essa7 essa7 الصح الصح
Algerian Darja · expression
“essa7 essa7” (الصح الصح) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning frankly, to be honest.
Meanings
- frankly, to be honest
- straight up, seriously
Usage
Essa7 essa7 is said to announce that one is going to speak frankly, without hedging or surface politeness. It means "frankly," "to be honest" or "no lie." The expression usually comes at the start of a sentence, before an opinion or a confession: essa7 essa7, ma3jbatnich, "frankly, I didn't like it." It also works as a question: essa7 essa7?, "seriously?" There is also the variant el7a9 el7a9, with the same meaning. The register is everyday and spoken. Repeating the word reinforces sincerity: it does not signal hesitation.
Example
الصح الصح، الماكلة ما عجبتنيش.
essa7 essa7, el makla ma 3ejbatnich.
“Honestly, I didn't like the meal.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “essa7 essa7” but also “sa7 sa7”, “essah essah” and “esse7 esse7”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.