani n7awess 3la khedma |
| My mother is a homemaker | Yemma 9a3da fe ddar |
| But she also makes sweets for parties | Bessa7 takhdem el 7alwa lla3rass |
| My wife is a business woman | Merti femme d’affaires |
| She buys and sells different goods | Tbi3 ou teshri fe ssal3a |
| I’m a cook at a hotel | Nakhdem cuisinier fi hôtel Nakhdem teyyab fi hôtel |
| An elderly man | Chikh kbir |
| An elderly woman | 3djouza mra kbira |
| A young girl | Jeunne fille tafla |
| A young boy | Jeune homme tfel |
