mat7chemch ماتتحشمش
Algerian Darja · expression
“mat7chemch” (ماتتحشمش) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning aren't you ashamed?.
Meanings
- aren't you ashamed?
- have you no shame?
Usage
A very common phrase of reproach, built on the verb 7chem (to be ashamed, to feel embarrassed) with the negation ma…ch in the second person. It is aimed at a child, a relative, or someone who is overstepping the mark. Despite its interrogative form, it is a reprimand, not a real question. In the feminine, one says ma t7chmich; in the plural, ma t7chmouch. It is often followed by the reason for the reproach. The register is familiar, and the tone can range from teasing to indignation. The related noun 7chouma (shame) is also very common on its own.
Example
ما تحشمش؟ تهدر هكذا قدام يماك!
ma t7chemch? tahder hakda qoddam yemmak!
“Aren't you ashamed? Talking like that in front of your mother!”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mat7chemch” but also “matahchmch”. 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.