Algeria Connect · First Words: Algerian Arabic · Lesson 3 of 10

Politeness essentials

Please, thank you, and the blessings that carry a conversation.

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The words

Exercise answers — show
  1. A stallholder hands you your bread — sa77it (or, warmer, barak allahu fik).
  2. You bump into someone in the market — sma7li.
  3. Someone apologises to you for a small thing — ma3lich.
  4. Your host puts a plate of couscous in front of you — bismillah as you begin, and yerham waldik to thank them. (They may say b-sa77tek; you reply allah ya3tik es-sa77a.)
  5. A friend says “see you Friday, inshallah” — they mean yes. It's commitment wrapped in humility, not evasion.

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First Words: Algerian Arabic — an email course in eastern Algerian Darja.
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