The answer in a few words
To say good morning in Algerian Arabic, you can use Sba7 elkhir . Ask “how are you?” with Wesh rak ? when speaking to a man and Wesh raki ? when speaking to a woman. Sa7a has several uses, including a greeting or a thank you.
How to say hello depending on the moment?
| Moment | Algerian Darija | English |
|---|---|---|
| In the morning | Sba7 elkhir | Hello. |
| In the evening | Mess elkhir | Good evening. |
| Between loved ones | Sa7a | Hello; meaning to be clarified in the exchange. |
| Before sleeping | Tasba7 bkhir | Good night, addressed to a man. |
A morning formula can be followed by a question about the person or their family. The form given for "good night" is not a greeting to be used when arriving at someone's house in the evening. Observe the timing and usage of your interlocutors.
How to ask for news and respond?
Wesh rak ? and Wesh raki ? are common benchmarks. Depending on the region, you may hear other forms, including Ki dayer ? to a man or Ki dayra ? to a woman in Oran usage presented by Autolingual.
| Role | Algerian Darija | English |
|---|---|---|
| You, to a man | Wesh rak ? | How are you? |
| The man you are speaking to | Rani mli7. | I'm fine. |
| You, to a woman | Wesh raki ? | How are you? |
| The woman you are speaking to | Rani mli7a. | I'm fine. |
The question depends on who you're talking to; in these responses, the form depends on the person speaking. Do both roles again to understand this difference.
How to use a thank you?
Listen to Sa7a in a real situation: after a service, its role can be that of a thank you. In Lala, sa7a , the meaning is "no, thank you". A familiar expression therefore does not always translate in the same way in an isolated message.
To learn, write down the situation next to the formula: accept, politely refuse or thank after help. If you need an accurate translation of a message, check out the Algerian–French translation method .
A five-minute listening exercise
- Choose a single greeting recording from the resource below.
- Listen without looking at the transcription, then check the sounds.
- Repeat the question and answer in the correct order.
- Change the speaker and adapt the form.
- Replay the exchange later without reading.
Latin scripts are variable and numbers are used to note sounds. Your goal is to recognize and say the phrase, without imposing a single message spelling on all speakers.
Sources and benchmarks
Resources accessed October 23, 2026. Forms may vary by region and transcription conventions.