What’s Your Job? Say it in Algerian Arabic

Have you ever wanted to say your job in Algerian Arabic? Or maybe you're just curious about how people talk about work in everyday conversations here in Algeria? 😊 In this lesson, we're learning 10 of the most common jobs in Algeria — the kind of words you’ll hear all the time when people talk about themselves, their parents, or even the neighbor next door!

Ready? Let’s build your job vocabulary together!

NOTE: (m) stands for male, and (f) stands for female — so you’ll know which form to use depending on who you're talking about!

1_ Teacher

أُسْتَاذْ (m) /ousta:d/ أُسْتَاذَة (f) /ousta:da:/

2_ Doctor

طْبِيبْ (m) /t’bi:b/ طْبِيبَة (f) /t’bi:ba/

In everyday Algerian Arabic, we usually use French words for doctor specialties — like “pédiatre” or “cardiologue.”

3_ Nurse

فَرْمْلِي (m) /farmli:/ فَرْمْلِيَّة (f) /farmliyya/

4_ Engineer

مُهَنْدِسْ (m) /mohandis/ مُهَنْدِسَة (f) /mohandissa/

5_ Taxi Driver

طَاكْسيور (m) /taksior/
This job is usually done by men, so there isn’t really a common word for a woman doing it

6_ Police man

بُولِيسِي (m) /bouli:ssi:/ بُولِيسِيَّة (f) /bouli:ssiyya/

7_ Soldier

عَسْكْرِي (m) /3askri:/ عَسْكْرِيَّة (f) /3askriyya/

8_ Retailer/ Store owner

تَاجِرْ (m) /ta:jir/
This job is also usually done by men, so there isn’t really a common word for a woman doing it

9_ Entrepreneur

مُقَاوِلْ (m) /moqawil/ مُقَاوِلَة (f) /moqa:wila/

10_ Office Job (in general)

نَخْدَمْ في ( شَرِكَة / إِدَارَة / بُونْكَا/….) (m/f)

/nakhdam fi charika/ida:ra/bonka/

I work in (a company/ administration/ bank/…,etc)

If you work in an office, you can just say the kind of building you work at — like a bank or a company

Examples:

بابا يَخدَم بوليسي /ba:ba: yakhdam bouli:ssi:/

my father is a policeman.

هي أُسْتَاذَة /hiya osta:da:/

she is a teacher.