i7sas احساس
Algerian Darja · noun
“i7sas” (احساس) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning feeling, sensation.
Meanings
- feeling, sensation
- sensitivity
Usage
I7ssas refers to a feeling or sensation. The word comes from Standard Arabic, but it is widely used in darja, especially to talk about emotions: "i7ssas mlii7", "a good feeling", "i7ssas la yousaf", "an indescribable feeling". The phrase "ma 3andouch i7ssas" means "he has no sensitivity, he is insensitive". To express a physical sensation or a premonition, the verb "7ass" is often preferred: "rani n7ass", "I feel". The register is neutral and the word is frequent in songs and on social media. In speech, the initial sound is often pronounced e7sas.
Example
إحساس ما يتوصفش
i7sas ma yetwasfech
“An indescribable feeling.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “i7sas” but also “ihsas”, “e7sas”, “i7ssas” and “ehsas”. 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.
Type “i7sas” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “feeling, impression”; “hunch”: i7sas in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “feeling, sensation”; “sensitivity, empathy”: e7ses in Tunisian.