Ways to say it
| Algerian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مليح | mlih | good, good looking |
| وسيم | wasim | more formal |
مليح literally means 'good' or 'nice' and is stretched in everyday speech to mean good looking. The more formal وسيم (wasim) is a dedicated word for 'handsome', closer to Standard Arabic.
What does it mean word for word?
مليح is a general positive adjective used for people, food and situations alike. وسيم is a more specific, literary word focused only on good looks.
Which one should you use?
مليح is the natural, everyday way Algerians describe someone as good looking, among many other positive meanings. وسيم sounds more formal and literary, closer to something read in a story.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
مليح is casual and used constantly in daily life. وسيم sounds slightly bookish in conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
مليح as a general word for 'good' is especially common in Algerian and Tunisian Arabic, more so than in Morocco, where مزيان plays a similar role.
How does it change in a sentence?
مليح changes for gender and number: مليحة for a woman, مليحين for a group of men.
How do you pronounce it?
مليح ends with the throaty ح sound, pronounced from the back of the mouth.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Using وسيم constantly in casual speech can sound stiff. Algerians reach for مليح far more often in everyday conversation.
When do people say it?
Describing someone as مليح covers looks, character and even the quality of a meal, so the compliment is broader than the English 'handsome'.
Did you know?
- مليح is used in Algeria for everything from a handsome face to a tasty meal, making it one of the most flexible compliment words in the dialect.
- Morocco favors the related word مزيان for the same general sense of 'good', showing a small but clear split between Algerian and Moroccan everyday vocabulary.
Examples in context
- خوك مليح بزاف.khouk mlih bezzaf.Your brother is very handsome.
- هذا الراجل وسيم.hada rrajel wasim.This man is handsome.
- شفت صاحبك، مليح في الصورة.cheft sahbek, mlih fi ssora.I saw your friend, he looks good in the photo.
Example conversation
Soraya and her friend Amira look through old photos together.
- Sorayaشوفي هذا، مليح بزاف.choufi hada, mlih bezzaf.Look at this one, he is very handsome.
- Amiraواه، وسيم صح.wah, wasim sah.Yeah, really handsome.
- Sorayaمنين تعرفيه؟menin ta3rafih?How do you know him?
- Amiraصاحب خويا.saheb khouya.He's my brother's friend.
