Telling The Time in The Algerian Dialect
In this vocabulary lesson, you will learn how to tell and ask about the time in the Algerian dialect.
1_ Parts of the day:
From dawn to 12 p.m ==> morning الصْباحْ
From 12 p.m to (approx) 3 p.m ==> afternoon بَعْد الظُّهْر
From 4 p.m to sunset ==> evening لْعِشِيَّة
From sunset to before dawn ==> night اللِّيلْ
Example:
نَخْدَم عْلى سَبْعَة تَعْ الصْباح
I work at 7 in the morning
2_ Prepostions used with time
With clock time we use the prepostion (عْلى)
With parts of the day (following clock time expression) we use the preposition (تَعْ)
(as seen in the previous example)
3_ Asking about/giving the time
To ask about the clock time only we use the word (شْحال)
To ask about the exact (clock) time of a ceratain action we use the word (عَ قِدّاش)
To ask about only the part of the day we use the word (وِقْتاش) and in this case we use the prepostion (في) in the answer
Examples:
عَ قِدّاش تْجي؟
At what time are you coming?
نْجي عْلى السَّبْعَة تَع اللِّيل
I’m coming at 7 p.m
وِقْتاش تْجي؟
when are you coming?
نْجي في اللِّيل
شْحال راهي السّاعة؟
What time is it?
راهي لَحْداش
